Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-26
Judge Parker the Latest Smallpox
Victim.
PANIC AMONG GOVERNMENT employees
The interior Department and Al !
Its Branches Disinfected.
AT THE HOSPITAL TO-DAY

/
| victims Of the dread smallpox during the
| day. This was Judge James j. Parker, who
| was an assistant attorney In the Interior
Department, and whose case was directly
| traceable to the Coston child, with whose
father he came in daily contact. The sole
| topic In store and on the street today was
the threatened epidemic. Persons who have
made careful studies of contagious diseases
were inclined to depreciate any fear Of q
| widespread epidemic. There would prob
| ably, they thought, be a number of cases,
| but with general vaccination and other pre-
| cautions there should be no reason for ap-
| prehension.
The official reports received at the health
| office up to 2:30 o'clock this afternoon show
| a total Of eight cases. with two deaths, and
| there is one case remaining which has not
been investigated. and inquiry was made
Of a rumored case of a man named Best.
but no such report had been received The
| record is given as follows:
| Dead.
Ruth Coston. ABB 4th street northeast.
Mary Mundel, colored servant in Coston
| family.
In the Hospital.
Mary Brown, colored, 202 d street north
west.
|
northeast.
Judge E. M. Rucker, 1lO4 18th street
| northwest
William Owens. 302 4th street southeast.
Judge James j. Parker, 1910 sth street
northwest.
George Anderson, $50 G street northwest
One suspected case not yet Investigated.
Interior Department Closes.
The fact that another case had developed
| among the Interior Department force
| created something in the shape of a panic
in that department. During the afternoon
| the following comm munication was received
| from the health office:
HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA.
WASHINGTON. October Is. 1894.
The Honorable the Secretary of the Interiors:
| Sir: William M. Owens, a messenger in
| the census office, was yesterday officially
declaI ed to have smallpox, and has been
| removed to the smallpox hospital. Mr.
Owens. i am informed. was employed at
| the Ger sus office until last Friday, on which
date he went home sick. Previously to that
| time he had been brought in contact with
Mr.. p. j. Coston, an assistant attorney In
the Interior Department whose child had
at that time, II has since been learned,
smallpox.
fact of Mr.. Owens having had occasion to
go over practically the entire census office
building, i would recommend and insist
that as a matter of precaution the entire
census office building be disinfected. am
aware that this will entail a very considera-
BILE expense upon the government, but In
view of the present emergency 1 consider
(sieneD WM c. WooDWARp. MD.
Health Officer.
In consequence Of this communication the
department was closed till Monday for dis
infection. The clerks were dismissed. Those
who have been particularly exposed to in
lection by contact with the people Of the
afflicted law division were granted leave
for twelve days. The department will be
opened on Monday, but no clerk will be adj
mitted who has not been vaccinated This
applies to the Secretarys Office, census
office. patent Office general land office, mis-
cellaneous division, railroad division and
Indian affairs division. Already the build
ing Is nearly deserted and sulphur fumes
are filling the rooms.
Smallpox Panic.
Before the order for closing was received
there was a smallpox panic at the depart
ment among the LOO clerks employed
there, and the fright extends to the various
bureaus Of the department in adjacent Sec
tions Of the city. which have been In con-
slant and intimate association with the
department. The chief clerk of the depart
ment, Mr.. Josephus Daniels, said that the
situation was serious. All the rooms along
the corridor, where the infection turks, were
smut up ana sulphur IumeS were rising.
The office Of the chief clerk has been closed
and he and his force were removed to the
rooms occupied by the first assistant sec
retary of the Interior.
The clerks clustered around their offices
and talked. as a rule excitedly about the
matter Many cooler heads were counsel
irg indiferep ce. fearlessness and precau-
tionary measures, with the assurance that
the dreadfulDess and malignity of the dis
ease Is often exaggerated, and that prompt
means may stamp out the contagion. A
large number of the employees failed to re-
port for duty today, and many more left
the building early In the morning.
Thorough Fumigntio
The entire building is to be fumigated.
and an order was sent out over the tele-
phone at l o'clock for one barrel of sui
phur. alcohol. sulphur candles and hun
dreds Of vaccine points. The work Of vac
cination is being pushed rapidly, but at
noon the supply of spatulas gave out, and q
delay was caused The order was issued
to scour the city for the things needed.
The Secretary came to the department dur
Ing the forenoon, but left later.
His office has been shut up and the sulphur
is burning its blue and lurid blazes there.
DR.. Wiman, surgeon general of the marine
this afternoon with the officials of the de-
partment, and the result of this is not now
known The physicians who are now en-
gagged In the work of vaccination and fumi-
cation who were called for from the pension
office late yesterday afternoon are as fol-
lows: L. ID. Carman. w. w. Allager, J. w.
Shively, p. ]. Nagle, A b. Coolidge, w. w.
Foster, ]. r. Hayes, T. Sherwood and Dr.
Gibbs. Assistant Medical Referee Gentch
of the pension office is also on the ground
and is doing what he can in the cause Of dis
infection.
Assistant Superintendent Bayne OF the In
terror Department was seriously burned
about the head and face by sulphur while
disinfecting the building.
Judge Parkcr's Case.
One Of the suspected cases reported yes
terday proved to be genuine case Of small
pox This victim is Judge James ]. Parker.
and his case is traceable to the Coston fami-
ly He Is an assistant attorney in the In
terior Department, where he occupied a desk
In room g. and he frequently came in con-
tact with Mr.. Coston. 1t Is also said that ne
had some personal business relations with
the father of the little girl who was first to
die.
Judge Parker Is thirty-seven years old.
and has a wife and family. He came here
from Indiana. Last Monday, after having
suffered a severe cold for several days, he
called In DIR. Krogstadt to attend him.
Then he appeared to be threatened with an