The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-13
THE AUSTRALIA ARRIVES.
Passengers, Physicians and Seamen
Differ as to Whether the Disease
Is Cholera.

Passengers, Physicians and seamen
Differ as to Whether the Disease
Is Cholera.
The Oceanic Steamship Company's
steamer Australia, which sailed from
Honolulu Thursday, September 8, arrived
Yesterday afternoon.
Captain III. C. Houdiette reported that
the cholera, or plague fully as fatal as
the Asiatic disease, was prevailing when
the ship arrived there on her voyage fro m
San Francisco. The reports which he re-
ceived from shore impelled him to keep
his ship in quarantine and also to quar-
antine the dock where his freight and pas
sengers for Honolulu were received and
discharged.
The strictest orders were given that
none of the officers or the crew of the Aus
tralia should go ashore. and these instruc-
passengers who expected to remain at
Honolulu for a short time concluded not to
go ashore and SO remained on board, arriv-
ing in San Francisco yesterday. There
was not case of sickness of any kind on
the Australia during the passage from
Honolulu to this port.
Quarantine Officer Chalmers boarded tbs
vessel, which came to anchor off the Pre-
sidio, and made thorough inspection and
muster of the passengers. He gave the
ship clean bill of health, and the vessel
was allowed to dock at 4:30 o'clock.
Captain Houdlette in an interview with
reporter said:
when we left Honolulu there had been
thirty nine cases of cholera or some other
plague, and thirty-two deaths had been re-
corded. The plague is confined almost
wholly to natives. Only one white man
had been attacked, and he was sailor
aboard the United States ship Bennington.
The attack proved fatal. 1t is the belief at
Honolulu that the disease came from the
Belgic."
Captain Houdlette said that the Board of
ously and intelligently to stamp out the
plague. A hospital had been established,
strict sanitary regulations enforced, and
all persons were prevented from going to
any other of the islands.
The captain did not believe himself that
the disease was cholera, because the whites,
the Chinese, japanese and the Portuguese
had not been attacked by the plague.
The Bennington and Olympia remained
outside the harbor of Honolulu, and with
the exception of the case reported on the
Bennington there had been no sickness
aboard either ship. There were no foreign
men-of-war at Honolulu.
The health authorities of Honolulu
burned large quantities of lime, and effect
ually fumigated all the plague stricken
localities. There was no panic in Homo
lulu. The authorities had much to con-
tend with, as the natives refused to report
cases. Frequently dead bodies had been
found where no cases were reported.
Passengers on the Australia reported
that there were eight new cases and four
deaths the day that the steamer sailed.
The passengers of the Australia adopted
resolutions thanking Captain Houdlette
and the other officers of the Australia for
their manliness ana courage in docking at
Honolulu, landing the mails and properly
looking after the interests of passengers.
G. G. Broome of Brooklyn, N. Y, and
Mr.. and Mrs. PIatt, passengers who went
out on the last trip of the Australia, did
not go ashore at Honolulu, but remained
aboard, and arrived here yesterday.
Brigadier- General Keppel of the Saliva
ton Army who went to Honolulu with
his wife to conduct the first anniversary of
the army's existence and dedicate new
building, returned on the Australia. The
general IN an interview yesterday said:
ST am convinced from my own personal
knowledge that the plague is not true
Asiatic cholera, but scourge brought by
the uncleanliness and unhealthy condition
of the natives
General Keppel found DEGREES against
public meetings and assemblies generally
at Honolulu, and decided to defer the work
contemplated to some other time.
S. M. Dodge of this City, who was pas
senger returning from Honolulu, believed
that the plague was caused by the natives
eating raw fish and paying no regard 70
cleanliness. He said that similar plague
occurred on the islands many years ago.
Mr.. Broome of Brooklyn asserted that
the disease was developed from stream
known as Nuuanu, which flows through
section of Honolulu.
DR.. Milan Soule, surgeon OF the steamer
Australia, speaking of the cholera scare in
the islands, last night said: "None of the
people belonging to the ship were per-
mitted to go ashore. However, over the
telephone spoke with q number of the
physicians in Honolulu and every one OF
them questioned that the epidemic was