The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-09-21
Company Under Contract to Garry
Bodies Back to China.
BLAME LAID ON SURGEON BOWIE
gan Francisco Health Board CousIders
Cholera situation In HonOIulu-Be-
IIeys Presence OF scOurge Here a
More Serious Menace Than I'm Orient.

The news that the plague mad found
it's way to Honolulu created some
CONSERVATION in this city from the
fact of the proximity of Hawaii to
this port says the s. F. Examiner OF
September I'd. Medical authorities
contend that there is much more
danger OF the cholera being carried to
San Francisco from Honolulu than
from the Orient. In the voyage from
Yokohama considerable cold wealth. r
is encountered, and cold weather
is said to be a strong check to the
spread of the disease.
Honolulu has not yet been declared
an infected port, for the reason that
the health authorities have received
no official notice of the cholera being
epidemic there.
The Occidental and Oriental Com
pany, the charterers of the BeIgic,
have acknowledged to Quarantine
Officer Chalmers that three dead
bodies of Chinese were retained on
the vessel and shipped back to China.
The company claims that there vas
no intention on their part to conceal
the facts from the authorities. They
lay the failure to report the cases to
DR.. r. L. Bowie, who was surgeon of
the vessel on that trip. He reported the
matter TO the company, and his dag
nosis was heart disease in one case
and acute pneumonia in the other
two. DIR. Bowie has severed his con-
nection with the line, and it is said,
has returned to Hong kong, where he
intends to practice.
Thomas +. Dune of District Attor-
ney Barnes Office was passenger on
the last trip of the Belgic from YOko-
hama TO this port. In speaking of the
retention of the bodies, Mr.. Dunno
said:
"The deaths occurred before we
reached Honolulu, and L was sur
prised when learned that the bodies
were not gOiug to be buried at sea.
Those on board the vessel told me that
the Occidental and Oriental and Pa
cific Mail companies are under con-
tract with the Chinese government TO
carry back to China all bodies Of Chi
nese who die on any voyage. III q
white man dies his body 10 thrown
into the sea. The companies, / under
stand, receive $50 for each body that
is returned to China.
eve reached Honolulu at o'clock
on August 9th. Two hours later the
City of Picking arrived from San Fran
cisco en- route to Japan and China. /
thought that the bodies would be
shipped back by her, but this was not
done, because the vessels belong to
different companies. The Belgic was
prepared for deaths, for she had on
board ELK big collins. The dead bodies
We're embalmed by the ships surgeon.
eve had on board $50 Chinese for
Honolulu. The greatest care was eX-
ercised in the latter port by the quar-
antine officials. Two OF them came
aboard and examined all the men be-
fore they were allowed TO leave the
vessel. Then the coolies, instead of
being taken ashore were landed on q
small island, where i was told they
would have to remain for several days
and UNDERGO o more rigorous exami
nation. From . casual inspection L
should say that the Chinese on the
Belgic were pretty healthy specimens
of manhood. The sanitation Of the
Belgie from q lay mans point OF view
was all that could be 6eAired. The
steerAge where shs Chinese lived was
pretty well crowded, but there was
always lots Of air in their quarters.
anese, who we're in o different part of
the ship from ths Chfasae"
The Board OF Haalth aek Saturday
evening in the offioe Of DR.. FiIzgib-
bon 10 consider what had best be done
in view of the news to the effect shat
there 10 cholera In Honolulu and in
certain Japanese and Chieeae ports
IL was decided, inAsmuch "a no official
information bAs thus far been re-
ceivsd, thRt she ports referred 20 could
not be declared infected, but that the
Nm. In nG9nar h. trruo1 20
else every possible precAution in the
examination of veAsels from Honolulu
aud Oriental ports.
Quarantine officer Chalmers said
that nothing could be done In regard
to Honolulu until official notice was
received to the effect that the cholera
was epidemic. He was asked what
would be done ia regard to vessels
coming from Honolulu in case the
latter place was declared an infected
port.
'That lies with the Board of
HEALTH" said DIR Chalmers, SHUT
presume that the vessel will be de-
tanned In quarantine and fumigated,
as well - the crews, passengers and
their effects. / do not think that
there is any grave danger of the ehol-
era being brought here from China
and Japan. We will, however, exer-
else due vigilance. In the supple
mental bill of health from Yokohama
the American consul stationed there
assures Us that the Japanese authuri-
ties are taking the most active and
severe measures to control the chul
era, and that, all things considered,
they are meeting with remarkable
success The port most infected is
HioXo, but wherever the disease has
made its appearance it has been fatal
in at least three fourths Of the cases
DR.. Morse of the Board of Health
said that he considered the presence
OF cholera I'm Honolulu q far more
serious menace to san Francisco than
the epidemic in the Orient.
"Cholera," said he, ''has been en-
demic in China ami Japan for at least