The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-14

cidental to the meeting Mayor Sutro said
some sharp things against Quarantine
Officer Chalmers allowing the steamer
Australia to pass in without being quaran-
tined, but Drs. Morse, Williamson and
Hart voted solidly that DR.. Chalmers had
done his strict duty in acting as he did.
In opening the meeting Mayor Sutro
stated that grave duty devolved on the
members of the board to use the most rig
orous means to guard against the approach
of the cholera. I'VE cannot do too much
to protect our City, he said. eff any YES
sci has stopped at Honolulu it should be
quarantined until the passengers and cargo
have been thoroughly fumigated. We are
in an extraordinary situation, and extraor-
binary measures must be used to protect
US. do not wish to find any fault with
the Quarantine Officer, but think in the
present case he should have gone beyond
his duty, and notwithstanding all the re-
ports and letters he should have kept the
vessel several DAYS in quarantine.
DR.. Morse thought otherwise, and to get
the sense of the board on the point he
offered the following resolution:
That as-no port was declared infected it is
the sense of the board that Quarantine Officer
Chalmers did his duty and that no fault should
be found with him, and that he is furthermore
not guilty of any lack of judgment in admit
ting the steamer Australia.
Before the vote was taken Mayor Sutro
explained that he did not wish to be I'M
derstood as finding fault with Quarantine
Officer Chalmers, but thought that the
steamer should have been quarantined. To
put himself right he offered the following
amendment to the resolution:
That it is the common sense of the board that
considering the fact that cholera exists at the
Hawaiian, Islands and was generally known
through the newspapers the Quarantine officer
should not have permitted any passenger to be
landed nor any goods to be discharged from
the Australia until he could have taken the
advice OF the Board of Health, in order to give
the board an opportunity to declare Honolulu
an infected port.
The amendment was not seconded till
DR.. Morse volunteered to do SO in order to
get the opinion of the board on the sub
iect. Then it was voted down, Mayor
Sutro being the only one who voted aye.
Then DIR. MorSe'S motion was called and
passed, thus patting DR.. Chalmers on the
back, as it were, for the action he had
taken in the case of the Australia.
Honolulu was unanimously declared an
infected port on motion of DIR. Hart.
Mayor Sutro proposed that the board
cooperate with the State Board of Health
in meeting the threatened danger. An in
vitation was ordered sent to the members
Of the State board inviting them to be
present at discussion of the situation
next Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock.
DR.. Morse called the attention of the
members to the fact that the steamer Rio
Janeiro was expected to arrive next Sun
day from Hongkong via Honolulu.
'If she takes passengers or freight at
Honolulu" said the Mayor, 'she should
be fumigated. This is matter of life ano
death to us and we should take no
chances"
a general discussion followed as to what
was best to be done under the circum-
stances. 1t was pointed out that DR.. God
frey Of the United States marine service
would have special physician on board
the steamer to assist Quarantine Officer
Chalmers in overhauling her. DR.. Morse
urged leaving the matter of quarantine en-
tlrely with the two gentlemen.
The Mayor fought stubbornIy on his
point to quarantine the vessel anyway if
freight or passengers had been shipped at
the infected point, but the other members
favored trusting the matter to the judg-
ment of the quarantine officers. Action
was finally crystallized in the following
motion, offered by DR.. Hart:
Amy vessel coming from Honolulu since
August 1, 1895, shall be placed in quarantine
until the Board of Health can be communicated
with, provided said vessel has taken any pas
sengers and cargo On board.
The meeting adjourned to Tuesday next,
at IN NJ