The San Francisco call., 1895-10-12
DR. CHAL MERS' CONDUCT,
The City Quarantine Officer
Reported to the Grand
Jury.
of DR.. Peckham of the United
States Service.

Quarantine Officer Chalmers is likely to
get himself into a peck of trouble with the
Grand Jury and certain other City officials
over his action in regard to the steamer
Australia.
On the morning that the vessel arrived
from Honolulu the Board of Health met
as usual on the report of the arrival of a
vessel from cholera-infected ports. Mayor
Sutro and Drs. Hart and Williamson were
present. DR.. Hart regularly moved that
the Australia be ordered into quarantine
at Angel Island till her passengers, bag
gage and cargo were thoroughly fumi-
gated.
DR.. Williamson made an effort to have
the passengers omitted from the order.
He said they had been properly fumigated,
being allowed to take baggage, and that
the sea voyage had completed the destruc-
ton of whatever hostile bacteria may have
existed.
Mayor Sutro and DR.. Hart refused to
agree with him, and when the question
was put it was decided to order the Aus
tralia, her passengers and freight into
quarantine.
Quarantine Officer Chalmers was present
during the discussion, and when he left
the rooms of the Board of Health it was
supposed that he was on his way to the
water front to carry out the order.
He went to the water front all right, but
instead of ordering the steamer into
quarantine he allowed her to dock and to
discharge her passengers and freight.
When Mayor Sutro heard of the action
he expressed some very indignant phrases.
Since the board has been handling vessels
| from infected ports he has been using his
| best efforts to have the laws rigidly en-
| forced, and to use every precaution to
guard the public health. The case of the
steamer Belgic thoroughly exasperated
him and set him to watching the Oriental
steamers more closely than ever. Some
way, under DR.. Chalmers supervision, the
Belgic was allowed to slip into dock and
discharge her passengers. Subsequently it
came to light that charges had been made
that several passengers had died of cholera
while on the voyage from China to Homo
lulu. A report was made to the Board of
Health that some of the same passengers
had great deal to do with spreading the
cholera in Honolulu.
This is only one of the reasons that has
set the authorities to investigating the
arbitrary action of Quarantine Officer
Chalmers in ignoring the order of the
|, Board of Health, and allowing the
Australia to dock without being fumigated.
George T. Gaden yesterday submitted
the following statement of the case to the
Grand Jury:
The facts are that DR.. Chalmers was specific
ally instructed by the Board of Health to
place the steamer Australia in quarantine.
Instead of so doing he accepted the instruc-
tions of DR.. Peckham, United States Quaran-
tine Officer of this port, and therefore DR..
Chalmers gave an order to Captain Houdlette
to land the passengers of the steamer.
The latter order Immediately obeyed,
and about sixty-seven passengers were landed
at about 4 P. NJ. in San Francisco on october 8,
1895.
Here are two questions that grow out of the
above facts:
First-WGs not DR.. Chalmers in duty bound
to obey the instructions of the Board of Health
and place the steamer in quarantine? He is
an officer of the State Government, and owes
his primary duty to its laws His obligation is
to execute the laws and allow others to raise
the question of their legality.
Second-Do the statutes Of the United States
invest DR.. Peckham with authority to over
rule and nullify the specific instructions of
the Board of Health? If they do, then the
question of procedure alone is involved.
Should not Dr. Chalmers have placed the
steamer in quarantine, thus performing his
duty, and thereby giving basis for the subse-
quent order of release by Dr. Peckham?
On these questions the Grand Jury should
take advice of the District Attorney and be
governed by the law in the case.