The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-09-13
The Natives and the Chinese Gener-
ally Die When Stricken.
Because They Are Ignorant and Tn
clean-A sailor on the warship Ben
nington Among the Dead ad-Ex-Queen
Liliuokalani and Most of the Other
Rebels pardoncd.

are allowed 10 leave port without first re-
naining in quarantine for five days. Pas
sengers must undergo the same ordeal.
The Australia leaves today for San Fran
cisco with cabin passengers only.
The cholera, according TO the general
theory, was brought to Honolulu by the
steamer Belgic, which arrived here on the
Sth OF August with 53S Chinese immigrants
on board. The vessel had a clean bill OF
health. but. following the custom. the Cal
rese were placed in quarantine. On the
18th OF August Il was learned that three of
the immigrants had died. two from bowel
complaint and the other from exhaustion
The third man was an aged opium nend,
and II is claimed that il he had been sup
piled with his regular amount OF the drug
be would have lived. As soon as il was
publicly announced that deaths had oc-
carried at the quarantine station people
became alarmed and declared that Asatic
cholera had broken out among the Chi
neSe immigrants l. IS not unusual for
forms Of bowel complaint TO break out
anong the steerage passengers during
quarantine. owing TO the change in diet
and the propensity to hn up on fruits and
food sent In by friends from the city. but
the health authorities made a careful in
vestigation OF these cases and reported
that there was absolutely nothing to indi-
cate that the sickness was due 10 cholera
or any disease of contagious nature.
Aitlul 08d& HGSlS was maze or each case
by physicians, and not a single symptom
OF cholera was discovered. In the mean
time two other immigrants were attacked
with dysentery, and 1t was decided TO ex-
tend the term of quarantine until all signs
of sickness had disappeared. ". O Smith,
prt sident of the board of health. made
statement, which was published. II al
layed the fears of the people here to some
extent hut on the morning OF the 10Th an
OTHER alarm was sounded
A special meeting OF the hoard of health
was held TO consider measures 10 break
the disease. The doctor Nho attended the
immigrants. stated that woman died on
the 18th. after suffering about ten hours
with an Illness very similar To Asiatic
cholera. Another native was taken down
with the same symptoms and died l4tc~
The board of health held another meet
Ing on tAe 2lst 10 confer with local phvsi-
cid"S. After a general discussion the med
ical r en- would not give a decided answer
regarding the disease, awaiting the result
OF a series Of meteorological experiments
They were inclined 10 believe that the dis
ease vas form OF sporadic cholera NOR
hus, rather than Asiatic cholera Another
meeting was held on the 22d and four OF
the most prominent physicians pronounced
tie disease Asiatic cholera II was decided
10 inaugurate a system Of house to-11use
disinfecton. and other precautionary
measures were taken to insure, If posi-
hle, the security Of the community. The
doctor OF the Belgic Is blamed by he peo-
pie. many Of whom claim that he ma le
false report 10 Port Physician Day when
the vessel arrived here he reported that
three Chinese had died on the way ov er
He claimed that heart disease carrief or
two, and that pneumonia was responsible
FOR the death Of the third. Fellow steer
age passengers now here say that the
symptoms were quite similar 10 he cases
that ended fatally ~ the quarantine sta
ton. No cases developed among ,he Chi
nese al the quarantine station after Au-
gust IL. and the immigrants have since
been released.
Up 10 the departure Of the Nonowai on
August .. five cases Of cholera had dsval-
oped at Iwilei, Honolulu. and four died
on the evening Of the 2lth another case
was reported. For five days there we're
no cases reported, and the people breath
81 more freely, believing that the l.selsc
had been stamped out Rut it WAS olly a
respite On the 30th nine cases were TO-
ported. FIVE Of which proved fatal One
of the uufCrtuuates was a seaman on the
Bennington. named W. II Goebel He was
taken Ill while on board the vessel and
lived but a short time. ON the follow
ing two days four cases We're reported
on the 3d. seven cases developed With the
exception OF the Bennington sailor. the
scJurgA has attacked only natives
The chef difficulty IN dealing with the
cholera here is the Ignorance and urclean
habits Of the natives and Chinese The
natives have. Of course no conception Of
the nature Of the disease its origin or the
proper treatment OF IT, In this as in al
other respects. they are mers children.
and must he treated accordingly. During
the smallpox epidemic Of 1853 they d.d rot
hesitate - hathe in the ocean water. ana
rarely disclosed any outbreak of the dis
ease In their homes Ten Thousand died
II that time. In 1881. on another outbreak
of smallpox. they We're handled by intel
l!Eaut white men. and the raVages We're
not so great. The idea Of a germ disease
the native docs not comprehend. Ha Wa,
permit the cholera discharges 70 remain
IN the premises indefinitely Z allowed 70
do SO. and is not willing 70 follow .nstrac-
t.-~s as N cleanliness.
50 Far as the immediate source of the
cholera germs can be found. Il Is IN ths
raw FISH whtcA the natives eat. just a
raw oysters are eaten IN other countries.
- cannot Pc s71 with certainty that th-
rn came IN tsE. hUt i1 rcariy all ss
the cases which have occurred the pa
t.erts have eaten it.
The or.v white person who has been ar-
tackled with disease was tAe sailor ~ the
1-utea States ship Bennington she l-s
in the harb9r. some distance from ths
dock The man had not been ashore fc~
so.ra DAYS. he was suddenly taken w-te
tha disease. ana died He had hathe3 cve-
the ie of the snip, but the water of the
rarhor Is remarkably clean. ans the ti1s
flows freely There IS however. R stream
AowinE through the C'y. on t1e banks ~
which were situated marv Chinese wash
houses ard whore the natives threw uu~l
refuse matter II il believed that the ref
use of tais stream may have contain
rar-d Ire waters % the haroog- ana t1'
sailor nav have n some wav come