The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-09-27

The California Board of Health has
declared Honolulu an infected port
and has directed DR.. Chalmers, the
quarantine officer at San Francisco,
to hold all vessels arriving that have
left Honolulu since August 1st, so
that they may be inspected and fumi-
gated.
The Australia arrived at San Fran
cisco on the afternoon of the 18th, and
was allowed to land by Quarantine
Officer Chalmers. The passengers
were not detained in quarantine an
instant, their baggage was not fumi-
gated and neither were the papers nor
the mails from Honolulu.
The landing of the steamer under
the circumstances was not in accord
ance with the precedent established
at this port. On former occasions
when epidemics have been prevailing,
even in ports so distant as HOngkong
and Yokohama, baggage and passen-
gers on steamers from those ports
have been fumigated even when the
steamers own bill of health was clean.
In this instance the steamer was
allowed to land on the statement of
the Hawaiian authorities that she was
in quarantine in the harbor of Homo
lulu.
Consul Mills certified that the
steamer and crew bad been in quaran-
tine during her stay in Honolulu, and
had no connection with the shore. Not
withstanding this report Mayor Sutro
severely censured DR.. Chalmers for
allowing the steamer to land, but the
action of the quarantine officer was
sustained by the Board of Health.
DR.. Rupert Blue, Assistant Surgeon
of the Marine Hospital, received a
letter by the Australia from his
brother, Victor Blue, an Ensign on
the United States steamship Benning-
ton, stating that there were seven
cases of cholera aboard the vessel at
the time of writing. The Bennington
is still lying in the harbor at Homo
lulu.
DR.. John Godfrey, head of the Ma
rine Hospital service on the Pacific
Coast, has received a telegram from
the head Of the service at Washington
to request the United States Consul at
Honolulu to hire special physician
to inspect the vessels leaving that port
for this country.
f. A. Schaefer, italian Minister to
the Sandwich Islands and an intimate
friend of Major Hooper Of the Occi-
dental Hotel, has written the latter
gentleman regarding the cholera scare
at Honolulu. The letter follows:
"DO not allow yourself to be alarm
ed by sensational reports about chol-
era in this city. There is a grave doubt
among sensible people if there ever
VTal,
ought to be an epidemic today. But
on the contrary, the few cholera cases
have not resulted in any contagious
sanitary condition here, and there is
good reason to feel that the prOfes-
siOn9l opinion of the medical mem
bers of the Board of Health here is
not perfectly sound "a to the character
of few doubtful CASES of cholerine in
this city.
Anyhow, there are no new cases,
and Asiatic cholera would by this
time make a much different showing
if it was in our midst. drop a line
to you to post you in case the subject
Of cholera should be spoken of.
"Of course one cannot absolutely
deny the distant possibility of cholera
developing yet, but certainly there
are no signs of such possibility"
The Rio JaneriO arrived at San
Francisco on the 14th and was placed
in quarantine. Both the Allen and
the Castle had to undergo the same
course on arrival.
The Board of Health of the Bay
City are taking every possible precau-
lion to prevent the introduction of
cholera into the United States. The
agents Of the bark S. G.. Allen made
4 plea to have the vessel released
rom quarantine, but the Board
'efused to grant it until inform
I'd by the United States authorities to
10 so.
Kobe, Japan and Rio JaneriO have
1een declared infected ports by the
United States.