Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-06

]
McLaurin just received the following tele-
gram from the two members of the state
board of health who went 10 Ocean Springs
| Miss, yesterday to investigate the yellow
! fever scare:
After most thorough investigation in
| every conceivable light. it is the unanimous
| opinion of representatives of Louisiana
| Alabama and Mississippi state boards
| of health and the marine hospital service
| that the fever now prevailing in Ocean
| Springs is yellow fever
CSigneD H. H. HARRALSON
]. F. HUNTER.
Heard at New Orleans.
| NEW ORLEANS. September 6.-President
| Oilphant of the Louisiana board of health
| sent telegram to that board here at 10
| o'clock confirming the report that the ply
| slcians at Ocean Springs had declared the
! prevailing sickness undoubtedly yellow fe-
| ver The doctors of three states ca,ne
| 10 TINS conclusion after holding an autopsy
on the pody OF a person who died yester-
day.
Couriers are now skirmishing around the
city Tor sufficient members to make I'D a
quorum OF the state board of health in
order to declare quarantine against Ocean
springs, which Is about one hundred miles
from this city
Rigid precautions will be taken absolute
- isoiate ti.e Springs ana IL is cOnIluent-
ly hoped here by leading physicians that
the precautions will be successful in keep
ing the disease from spreading to this
pace. case in point is that of Biloxi
several years ago, when there was an epl-
demic Of yellow fever. Biloxi is closer 10
New Orleans than Ocean Springs bat the
medical men were successful in confinny
the sickness to that city.
Little Alarm Felt.
There is little or no alarm here, but So
1ourners on the coast are returning to the
city, ana will spend the balance of the
summer at horne. The result of the quar-
anune will probably be the taking off of the
excursion and regular trains which run be-
tween New Orleans and Ocean Springs.
and which touch at the various resorts
along the Mississippi sound
me fever has been prevalent at Ocean
Springs for some time Two weeks ago
after a careful Investigation the Louisiana
authorities declared the disease to be
dengue, which it probably was at that
Tune, the disease being mild and the death
rate being trifing. During the past week.
however, the disease has become more
Flrulent and has probably developed into
yellow jack.
The state board of health has decided to
enforce a rigid quarantine against Biloxi
and Ocean Springs. Quarantine will also
be enfoIced against the otner watering
Iiaces on the gulf coast until President
C-Pheihe icluIIS more llgnt is obtain
ed on the situation. Guards are TO he put
on the trains and at the stations, all bag
gage Is to be fumigated and every precau-
ton Is to be taken to keep the disease out
OF the city. The Louisville and Nashville
trains have been ordered not to stop at
either Biloxi or Ocean Springs The houses
OF all reople who have returned to New
OrleaLs in the past two days are to be
thoroughly fumigated.
s. s. Champion a Victim,
JACKSON, Miss, September Ga tele-
gram from Edwards, Miss, about thirty
miles west of here, states that S. s. Cham
pion, a member of the state legislature
since 1890, and a prominent politician, died
there yesterday evening, from what was
supposed to be yellow fever
A family of nine persons, named Ander-
son. living near Edwards, had been So
1ourning at Ocean Springs. After their re-
turn seven of the family were taken sick
and Mr.. Champion visited the family to
inquire after their health. Two or three
days afterward Mr. Champion was taken
sick, and died yesterday. The attending
physician pronounced the case one of vel
low fever.
Texas Orders "a Quarantine.
AUSTIN, Texas, September Estate
Health Officer Swear!ngen this morning is
sued iron-clad quarantine against Ocean
Springs, Miss, and all other points now
affected or likely to be affected by yellow
fever. 1t will go into immediate effect and
last indefinitely.
Reports from the gulf coast are to the
effect that the inhabitants are badly
frightened at the prospects of yellow fever
entering the state, and some of them are
talking of reorganizing their shotgun quar-
antine force, which patrolled the gulf shore
some twelve years ago to keep out all per-
sons, and thereby prevent the disease from
entering the state
Not Believed Here.
The marine hospital service is investigat-
ing the fever at Ocean Springs. Miss, and
the information SO far at hand inclines
them to the belief that the disease is not
yellow fever, though conclusive informa-
ton is not yet at hand. Surgeon General
Wyman is absent from the city. He has
been attending the British Medical Associ-
alton meeting at Montreal, and Is now at
Vineyard Haven on his way back. During
his absence Surgeon Bailbache is in charge
The cases at Ocean Springs were first call
ed to the attention of DIR. Bailbache last
Friday in a telegram from Assistant Sur
-geon Wasdin, VINO is stationed at Mobile
asking permission to accompany the state
board of health to Ocean Springs to inyes-
tigate the fever. DR.. Wasdin was directed
to proceed.
Yesterday morning he, telegraphed as fol-
lows: "Of five or six hundred cases here
have seen five; an endemic infection spread
by carriage; mostly white; non-paroxysm-
al; dsproportionate in pulse; prostration.
Insisted on and made first autopsy on adult |
of sixty, said to be typical case of fever.
Matter under advisement. Drs. Oliphant |
(president Louisiana state board of health
Harralson. Saunders and others will be here
later"
Surgeons Ordered to Ocean Sprfnes.
A copy of this telegram was transmitted |
to Surgeon General Wyman at Vineyard
Haven. and he Immediately requested DR.. |
John Guiteras. professor of the University |
of Pennsylvania, to proceed to Ocean
Springs. DR.. Guiteras was formerly In the
marine hospital service. and is the ac- |
knowledsed authority on fevers in this
country. DR.. Bailbache also wired DR. |
Wasdin to inquire into the result of the
autopsy and 4consulta ton. to give the num-
ber of the Inhabitants of Ocean Sprincs
and the number of fatalities.
DIR. Wasdia replied that the population Of |
Ocean Springs. which Is summer resort /
on the gulf coast near Biloxi, was about /
J 800 in winter and 5000 in summer. He |
also reported the existence of pasmodium
of malaria, a condition Of the blood said TO /
be never present In yellow fever cases. No /
further report has been received, although L
one Is expected today.