The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-09-23
THE Re Err PEST.

THE FEVER PEST.
Strong Efforts Being Made to
Stamp It Out.
increase OF Deaths mt New Orleans
Scared Residents Leaving Mo-
bile-The Plague Appears
:. ST. atssCairo. Ill. .5
q t--- -
New Orleans, Sept. 20. The condition
relative to the yellow fever, scare
throughout the south is gradually be
coming more compiled ted, chiefly ow-
ing to the fact that there had been no
fatalities save the one. which marked
the Introduction of the fever two
weeks ago. Since then, however, there
occurred a death Friday, two Saturday
and one Sunday-tive in all-with the
total number of 40 actual cases up to
six p. m. Sunday. All over the city the
work of cleaning and disinfecting is
going on. Meetings are being held daily
by all classes of the population and
the business smen are putting in the
time collectively and individually push
ing this branch of the fight against
the fever. Hundreds of barrels Of lime
are being used in the drains and gut
tiers and each infected locality is being
fumigated and sanitated thoroughly
under, the organized direction of the
board of.,,health.
: Hundreds Qtcitizens are volunteering
for personal work along this line and
are being pressed into service by the
board. Gasoline burners on a large
scaleaares being used to consume all
matter on sidewalks and drains in the
infected sections, and, in fact, never
has there benin the history of the
country more complete methods of SAN
itation pursued, and it is almost mat
ter of impossibility for the fever to
spread in the infected localities. If
hard work can accomplish anything it
is safe to$say the fever will not reach
proportions calculated to seriously
threaten the, public safety. Business
is at standstill, with the exception of
export shipments of grain and west
ern produce, which are progressing
without interruption and heavily.
The board of health has ordered that
meetings, whether social, fraternal or
otherwise, be avoided or postponed as
much as possible, and enjoining the
public to use filtered, distilled or boiled
water. No steps have yet been taken
to close the theaters, which are nightly
thronged with people. but if the fever
should spread it is anticipated that the
management of the playhouses will be
asked to suspend temporarily.
The feversat Edwards shows but
slight increase. and no deaths have oc-
Cured. DIR. Purnelf reported four new
cases Sunday. Distinction has COM
smenced and bedding is being burned
when it cannot be disinfected. DR..
Dunn, now at Ocean Springs, has been
ordered to Edwards. The state board
tried to prevent Father Prendergast, of
Vicksburg, who has never had the fe-
ver,. from going to Edwards, but he con-
sidered it his duty and the board gave
way.
The board has report from Biloxi,
showing 36 cases to date, besides six
suspects and q eases of yellow fever
now on hand. No deaths reported.
Vicksburg is thoroughly guarded and
entirely healthy. 1t is4estimated that
perhaps ten per cent. of the popula-
ton has left town.
Mobile, sAlay Sept. 2O.-The official
bulletin for tile last "a hours ending at
noon Sunday shows II new cuses. One
death occurred. Total cases to, date.
20; total deaths, 3. The bad feature is
that the fever is confined to no particu-
lar part OF the city, but seems to be
general. It Is estimated that nearly
10000 people have left the city within
the past week and the exodus has not
yet subsidized.
The government has taken charge of
quarantine and will erect 1000 tents at
Mount Vernon for the refugees The
city has done everything in it's power
to stay the dreadful malady, scattering
lime and carbolic acid broadcast
throughout the city, but without ap-
parent effect. /.
Factories have shut down, buildings
in course of erection are deserted and
the city presents an appearance that
will not soon be forgotten.
Scranton, Miss, 40 miles south of
here, has appealed for help, and in all
probability Mobile will have to do like
wise within the next few days. The
IT, ~ o.
here Saturday evening. and now but
one train leaves daily, that to Louisville
and Nashville, but this train is not al
lowed to stop in Alabama. A panic has
seized the people and altogether the
outlook-is serious.
Memphis, Tenn, Sept. 2o.-A special
to the Commercial-Appeal from Cairo,
ILL.,, says: Dr. Guiteras, the yellow
fever expert; who arrived here from Mo-
bile at.noon Sunday, has pronounced
two suspicious cases at the marine hos
pital to be yellow fever of a mild form.
Owing to the prompt measures taken
there is no danger of it's SPREADING.
The hospital is thoroughly guarded.
DIR. Egan, secretary of the board of
health, issued an order addressed to
every railroad entering the state from
the south, instituting quarantine
against the states of Alabama, Missis-
sippi and Louisiana. For that part of
the state south of the Baltimore '&Ohio
Southwestern railroad, Chicago ex-
copied, will be required to show a clean
bill of health. There is no excitement
here, the people feeling confident the
corps Of the board of health ply sicians
are masters of the situation =. -