The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-18
PASSED IN ON AFFIDAWTs.
SANITARY BOARDS TEMPORARY
QUARANTINE RULE.

montgomery Health Board Denies
There is Any Yellow Fever There.
The Sanitary Board Allows G. and
A. Trains to Pass Quarantine on
Condition That Passengers Make
oath They Have Not Been in Any
Infected Section.
Official letters, addressed to Mayor Mel
drim from both the mayor and president
of the board of health Of Montgomery,
Ala. have been received in Savannah, CIV
ing assurances that there are no cases OF
yellow fever in Montgomery.
The letters rather had the effect of re-
moving the apprehension which existed
with several members of the sanitary
hoard as to the existence of the fever and
also of obtaining concessions for passen-
gers passing the quarantine lines at Mel
drim on the trains of the Georgia and
Alabama railway
Prior to receiving the information from
the mayor and president of the board of
health of Montgomery Mr. Charles G.
Martin. agent Of the Georgia and Ala
bama. the road most affected by the quar-
antine, had taken steps toward obtain
ing hearing for the Georgia and Ala
bama officials before the sanitary board
at 9 O'Clock his object being to satisfy
the board that there were no cases Of yell
low fever at Montgomery and to arrange
to get the passengers on the train which
reached here at 11:50 o'clock, through the
quarantine lines without unnecessary in
convenience.
Mayor Meldrim having left the city for
Augusta, could not officially call the
board together. 1t met, however at the
mayors office at O'Clock pursuant to the
request of the Georgia and Alabama au-
thorities.
Upon the production of information,
which went strongly to indicate that the
fever did not exist and that there had been
nothing to indicate the fact from any
diagnosis that had been made, the board
agreed to allow all passengers to pass
the quarantine lines at Meldrim who
would make an affidavit that they had
not been within the supposed infected ter
ritory of Montgomery within the last ten
days. This information was at once wiz
ed to Meldrim, and the train arrived in the
city on time, without any of the passen-
gers being detained so far as is known.
Another short session of the sanitary
board was held at O'Clock. 1t was decid-
ed to allow the Georgia and Alabama train
which reached the city last night to pass
the quarantine lines upon the same condi-
lions.
In talking of the reported fever, Health
Officer LeHardy said that he had given
IL as his opinion many times that it was
absolutely impossible for the yellow fever
to live in Savannah at this late season OF
the year. and he did not think the pres
ent quarantine a necessity. He said that
the precautions which had been used were
such as to insure the very best sanitary
condition of the city, and that this fact,
coupled with that of the great improba-
bility of the fever living in Savannah was
what led him 10 conclude that the quar-
antine was unnecessary. He further stat
ed that he was Of the same opinion as Dr.
Duncan, who also thought that the fever
could not propagate in this city at TINS
late season.
one Of the most important reasons urg-
ed by Vice President Gabbett who was
in the city, but who left in his private
car for Richmond last night, against the
quarantine, was that 1t would interfere
with the large shipments of cotton which
the Georgia and Alabama had agreed to
ship through from Montgomery to Savan-
nah, and for which 1T had already engag-
ed space in vessels now in port. The mat
ter was apt to cause a loss of thousands
of dollars to the road
When asked about these shipments,
which the quarantine will necessarily him
der, Agent Martin said that there are
at least 1850 bales of cotton which the
I t.as,r0
to haul from Montgomery to Savannah
within the next three weeks. Ship space
has already been engaged. 1t might be
filled with cotton from other points. If,
however, this could not be DONE the road
would be at a heavy loss for ship space,
which had been engaged, but which 1t
could not use.
passenger trains, Mr.. Martin said that an
effort would be made 20 get the same con-
cessions for the trains to-day as had al
ready been obtained. 1t may be that the
train to arrive here at 1850 this morning
will be held out a few miles from Mel
drim until the sanitary board can decide
upon the matter a its meeting to-day,
which will be held in the mayors oftics
at O'Clock
If the quarantine Is continued against
Montgomery, Mr.. Martin said trains viii
be run on the regular schedule, but will
only go within few miles of Montgom-
cry. The main consideration to the road,
however, is not so much the passenger,
as it is the freight business. The cot
ton which was to have come to Savan-
nah WILL in the event OF the continu-
ance OF the quarantine, be sent either tc
Norfolk, Pensacola or Mobile Just what
further concessions will be granted are
not known, but it is thought that the
situation will assume a more definite shape
upon the arrival of Mayor Meldrim, who
will reach the city this morning at I
O'Clock from Augusta.
Health officer LeHardy declined to give
out the letter from the Montgomery au-
thorities. a Geographic copy of the letter
was also received, but the city officials
refused to permit its publication in the
absence of Mayor Meldrim.
BUTLER STRIKES GOLD.