The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-07-31


The conditions at Yokohama are disap-
pointing Tar concerns the diSInIec-
LlOn OF steerage passengers and baggage.
Dr. Stuart EIdredge, Hawaiian Consul
and sanitary inspector, does the best he
can under the circumstances, and hopes,
before long that proper dlSinIecJInS
plant Will be erected by the L. NJ. 5. S
co. BY his persistent efforts he has per
suaded Mr.. Howard, the agent, to rec
ommend that the company erect plant
on their compound. The plans, speclfica-
lions and estimates OF cost have been
submitted, and there is hope that they
viii receive favorable consideration. The
plans are those of the kenyon-FranciS
hot-air chamber, adopted by the United
States Marine Hospital Service, and are
similar to the one at the Honolulu quar-
antine station.
Up to the present time DR.. Eldredge has
had TO depend upon sulphur fumlgat1on
for disinfecting the baggage of Steerage
passengers. When the 14-day quarantine
regulation was in force he found great
difficulty in carrying ii out. No suitable
place was available for the purpose. He
finally procured some tea houses on the
Mississippi Bay road, remote from town,
and the emigrants were quartered there,
but it is extremely doubtful whether it
is possible to keep a satisfactory quaran-
tine in such place. Furthermore, III
order to embark, the passengers We're
obliged to pass through crowded por-
ton of the town.
Dr. EIdredge's inspections before the
departure of the ships are very thorough
and not only include the Japanese en-
barking at Yokohama, but all steerage
passengers en- route and the crew.
BY the courtesy of Mr.. Goro Martha,
of the Foreign Office, formerly Secretary
of Legation at Honolulu, and Dr. Shin
pei Goto, President of the Imperial San
itary Board, / was escorted to the Yoko-
hama quarantine station by several Off
Gals in a Government launch. The sta
ton is charmingly located TO miles down
the bay, and is most completely and even
elegantly equipped.
All of the Japanese quarantine stations.
including the large military stations of
Ninoshima and Sakurajima, are con.
structed on the most approved
modern principles, superheated steam
is @sGd effects The the maehineTy is well
constructed, brick walls and cement
floors being freely used about the cham
made for keeping the disinfected persons
and baggage from the undisinfected by
the systematic arrangement of the wait
ing, dressing and bathing rooms. There
are separate buildings for the disinfec,
ton of first and second-class passengers,
as well for their accommodation, when
detention is necessary. The quarters OF
the first-class passengers are as comfort
able as most hotels.
Remote from the disinfecting and deten-
ton buildings is the hospital for infec-
by a cement floor, high in the center and
sloping gradually to the edge, to insure
perfect drainage. tile drain conducts
all fluids to a cesspool. The floor of the
building is raised about three feet above
this cement floor. BY a clever arrange
ment of panels and screens, patients can
he put in and taken out of the rooms
without having to pass through the
building. Each room has hole in the
floor, so that it can be thoroughly hushed
out with an antiseptic solution when
necessary. A separate building contains
the doctors and nurses quarters, labora-
tory and drug room. The laboratory is
equipped with the necessary apparatus
for conducting archaeological work, in
Guiding a valuable German microscope
and high-power immersion lenses. AZ the
farther end of the property is crema-
tory for the incarceration of bodies that
have died of infectious diseases. All yes
sells entering the ports of Yokohama, ko~
be and Nagasaki must report at the sew
eral quarantine stations, and If from For
mosa or China the officers make an in
spection of passengers, crew and vessel
Now that plague is so prevalent in For
mosa and parts of China, the Imperial
Government feel considerable anxiety
left it get into Japan, and the inspection
of vessels is intended to be very thor
Ough Owing to these precautionary
measures two vessels have recently been
found infected with plague-one at Maya
saki and one at Yokohama Both yes
sells were from Formosa.
Having reported separately on the va
rious ports, I will now summarize the in
formation gained in answer to my letter
of instructions. 1 am asked to give spec
ial attention to:
l. 1.-The facilities and appliances which
are available to our officers at the several
ports for the quarantining of emigrants
before embarkation and for disinfect1ng
their effects.
The facilities for quarantining passen-
gers are practically nil, Kobe being the
only exception, and that far from perfect
The appliances for diSinfecting at Hong
kong will be all that can be desired, as
soon as the baths are ready At Shang-
hal and Nagasaki there is nothing, put
fortuna ely, there has been no need OF
any, At Kobe. a satisfactory plant can
be had at slight expense. AT Yokohama
there is nothing available at present, but
probably before long there will be an eff
ficient plant established.
, Under what circumstances and to
what exentent should we require that
emigrants from Chinese ports for Ha-
wall come via Yokohama?'
1t seems to me desirable that all emil.
grants from Chinese ports for HaWan
touch at Yokohama for final inspection
Practically this is done now, for all the
Chinese come in via p. NJ. and Q. q O.
boats. In the event of special shipments
being sent in chartered vessels, 1t would
be still more desirable to have them touch
at Yokohama.
ner should the regulations be made to
apply to the crew of ship bringing emil
grants?' ,.. 49,.
The present quarantine regulations are
deficient on this point, as viii De seen
nv reference to Sections 3, 4, ., ana 10
of Article V. It is manifest that there
NAV be danger from the crew, unless pre-
ing of the sections referred to, it is also
manifest that it was the intention 10 IN
would recommend amending them so that
the health officers may have the power
TO have the crew and their effects dealt
with according to the requirements OF
the case: namely, disinfection of effects,
vaccination, bathing and detention when
necessary. before going on board in in
4 "To what extent and in what man
ner should the regulations be made 10
apnlv TO the taking on board of a snip
al an infected port of clothing or per
sonaI effects other than those the passen-
gers or crew have with them at the Iile
of embarkation?
This should never be allowed. In Sec
ton 4 Article II, the intention of the
Government is disclosed on this point point;
- shou1d be made by daylight, as late
as practicable before sailing. The vessel
should be Inspected before the passen-
GERS go aboard, the passengers just be-
fore eInbarl1fng and the crew on the decK'
and no cargo or person should be al
lowed to come aboard after such Oh in ns &c
isSIinp the hill of health. To allow any
clothing or personal effects that have