The Irish standard., 1897-09-11
THE REAL THING.
Epidemic at Ocean Springs, Miss.
Pronounced Yellow Fever.
SUCH Is THE VERDICT OF PHYSICIANS.
Quarantine Measures Are Adopted at
Several Points-One Death in New
Orlcans-Little Danger of the
Plague Spreading.

Laurin has just received the following
telegram from two members of the
state board of health, who went to
Ocean Springs, Miss, Sunday to In
vcstigate the yellow fever scare:
after a most thorough investigation in
every conceivable light. 1t is the unanimous
opinion OF Representatives Of Louisiana.
Alabama and Mississippi state boards of
health and tho marine hospital service
that the fever now prevailing In Ocean
Springs 10 yellow fever
(signed) III. H. HARRANsON.
~. F. HUNTER"
New Orleans Excited Over News.
New Orleans, Sept. 7.-President Olli-
plant, Of the Louisiana board Of health,
sent a telegram to that board here at
ten o'clock confirming the report that
the physicians at Ocean Springs had
declared the prevailing sickness un-
dcubtedly yellow fever. The doctors
after holding an autopsy on the body Of
person who died Sunday.
The fever has been prevalent al Ocean
Springs for some time. Two weeks
ago, after careful investigation, the
Louisiana authorities declared the dis
ease to be dengue, which 1t probably
was at that time, the disease being
mild and the death rate tritiing. Dur
ing the past week, however, the dis
ease has become more virulent and has
probably developed into yellow jack.
Decides Upon Quarantine.
The state board of health has decided
to enforce rigid quarantine against
Biloxi and Ocean Springs. Quarantine
will also be enforced against the other
watering places on the gulf coast UNI
tilPresident Olliphant returns and more
light is obtained on the situation.
Guards are to be put on the trains and
at the stations. all baggage is to be
fumiguted and every precuution is to
be taken to keep the disease out of the
city. The louisville d Nashville trains
have been ordered not to stop at either
Biloxi or Ocean Springs. The houses
Orleans in the past two days are to be
thoroughly fumigated.
Dies of Yellow Fever i'm New Orleans.
New Orleans, Sept. 7.-Raoul Gelpi,
who had been spending the summer a
Ocean Springs, was brought to this
city Thursday and died Monday. DIR.
Wnlmsley, acting president of the
board OF health, utter an autopsy, an.
nounced that Gelpi had died of yellow
fever. The board of health has taken
charge Of the house, which will be thor
ouYhly fumigated and disinfected, and
will take all steps to prevent II spread
of the disease. The deceased was
buried Monday evening. No one was
allowed to attend the funeral. Gelpi
was 81 years of age. DIR. Walmsley
says this is the only case in the city.
Physicinns Confident.
The death of young Gelpi naturally
caused no little excitement in the city
among the public. Physicians, how
ever. express no apprehension, and
stated their belief that it was quite pos
sible to arrest IL spread of the fever.
The board during the day ordered u
rigid quarantine against all points on
the gulf coast, and took every precau-
ton to guard all avenues of commune
cation against the entry into the city
of any person from Ocean Springs, Bill
oxi or other points ON the sound, which
II was thought the fever might reach.
During the dizzy the bulletin boards
were thronged, the health office be-
seged and the Western Union wires
freighted with messages to and from
the various coast resorts. In the mean
time, however. reassuring telcgrums
arrived from Ocean Springs that the
Mississippi board of health had taken
every precaution possible to circum-
scribe the limits of the epidemic and
4;
side world 1--WE have no fear" said DR..
Wnlmsley, acting president of the board
of health, that the fever will spread
in New Orleans. The board of health
is prepared to spend n million dollars
to stamp il out, and we see no reason
to feel alarmed. People ought not to
get frightened. This one case was
taken charge of in time, and such sell
entitc fun,igation has been applied as
to warrant the hope TINT we shall
promptly stamp out the disease"
Responsibility for the Invasion.
DIR. Wnlmsley was disposed to hold
the representatives of the Marine hos
pitul service and the Mississippi bourd
of health to some responsibility for the
invasion. He said that the fever had
unquestionably been communicated by
the constant intercourse of Ocean
Springs with Ship island, where there
is Il United States government quaran
tine. Ships from all parts of the world
touch there. A large number from trop-
zeal countries, where yellow fever is
indigenous to the soil, report there
weekly. There has been steady and
uninterrupted communication between
the island and these ocean towns, and
DIR. Walmsley has little or no doubt
that this hns been the means of bring
ing into Ocean Springs the deadly
germs of yellow fever. If Il rigid quar-
nntine had been maintained between the
island and shore, he believes that Ocean
Springs would now have little else to
contend with than dengue fever. Inn
munity from epidemic, however, has
! had II tendency to breed careessness,
and the result is to be found in the
calamity that has hcfnllen the popular
sound resort.
Doubted in WnnhinHtOn.
Washington, Sept. THE latest in
formation received by Dr. Hailbache,
acting surgeon general of the marine
| hospital service, is to the effect that the
disease reported ut Ocean Springs,
lily and even then they can scarcely
be eaten"