Evening star., 1897-02-20

point Of view. There Is always something
to be said in rebuttal of a general con-
demnatory phrase; and therefore there is
interest in the story of one case at least
in which modern warship Of the United
States proved herself, under the most
threatening and gloomy circumstances, to
be no 'thoodoo."
This was when the Asiatic cholera got
aboard the United States cruiser Bennilg-
ton, third rate. in the summer Of 1895, in
the harbor of Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands.
1t Is story that has local application,
for of ships company of nearly 800 men
and boys the only life lest by the invasion
aboard ship of the deadly plague was that
of Washington lad, an apprentice. 1t
was not mere good luck that prevented
the scourge sweeping the ships company
fore and aft, as the entire crews of Japan
ese and Chinese vessels of war are swept
by the cholera scourge every year. If the
bennington had not been differed by an
exceedingly cool-headed set of men, and
had she not been under the medical and
sanitary supervision of one of the very
best surgeons in the whole naval service
OF the United States, it is more than likely
that within three days after the cholera
struck the ship there would not have been
enough men left on board to spread mess
gear. If there can be any compensatng
feature in the position of men penned up
on snip that has been invaded by a dead
ly plague. it must lie in the fact that their
ship is man-of-war, and an American
man-of-war at that.
An Asiatic Product.
Chinese coolies, bound by contract for
work as laborers on Hawaiian sugar plan
tations. brought the cholera to Honolulu
late in July. 1895. Several hundred of
them were carried in the steerage of the
steamer Belgic from China to Honolulu.
Although tie port from which they left
China was not officially registered as IN
fected, the germs Of, Asiatic cholera must
have been among this gang of coolies at
the start, for three of them died of the
plague at sea, midway between China and
Hawaii. .s.5
The surgeons on board some of the Pa
cific liners are eomplaisant young fellows
just cut of medical schools, who seek these
sea-faring billets for the purpose of try
irg their prentice hands preliminary to
settling down to practice ashore. Many
of them only make one cruise before they
get enough of the sea. The young sur
geon on board the Belgic was either too
ignorant to know Asiatic cholera when he
saw it., or he suffered himself to be bully
ragged by his ships, commander. At any
rate, on the ships health bill he marked
two of these coolies who died Of cholera
as having suecumbed to pneumonia, and
ascribed the death Of the third to heart
disease. Thus. when the Belgic arrived at
Honolulu quarantine. the Hawaiian health
officials were naturally quite unsuspicious
that anything was wrong with the big
consignment of coolies. They permitted
them to land. and sent the Belgic on to
the United States with a clean bill Of
health. Had not the Belgic been thor
oughly fumigated for days on her way
UP to the states, there can be no doubt
that this country would have had a chol-
era epidemic on its west coast.
Ankle Deep In Dfsinfectants.
The Chinese coolies landed from tho RoI
gle at Honolulu quarantine scattered
themselves with their goods ever the quar-
antine island In the harbor. and settled
down for a ten days stay in health uuod
before their release to proceed to work on