The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-19
VIEWS or THE QUARANTINE.
Mayor Me:drim says 1t Is All Right
The Fart Case.

/ O'Clock. The board mas decided to hold
daily meetings 50 lorg as the present con-
dltions in the yellow fever district remain
without improvement, and no exceptions
will be made On account of Sunday.
In all probability the question of spe-
cific quarantine against Atlanta Will come
before the board again to-day, as dis
patch in the Morning News this morning
announces that a supposed. case of yello"
fever has appeared in the detention camp
there.
At the meeting Of the board yesterday
the chief subject under discussion was the
reported laxness Of he quarantine as en-
forced by the inspectors, street talk TO this
effect being common, and parties having
personally made such statements to mem
bers Of the board. Some of these parties
appeared before TIE board and made
statements Of their own experience, show
ing as they thought the axness with
which the quarantine had been admins
tered.
Mayor Meldrm when seen after the
meeting by a Morning News reporter, de-
clsred that these reports We're unjust and
u 1
as rigid as il was possible to be under the
circumstances.
THE report which has been circulated
by number OF people that they came into
the city without even seeing an inspector
is unjust for this reason said Mayor Mel
drim. The quarantine was declared about
midnight of Sept 10, and officially pro-
r. r.
forcibly brought to our attention that per-
sons already on their way TO Savannah,
and who had had no possible chance of be-
ing informed of our intentions before be-
ginning their journey could not comply
with our requirements without serious in
convenience and loss of time. There were a
number of passengers on the Cen
trail railroad bound to the city
for the purpose of taking steamer
for New York the same day. To hold
them up for searching investigation
would have caused them TO lose their
steamer Rather than do this Instructions
were given that al should be admitted
who could show that they had not been
within the infected district within the last
ten days. 1t was also decided to suspend
the requirement for the production Of
health certificates for forty-eight hours,
the inspectors being allowed to use their
discretion as to the adnissiblity of pas
sengers, so that the fact of the require
ment OF health certificates might become
generally known. On this account many
people who probably would be expected to
be held up and questioned by the inspee
tors were passed without question, and as
soon as they arrive in the city began talk
ing about the lax quarantine. The
inspectors had obeyed instructions.
Passengers We're not walked up by the
- 1-fk
sured by the conductors that there were
no persons aboard their trains from the
infected section" The very general crit
icism of the quarantine at Meidrim was
also characterized as unjust by Mayor
Meldrim.
"The majority of thsmpeople who come
in on the morning trains on the Central
and so out on those trains in the after
noon," said Mayor Meldrim, are resi-
dents along the line of the road, and the
greater number doubtless personally
known to the inspectors at that point. One
of the persons who appeared before the
board to-day thought it strange that his
certificate had not been examined by the
Inspector, though he stated that the same
inspector had examined the certificate the
day before. Being a resident along the
line of road, and probably known to the
inspector as such, and his certificate hav
ing been examined by the Inspector the
day before there was no reason for the
inspector to delay to read his certificate
again. Another point is that there is no
reason why the inspector should wake
passengers up in their berths at night
when the conductor of the train has taken
the precaution to gather their certificates
for his examination, and certifies further
that there Is no passenger in the sleepers
without a certificate. 1t would go hard
with the conductor who would smuggle
a suspect into the CITY,
ut Is practically impossible" continued
Mayor Meldrim, 30 devise any quarantine
system which cannot be occasionally evad-
ed by INSCRIPTIONS persons. We must take
it for granted that when the health officer
of or other official of another city or coun-
ty gives a certificate that the party to
whom it is given has not been in the in
fected sterritory within ten days, that he
knows whereof he speaks or that he at
least believes such to be the case"
Mayor Meldrim's attention was called to
the report that Mr.. Louis r. Hart, of the
Gorrie Ice company, had recently arrived
in the city direct from New Orleans, pre-
sumably without the knowledge of the in
spectors.
1.-THE facts of the case are these" said
Mayor Meldrim. Mr.. Hart arrived from
New Orleans several days ago, but he was
not allowed to enter until his case had
been thoroughly investigated and permits
sion given IOf MINI 10 enter. we were SdtiA-
fed that although Mr.. Hart had come
from New Orleans he had not been in any
infected portion of the city and consc-
quently that there was no danger in allow
ing him TO enter.
"After ALL" said Mayor Meldrim in con-
cusion, quarantine can only be made eff
fectiVe by the cooperation of all the peo-
pie Every citizen must be on guard for
the welfare of the city. l have not heard
as yet of any one circulating a report of
the existence of yellow fever here, but
should any one hear such a report the fact
should be promptly reported TO me. Any
one caught circulating such report will
be sent to the chain-gang. There will be
no fine about it. The city is in remarka-
bly, healthy condition. The corps of sani-
tary inspectors are doing their regular
|, work. and are exacting in their require
ments, being instructed TO ac-
cept no. excuses for failure
10 comply with ordinances Dis
infectants are being iessued regularly
by the city and the citizens generally
show a desire to cooperate by putting
their premises in the best possible condl-
ton. So far as l can judge, the condition
of the city is all that could be asked"