Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-11-02
a SUSPICIOUS CASE.
Austrian stea mship Lacro ma Comp.l,e
to Conl In Quarantine.

I mere was rumor going around yes.
.erday to the effect that a ship was ly.
ing out i'll the channel With three cases
OF yellow fever aboard. An investiga
tion revealed the fact that the Austrian
| steamer Lacroma, from New Orleans
! lor trieste, Austria. With general car
go. had put in here for coal. having
| aboard Il case of sickness. which was
considered sufficiently suspicious by
National Quarantine Officer Pettus tc
warran, him In not giving the vessel a
| complete discharge from quarantine
lie accordingly sent her on up to New
port News with a limited pratique. per
| hitting her to coal from lghters-undet
! auarantine-but prohibiting her from
touching at any of the wharves.
The suspicious case, it seems, is that
| OF steward. who was shipped at New
Orleans just before the vessel left that
| port. which she cleared seven days be-
| fore reaching Hampton Roads. The
| man was taken sick when two days out,
| and is now In q precarious condition.
Just what Is the nature Of the malady.
DR.. A. G. Jones. quarantine officer OF
this port, who boarded the vessel when
she came up, was unable to ascertain.
He says 1t seems to be some form Of fe-
yer, but he could not say what He did
not think the man had yellow fever, but
deemed 1t best to be on the safe side.
The Lacroma's master Captain Cerich.
did not take kindly to this statement,
but he could not help himself. Nor were
his actions toward the quarantine off,
Ger of Il character SO ingenious as to
justify very great consideration fram
them. When the men were mustered
up for inspection. DR.. Jones noticed that
one OF their number had to be supported
by the men at his elbows. He asked
what was the matter with the fellow.
and was told that he was all right-had
just been suffering from Il little attack
of sea sickness. that was all
But it was not all. by any means"
said pr Jones. speaking Of the expert
ence. He is undoubtedly ii very sick
man. At the same time there is moth
ing To be alarmed at. We do not know
exactly what is the matter with the
man. but the fact that he was shipped
ut New Orleans. coupled with his pecu-
liar illness. was considered suspicious
enough to justify us in running no risks
The fellow evidently has some form Of
fever There is. Of course, under the
circumstances, a possibility that it may
be yellow fever, or he may be getting
through I; case of typhoid. At any rate.
there is nothing at all to he alarmed at
as all danger has been carefully guard
ed against. My maxim is. when in
doubt. gives the citizens of our city the
benefit of the doubt. If it should be-
yellow fever. we have protected the
people here. and if there Isn't. we have
avoided all risks
Even should it be a genuine case OF
yellow fever. and this Is Improbable,
there would be very little. II any, dan
ger. for in addition to a rigid quaran-
tine. the weather is sufficiently cool to
kill any fever germs that might be
floating about. Besides this. the ship
will clear today for her home port TAX
ing her suspicious case with her.
THE AFGHAN PRINCE.
~ The. Fee mp sAf ghaH. Prince. also of
New O.leans. has arrived here with a.
case of sickness aboard. but it Is not
suspicious. she is now coaling in quar-
antine because her master neglected to
secure the proper health certificate.
She is under the supervision of Quaran-
tine officer, Dr. Jones and will leave
within the next forty-eight hours.