The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-07-15
FEVER APPEARS.
Scourge Breaks Out Anon
Our Soldiers.
FOURTEEN CASES RFPoRTEf
Matter Discussed at a Hastily ST..
moned Meeting at the
White House.

General Miles Reports That He Has Take
steps to Isolate the Characterization q :
the Army at Santiago de Cuba Favors
BILE to the Spread of the Disease Burn
ing of the Filthy Little Town of siboney
Done AS a Sanitary Precaution.
Washington, July H.-Surgeon Gen.
eral Wyman of the marine hospital
service has received information that
there are fourteen cases Of yellow fe-
yer among the United States troops at
abandon the Dry Tortugas as mill
tary station and give 1t back to the ma
rine hospital service.
Washington, July 14.-Under the
white flag of truce the most formidable
ally of the Spanish army. yellow fever,
has crept out of Santiago and fallen
with appalling force upon the Ameri
can army. 1t was impossible to secure
the details. as General Miles dispatches
have not been made public, but the first
suggestion came in a press dispatch
from Cuba that General Miles had
burned Siboney Later came official
dispatches and at II o'clock secretaries
Of war and navy, with the war board
and representatives of the surgeon gen.
erals department of the army, were
hastily summoned to confer with the
president. The meeting was extended
and those participating wore an ex
preston of gloom. Gradually the de-
tails were whispered about the depart
ment. 1t was said the scourge had ac-
tually reached the army and that over
. hundred cases were reported. Wheth-
Or this was the number afflicted in the
army or included the cases among the
refugees was not known at 1880. but
the situation is pictured as distressing
~ bad for the army. the rains and
floods doing their share to add to its
misery.
Work To Be Done Over.
The rains have washed out the in
trenchments Of the army and swept
In torrents down the hill and the work
Of many days will have to be done all
over. General Miles reports he has ia
ken steps to isolate the yellow fever
patients and to remove the refugees
far enough away to prevent the disease
from being communicated any further.
Every precaution is he ng taken to pre-
vent the spread Of the fever The army
has the benefit Of the most experienced
yellow fever experts in the medical pro-
fession-Dr. Nicholas Sem of Chicago
and DR.. John Guiteras. The period of
Incubation in the disease is from three
to five days, which means that IL a gen.
eral outbreak is coming II will soon be
apparent The war department is rely
ing principally upon prompt action to
stay the disease. If each suspected case
is instantly removed from camp to an
Isolated hospital the fever will be
checked 1t Is known positively that
fourteen cases have been reported in
General Skaters army alone, nine
among the soldiers and FIVE among CIV
ilians. Yellow fever, the experts say.
infects places rather than persons, and
when Santiago has been taken 1t will
be easier, 1t is thought. to shift around
and avoid the scourge than at present,
unless It should turn out that all of
Santiago IL infected.
Favorable to Spread OF Fever.
The transports bringing home the
sick and wounded soldiers are now be-
lag landed at Fortress Monroe instead
Of at Florida points and extra pains
will be taken to disnfect the ships and
promptly remove any suspected cases
70 high ground in a safe latitude. The
condition OF the army at Santiago is
favorable to the spread OF yelo fever.
The soldiers. lying in the trenches un-
der tropical suns, or in drerching rains
are particularly susceptible to the dis
ease. Surgeon General Sternberg, one
ef the greatest experts on the subject
has strongly urged that no prolonged
s1ege be conducted. and II possible that
% few troops as can be relied ON to
perform the necessary military duty,
be retained in Santiago after the city
capitulates. He represents that II the
troops are long subjected to the con-
6itions which are reported to have pre-
vailed at Santiago for two weeks
general epidemic Of yellow fever is al
most certain to break out, and as the
season Is now propitious for a spread
Of the disease. the Importance OF
speedy change Ii necessary.
More Deadly Than Bullets.
General Sternberg says that sleeping
In wet clothes on rain-soaked grounds
and then fighting under hot suns with
improper food and unprovided with
shelter at night tends greatly to en-
courage the development of the dis
ease. When Santiago il taken 1t will,
be impossible, 1t Is said, to prevent
yellow fever from attacking the troops
unless utmost precautions are taken
to prevent infected regions from being
occupied. General Sternberg believes
long siege Of any Cuban city at this
season would result IN greater disaster
to the men than the bullets Il the enc
my. He thinks II preferable TO sus-
tain some losses through gun fire than
to subject the entire army to a gen
eral outbreak Of fevet What applies
to Santiago, he says, will apply with
equal force TO Porto Rico and perhaps
to Havana, II the warm season con
tinues when the campaign against them
- Al