Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-07-20
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM
Silly Cable About Fever at
Fort Monroe.
DR.. PETTUs is ON GUARD
Work of Coiored People in Behalf OF
The Soldiers. Sailing of the Seneca.
Funigating the Ereakwater.
Other Matters.

The cautious and usually correct
Washington Post is responsible for a
rumor which was taken up by mis-
chief making gossips yesterday and
scattered broadcast. to the effect that
several cases of yellow fever were. de-
tected aboard the United States trans
port Seneca. which arrived at Fort
Monroe Monday With sick and wound
ed soldiers from the hospital at Sib-
oney, Cuba. The Posts story was
printed in yesterdays edition under a
Norfolk date line and appears to have
been the product of q correspondent
whose interest in utilizing the space OF
that excellent Journal exceeds his am
btlon to become Il trustworthy chron-
icler of facts.
There may he yellow fever on the
Seneca. 1t must be confessed that she
sailed from Fort Monroe yest erday un-
der circumstances which might be ex-
pected to cause people subject to fits
of nervousness to lie awake at night
instead of putting in the time in sound
and Wholesome slumber-entertaini
visions Of this saffron tropical scourge
on a merciless rampage With death for
the purpose of depopulating the PENN
sula. No one but DR.. PettusSand the
Washington Posts Norfolk correspond
ent. of course-knows just what the
state of affairs is Dr. Pettus thor
ouEhly understands his business as
SHllcu STATES Marine ftOSpltal Sur
geon. AT any rate. he seems to be
discharging the duties Of his important
office to the entire satisfaction OF Sur
gen General Wyman. who never fails
To send aloft the black flag the mo-
ment Yellow Jack shows himself on the
continent. DIR. Pettus has been on
guard night and day at Fort Monroe
ever since the hospital ships began to
arrive there, and ii he has turned any
of them away-which he probably has
done-it has been through an abunu-
ance of caution
The fact that fever had broken out
among the soldiers encamped in the vi
entity of Santiago caused DR.. Pettus
and his assistants at the capes to in
crease their vigilance in order to pre-
Vent the deadly scourge from shipping
past them and gaining a foothold
ashore. 1t must be remembered; how
ever. that the newspaper reports stat
ing that there are 300 cases Of fever
among the troops in Cuba do not mean
that there is that number of persons
i'll with yellow fever The statement
covers fevers of all kinds. But in order
to be on the safe side and to faithfully
guard the interests of the people resid-
ing in the cities and towns on either
side of the waters OF Hampton Roads
DR.. Pettus is proceeding just as if he
knew that every man in the hospital
tide case of yellow jack. Taking this
view of the matter and finding, upon
boarding the Seneca, several persons
seriously i'll with fever he wisely re-
solved to take no chances and accord
ingly ordered the vessel to depart DR.
PettuS has not told anyone that there
was yellow fever on the transport.
It will be time enough to get up a
yellow jack scare at Old Point when
DR.. Pettus relaXes his vigilence which
will be when Jack Frost comes along
to bid defiance to the tropical pest.
There are no suspicious cases of illness
at Fort Monroe Many people are adj
mitted to the hospital every day and
are permitted to see the patients. This
would not be permitted. of course. if
the physicians had the slightest reason
for believing that any of the sufferers
is i'll with yellow fever. DR.. Freeland,
who is sacrificing time. health and al
most everything else in behalf OF the
sick and wounded. told the writer: yes
1erday that the men are doing well.
Many OF them are improvins>At rate
which will soon enable them to get out.
None of the wounded has died and but
two of the sick. who. as stated else
where, had typhoid fever.