Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-11-02
SMALLPOX RUM0RS
Circulating Yesterday With
out Foundation.
NEGRO SICK ON THE ACRE
NOT be''eved That IlIs Symphonic. AR.
Those OF the Dread Disease. The
Situation at Norfo,k t,,,,,.
Quarantine Against tn. nj nlndy.

y report was in circulation yesterday
to the effect that !; case of sn.,i,,ny
existed on the Acre am. ;hat the ,vhit,
anu negro residents Of that section \yarn
Sreal!S alarmed OYER its presence in
their midst. $500 ii'
how the report was started is not
known. but sever;i! doctors and n nun,
Der of city officials, as well as nann,,
from the Acre. had heard tn, rumor
yesterday The doctors and the pole.
olScfedlted the story but many whit.
as wei! as colored persons had their an
prehensions and did not hesitate To
state their fears .I.
An investigation by the Daily Press
failed to confirm the report. al,,ou.h
it was learned that Il negro is rnni;npd
To his bed in small shack OH Seven
teenth street With som. kind OF .lise;,s,.
that puzzles his friends.
AS iai rs can be ascertaincl no white.
doctor has been in attendance on thu.
man. 1T is said that eruptions have an
'cared on his body and that is th. lllly
reason assigned for the circulation Of
he report that he was stricken, with
smallpox.
II smallpox continues to increase at
the present rate in Norfolk. it is pruba-
Bile that Newport News will have. to
tax" some additional precautionary
measures. The situation in the citv-
across the Roads grows more serious.
ana there are at present in the. pest
i'cuse ABOUT eighty cases. all negroes.
liiteen IRON the city and the rest from
the county. U.
Dr. Eagby. president o. the Newport
News Board of Health when seen yes
terday regarding the situation by re-
preventative of the Daily Press. said
that il the Board found that the dis
ease was spreading in Norfolk sufiici-
emily to justify serious apprehension
Tor the health Of this city. that body
would recommend Il general comnul-
sorry vaccination outside of the public
schools, and it may yet be possible to
avoid anything further along this line.
pr HaEby said that he had not called
TOR meeting of the Board and did nor
Know when there would be one 1t is
possible that he may go over 10 Nor
folk again himself for the purpose or
ascertaining the true state of offairs
there, after which he may have some
recommendation to make
In this connection it will be interest
ing to know that Baltimore is taking
steps to prevent the disease from
spreading TO that city, ana is seriously
considering the ACCESSIBILITY of qua1an-
timing against Norfolk. Health Com
missioner Jones. of Baltimore is max
ing a thorough investigation of the sit
uation. and if he tnus it as bad as re-
ported he will probably recommend the
only be one as last resort. The
Health Commissioner is quoted in
TINS connection as follows:
II the reports are true some stems
may be necessary to protect Baltimore.
and do not see how this city will es-
cape altogether. do not anticipate an
epidemic or serious experience with tn,
disease. and there need be no alarm on
that score. But there are so many boat
hands who have been here from Norfolk
that IT is very proable some of these
nave been in contact with the affected
persons, if the reports Of the extensive
ness of the disease be true.
We would look then first fo.. The
disease among these shipping men. and
would exhaust our facilities and abili-
1ieS. II necessary to prevent a spread
or the disease from them if thew were
found to be infected
IF | learn tomorrow from Washing
ton that such action is warranted shall
quarantine against Norfolk but such a
step involves so much that 1t will not
y. taken unless there is absolute neces-
slty for it. A quarantine against that
city would mean the interruption to a
large extent of the commercial relations
between us. and would be undertaken
only when compulsory"
An Associated Press dispatch. received
last night. from Norfolk says:
The citizens held meeting tonight
to adopt measures tn cOunteract the
injurious effect OF false reports sent cut
by correspondents and circulated
abroad Of the prevalence of smallpo
here.
DR.. NeWbill, chairman of the board of
health. will issue an official statement
tomorrow. branding exaggerated re-
ports as false and showing that no nee
essty exists for any quarantiniue
against Norfolk. There have been only
few cases of mild type, all among
negroes, ana no deaths: nearly all have
fully recovered. Vaccination has been
general and thorough; the schools are
all in session and no fears of the dis
ease becoming epidemic are yltertain-
ed by any one here. Every thing
moves along as before the first case was
discovered.