The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-14
SMALLPOX In THE CITY
A NEGRO RAILROAD HAND DE-
yELOPS A CASE
DR.. BeIIa7ny Reported is to the Mayor Yes
terday .Mcrniog-prompt Action by the
Hoard OF Case Isolated, and
Twenty Exposed Persons ouarantinsd
The Board of Aid erman Takes Action


The Board of Alderman Takes Action
DIR. w. ]. H. Bethany reported a case
of smallpox to Mayor s. P. Wright yes
terday morning at $50 O'Clock The mar
who has he terrible disease is Stephen
Johnson. colored. a brakeman on the At
Iantic Coast Line between Wilmington
and Florence. DR.. Bellamy was called
to Johnson Tuesday night, and he was
suspicious OF the case. He called again
yesterday morning and found that his
patient mad a well developed case of
smallpox. He then reported IL TO the
mayor.
Johnson lives at 2G5 hanover street, on
the north side of the street, between
Third and Fourth streets. Il is supposed
that he contracted the disease in South
| Carolina. He came to the city last Sat-
| urday and had his initial chill Saturday
| night, was sick on Sunday and received
calls from a number of his neighbors.
Mayor Wright notihed Dr. VIM. D.
| Mcmillan, superintendent Of health,
about the report OF DR.. Bellamy, and
DR.. Mcmillan went over and saw the
| case. He Immediately put up the yellow
| sign. placarded the house, and isolated
Johnson. He ascertained that a number
of Johnson's neighbors had been in S
see him, and he also quarantined t&ir
| houses, three of them, in the viciYv of
Johnson's house. Johnson has tR in his
family besides himself and Nne of his
family or those in the Leighborhood
about twenty in all, why have been ex-
posed, are allowed to Ave home. DIR. Nc
Milan vaccinated R whole lot of them.
, Mayor Wright Raced two policemen on
the DOCK toprevent them from going
out ana t"@officers Will be kept on duty
during ~ day and two at night.
DIX P. Wertenbaker, surgeon in
cnaGe of the marine hospital, was in
fined of the case and he Immediately
Surgeon General Wyman by tel
egraph.
PROMPT ACTION BY THE BOARD OF
HEALTH. 4
Mayor Wright, who is chairman ofEhe
board of health, called a meeting off,
body yesterday afternoon at 5 O'CLOCK. 1t
was decided to send Johnson tY pest
house. 1t was ascertained, however, that
the pest house, which is/three miles
south of the city, near tKe river, is not
in a condition to be useY 1t has no win
dows, the roof is in Yieaking condition,
and the place, on account of long disuse,
has grown up with weeds and bushes.
DIR. Mcmillan. Dg. Thomas and DR.. Wer-
tenbaker wenyout to look for another
house, and Yey found one on Meares
street, between Tenth and Eleventh
streets, iY the extreme southeastern part
of the city. 1t belongs to a Mr.. Nc
GloriY who is a soldier in the United
StatEs army, stationed in New Mexico.
Itzls in charge of Major d. O'Connor, and
he offered it for $50 for six months or a
| year, if it is need that long. 1t is a
three room house and occupie a whole
block by itself. On three sides there are
no other houses within three or four
blocks of it, and the nearest house on
the other side is 300 to 500 yards distant,
so that there would be no danger to resi-
dents in the vicinity. The house is sur
! rounded by a barbed wire fence, and it
is probable that Johnson will be sent
there this morning and placed in the
! hands of an mmured nurse.
ANOTHER MEETING LAST NIGHT.
Another meeting of the board of health
was held last night, all the MEMBER
being in attendance, viz: DR.. S. P.
! Wright, chairman; DR.. VIM. D. McMil
Ian, secretary; DR.. Geo. G.. Thomas. DR..
Frank H. Russell and Mr.. w. H. Chad
bourn. Chairman Wright presided.
DR.. Thomas prepared the following and
e.! on motion, it was ordered to be communi.
| Gated to the board of aldermen at once:
NE beard of health respectfully re-
port to the board CT aldermen that there
is a case Of developed smallpox in the
| person of Stephen Johnson, living at 2G5
Hanover street. This case was reported
to his honor, the mayor, at $50 this
morning by DR.. w. J. H. Bethany.
The superintendent of health was or,
dered by his honor, the chairman of the
board of health, to quarantine and iso-
late all persons in the house Of the sick
man, and also to quarantine all parties
who have been exposed.
The board of health respectfully rec
ommend that provision be made at once
for a pest house. and that the board OF
health be authorized to furnish such and
provide for the attendants of such suck
people as may be sent there.
In view of the fact that there is small.
pox in Alabama, Georgia and South Car
DINA, at points with which this city is in
communication by the railroad lines en-.
tering the city, it is respectfully suggest
ed to your honorable board that an or.
dinance be passed providing for the vac
/ lILdliO OI ali ptISOIS IlOl dDie 10 DTOElue
for themselves and to insure the vacci.
nation of all unprotected persons in the
city. To promptly effect this much de.
sired end, it is respectfully suggested
that the board of health be empowered
to employ such extra physicians to do the
work as may be necessary
The following was also adopted:
THAT the secretary be instructed e
| communicate with the chairman of the
board of ounty commissioners at once
calling his attention to an act in rela.
ton to the board OF health, ratified
March l. 1898. section %. and ask that
the county commissioners provide funds
sufficient to purchase vaccine sufficient
to supply the wants of New Hanovel
county,"
The board will decide this morning
where to locate the pest house. Severa.
suitable places are in view,
THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
In consequence of the case Of small
pox, Mayor Wright called a specia
meeting of the board of aldermen las,
night.
The board met at S o'clock, those il
attendance being Mayor Wright and Al