The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-18
A DIFFICULT PROBLEM.
Must Be Solved by This Country
When Peace Is Restored.
Ex-wEArHER PROPHET DUNN.

L
one OF this governments greatest tasks
after the Pearl OF the Antilles shall have
been won by our sailors and soldiers will
be the stamping out Of yellow fever there
That this can be done despite the firm,
hold the disease has obtained ia Cuba, is
not doubted for moment by scientific
men who have studied the fever and the
conditions in which IL thrives and is prop
agated, though the difficulties of the Job
Will be something tremendous, especially
| In the older cities
| IL has been learned by experience In our
own southern states, acquired during epi-
denies OF the fever, that strict enforce
ment OF the rules OF sanitation and clean
illness act as perfect preventives so far as
| original cases are concerned, though, Of
| course, they cannot more than mitigate
| conditions when the disease comes as a
| visitor from some infected region. 1t will
therefore be comparatively easy after a
time to control, II not altogether to pre-
vent, the soourge in q large portion of the
island
The creation Of rational sewerage sys-
TENS will be a powerful factor in this be-
neficent work probably, though it may be
found necessary to burn garbage and thor
oughly disinfect sewage In order to being
about the best results These things will
very likely have to be done in all the
large towns and, in addition, rs has been
stated many times by experts, some of the
older harbors, that 6f Havana among the
others, will have to be thoroughly cleaned.
How Can the Harbors BE Cleaned?
The cleansing of Havana's harbor has
been mooted more than once, and IL is un-
derstood that an English company made
the Spanish government q proposition to
that end some years ago. AS the story
goes, the government was at first inclined
to treat favorably with tho company, for
while Spain has ever been careless as to
sanitary measures, she has been tremen-
dously chagrined by the prevalence of yell
low fever in her West Indian possessions
The price mentioned by the English com
pany, however, was SO large that no ar
rangement was entered into.
just how the company proposed TO clean
tho harbor has never been made public. It
has been stated, however, that general
plans thought to be feasible were perfect
ed, though the details were admittedly
not worked out. To the lay mind the only
practicable plan for thorough cleaning
would be to lay the bottom bare and re-
move a thick layer Of the filthy sewage set
things that have been accommodating ever
since the city was settled But this plan
must be dismissed, as matter Of course,
since 1t would involve an almost unthink-
able expense in the construction of Golfer
dams, would close the harbor all through
the cleaning process and would probably
result In degree Of mortality among the
men employed that would be comparable
only to that of the most deadly wars in all
history.
A modification of this plan which would
not present the contingency Of closing the
port would be to do the cleaning in Sec
tions, isolatipg a part of the haIbor at a
time by means Of small dams. The diff
culties of inordinatc expense and probable
mortality among the workmen employed
would not be overcome by this plan, how
ever, and there is strong likelihood that |
exposing the harbor bottom would cause a |
yellow fever outbreak of appalling proper
tlons In Havana and all the surrounding |
country.
In all probability thorough and long
continued dredging is the best possible |
plan, but manifestly no amount Of harbor |
cleansing would be effective without the |
Introduction of greatly improved sewer
age system and much better sanitary APP |
pliances generally than arc now common |
States government will take hold of this |
matter without delay after the close of the |
war therc can DC no doubt, and the stamp |
ing out of the disease will unquestionabiy |
mark the beginning of new era both in
Cuba and in those parts of the mainland
now subject to yellow fever epidemics by |
reason of their nearness to the fever's most
deadly center of distribution.
ELIAS II. Dunn.
The recent row to which +. b. Dunn, now
ex-Unitcd States weather observer for the
city OF New York and its vicinity, was one
party and Willis l.. Moore, the department
chief, the other was by no means Dunn's
Iirst imbroglio. He is I'm appearance one
of the meckcst, most self effacing men
but somehow he has managed
10 incur the displeasure of almost every de-
partnent chief under whom he has served
Dunn himself holds-at least so his
friends report--that all his troubles have
arisen from the fact that his name has oft.
'ncr appeared In the columns of tho New
York newspapers than the names of his
'hicfs. On the other sidc 10 has invariably
,ocn asserted that Dunn's insubordnation
S frightful thing and that he is self
cekfng TO degree, assuming when talk
ng To the newspaper men that he is i'm
fleet the be all and end all of the whole
,urcnu. Probably tho strained conditions
snown for long time TO exist between
Moore and Dunn have been much intensi-
led by the attitude OF the newspaper men.
10 them the fact that Moore has never
hought sufficient publicity was given TO
hc weather dispatches signed by his name
las always seemed humorous thing, and
hey have therefore studiously avoided ex-
'loiting him for years, though. as they
ay,. without the slightest completely on
he part Of Dunn. And no one who knows
Dunn and his devotion TO this city was i'm
hc least surprised that be should resign
athcr than 20 10 the West Indies.
Dunn's most serious row with the Unit.
d States weather sages occurred while yet
he prediction business was i'm charge Of
be army signal corps. Lieutenant Finley,
hen an indication officer" at Washing
ON and Inspector Of local Offices, camo
ere one day and failed to receive salts
,ctory military salutes from Dunn's SUBJ
riinstes 1his put him In great rngc, ! |