The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-06-28
OUR NEW YORK LETTER
THE NEW RED CROSS STEAMER is
ABOUT READY TO SAIL FOR CUBA.


lions With Regard to Yellow Fever
Hopes That He Has Learned the Secret
of the Dreaded Disease.
NEW YORK. June 2S.-l Special. THE
time of no man in all New York has been
more fully occupied the past few days than
that of David Lewis Cobb, counsel TO the
National Red Cross, since TO him for some
reason has fallen the task of making ready
the relief steamer Red Cross, formerly Ad
miral, for its trip TO the West Indian wa
tiers.
In attending 10 this matter Mr. Cobb
has been obliged TO assume many duties
that rarely fall 10 the lot Of plain coun-
selor at law, such as ordering and super
intending the repainting of the vessel
looking after its lading, seeing to the nee
essary change of registry, etc These du-
ties have been of the most onerous descrip-
ton, but they have been by no means all
| that he has had to assume for his presence
at the headquarters of the Cuban central
relief committee has been necessary for
hours every day There he has had an
enormous number of questions to answer
and multiplicity of affairs in general to
attend TO. There is no doubt that he will
be glad 10 get away with the boat, almost
as much 10 secure "a brief rest as because
he Is eager 10 be ready for actual Red
Gross work the moment such work is nee.
essary
Mr Cobb Is wholesome solid looking
young man who delights to wear canvas
clothing even in the latitude of New
YORK, and his enthusiasm in behalf of Red
Cross work in general and this expedition
In particular is almost boundless. III moth
ing goes wrong the steamer will sail on
Monday at noon. Her repaintirg was well
under way early I'm the week, her loading
was begun on Tuesday and her sailing has
been delayed till Monday chiefly because
or the time necessarily taken up in get
ting her new papers made out.
Work For the Immediate Future.
"Thc Red Cross will go direct to Jack
sonvillc from New York, said Mr. Cobb |
70 the writer There we shall take on
board the steam launch Monicr, which |
VIII go to that port by rail. From Jack |
sonville we shall steam to Key West, |
where we shall receive our sailing orders |
EITHER there or at some point near by we |
shall meet the steamer State of Texas and |
relieve 1t OF its l, 200 ton cargo of food sup
plies and medical stores We expect to ac- |
complish that by July 9 at latest. for the |
charter of the State of Texas will expire
on July 5, and if the vessel is not in New
York harbor or that day the Red Cross
will have heavy penalties to pay.
I'VE shall also transfer the Red Cross
staff from the State of Texas to our new
boat Besides DIR. A. Monae Lesser. chief
surgeon, and his wife, Sister Bettina.
chief nurse the staff consists of five or six
four nurses, two assistants and
a stenographer. Mrs. Porter, wife of the
private secretary to President Mckinley,
Is also on board the State of Texas, or
was when left TO come north, and so was
Inc first United States postmaster to DO
assigned to duty in Cuba / may or may
not remain with the forces on board the
Red Cross myself That will depend alto
gether on Miss Barton.
DIR Lesser and Sister Bettina left here
more than ten days ago. and their arrival
here was eagerly welcomed. Much is ex-
Dected from DR., Lesser, and he has I'M
loubtedly made extensive preparations for
coping with the disorders from which men
If northern birth are likely to suffer from
he Cuban climate at this time of the year.
Lesser and Yellow Jack.
DIR. Lesser has directed his attention
chiefly to pernicious malaria and yellow
ever. With regard to the former it seems
% be generally agreed that he has con-
luered 1t completely, and this of itself is
10 small accomplishment, as any one ia
niliar with the tropics will tell you.
AS to his achievements with yellow
ever 1T is yet too early to speak in detail.
We do not know positively that he has dis
covered a specific for this disease, but we
10 know that the results of his inyestipa.
ions and experiments have been little |
hort of wonderful. The doctor made
studies OF yellow fever on its native soil
ome months ago when he visited Cuba
,earing relief to the reconcentrados, and
n this work he was materially assisted
" Spanish and Cuban physicians. After
he returned to New York a number of
amples of the fever's virus were sent to
lin. With this he inoculatcd animals of
arious sorts, later experimenting with
ertain preparations which he believed
night check or entirely stop the progress
4 the disease From the results of these
experiments he was enabled to compound
prophylactic powder which he has adj.
ninistered to animals suffering from the
fleets of fever virus, and the results have
een surprising to all who have known
bout them.
A>o, CtthHoU BO ltfU0er lQUO this |
natter now except to add that similar ex-
will be tried in well developed
elbow fever cases in Cuba and that should
he doctors expectations be fully realized
omplete knowledge of his discoveries will
It once be communicated to the army
nedical authorities, so that American vic
inns of yellow jack may be treated by the
ormule he has prepared.
Red Cross Base Mt Tampa.
From now on the Red Cross base of SUM-
lies will be located at Tampa, to which
II stores will now be shipped instead of
lew York, and it will probably be part of
he service of the steamer bearing the as.
name to steam to and fro be-
ween this base and Cuba for the purpose
{ transporting all sorts of Red Cross sun
lies.
The advantage of Tampa over New York
) base Is readily apparent, since it is ut
sast 1000 miles nearer the scene of the
Dming bloody contest than this CITY
ampa is also within almost Immediate
each of Key West and Jacksonville.