The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-04

stoned no alarm until about Thursday,
the 9TH, when a death occurred, the
man becoming distinctly yellow some
time prior TO death. On about the same
day. another one died without having
attracted particular attention He also
turned quite yellow. Autopsies were
heid on both by the resident patholo-
gist- II was then that the telegram
was sent you asking for an xpert. I
found there was $500 inmates and that
thirty-ive had bee taken i'll since the
list"
DIR. wasdin says he withheld a posi-
tive diagnosis in his first communica-
ton because Of the assertion Of Surgeon
Vickery at the home hat there had
been no communication of the inmates
with any Cuban soldiers returned since
last May or early in June. With the
discovery OF the probable origin OF the
infection and the w autopsies. there
can be no doubt. he says. about the
disease being yellow fever, and on
tinues:
81 have advised Major vickery to
empty the dormitories infected at
once. putting the men preferably in
tents. The grounds are closed. There
has been a very free inter-communica-
ton between the inmates and the peo-
pie Of Phoebus, a public house e
the grounds having been freely visited
until last night. / have suggested to
DR.. Pettus to meet n or. more OF the
local boards of Phoebus and. inform
ing them of the state Of affairs, ask
their cooperation in watching the VIII
lage. These inmates, as I understand
1t, do not mingle much with people out
side of h village. From this fact IL
would seem possible TO confine II n
the home"
PROMPT MEASURES TAKEN.
Some data furnished by the surgeon
general shows the prompt manner in
which the authorities have taken the
situation in hand. Late Saturday DIR.
Wyman received a telegram from ur-
geon Vickery, at the home. asking for
an expert. DR.. Wasdin was ordered
there from Norfolk at once and last
night a dispatch came from him an
%nouncing that the disease was genuine
yellow fever. Surgeon White was ent
from Washington to take charge of
marine hospital affairs. He has had
large experience in yellow fever cpl
denies. After a Gordon had been es-
tablished around the soldiers home.
neighboring cities were warned n
advised to hunt for any inmates of the
home who might be visiting and to
keep them under close observation.
Dispatches to this effect were sent
Sunday to Norfolk, Portsmouth. New
port News and Richmond and the
health officer at Washington was nOti-
fed. In Norfolk a house-to-house in
spection is being made. DR.. Farquhar
at Portsmouth, was appointed to con
suit the health authorities there and
at the adjoining town of Berkeley, and
to assist in locating army refugees.
Passed Assistant Surgeon Werten-
baker, who has been ordered from
Wilmington, n. c., to Hampton, is not
49, 49, - ~,,o.-
ed with the locality n will serve on
the outside of the Gordon.
SOLDIERS WHO HAVE RECENTLY
LEFT TO BE TRACED.
Surgeon Vickery, at the home, has
been asked to prepare a list of SOL
diers who have departed within a
month with a view to tracing them.
Today DR.. Wyman ordered Assistant
Surgeon Won EzdOrf from New Orleans
to Hampton. Passed Assistant Surgeon
Smith, who is now on leave, has been
directed to return to Norfolk. Surgeon
Magruder has been ordered from Mem
phis. Both of these officers have had
large experience in quarantine mat
ters. Surgeon Pettus, in charge of the
Cape Charles quarantine, has been or
dered to assign his assistant, surgeon
McClintock, to temporary charge and
, to remain on duty himself at Old Point.
BALTIMORE GUARANTEES.
Baltimore, July 31.-Dr. G. Hampson
Jones, health officer of this city, an
nouhced tonight that a rigid quaran-
tine had been declared against the
towns of Newport News, Hampton and
Old Point Comfort, Va, on account of
the prevalence of yellow fever in that
vicinity, and that it would be rigidly
maintained. No boats touching at
either point included in the order will
be allowed to Ian passengers from
those places, nor will persons coming
here by train from the guaranteed
towns be permitted to enter this city
DIR. Jones does not fear that yellow
| fever will reach Baltimore or become
epidemic in any case, but he deems
! IAN ounce of prevention a good thing
at this time.
NEW YORK NOT UNEASY.
, New York, July 31.-Health officer
! Doty today said that in his opinion
there was little if any danger of vel
low fever reaching this city by any OF
! the steamship lines. He had not es-
tablished a quarantine, he said, bu;
had requested the officials Of the Old
Dominion Line, whose vessels touch a;
Old Point Comfort, to exercise every
I precaution to prevent the sale of tick
| cts to persons who have been exposed
| to the disease. The company had
| agreed, he said, to obey his request and
he did not believe that it would be
necessary to declare a quarantine. Aside
| from the sea route, the only other df-
rect way in which residents of Newport
News can reach this city is by the
Pennsylvania railroad. The officials OF
the railroad company 10 steps today
to prevent the cOntag1On from spread
ing, by ordering all officers to suspend
the sale of tickets to Newport News
and while the local representatives OF
the company were not sure, they said
that, in all probability, no north bound
icket would be sold at Newport News
In Defense 0f General Otis
Chicago. July 31.-Lieutenant Ed
Word Y Kol1ov Of the volunreer SIGNAL