The Van Buren press., 1899-08-05
A VERY SERIOUS MATTER.
The Outbreak of Yellow Fever at
the National Soldiers Home
at Hampton, Va.
SIX DEATHS ARE THUS FAR RECORDED.
The Conditions Serious. as There
Have been Many Visitors ut the
Home and the Gontagion May he
More widespread than Appears at
Present.

Washington, Aug. 1.-Surgeon-Gen-
eral Sternberg has received the follow
ing from Lieut.-Col. Dewitt, at Fort
Monroe. regarding the outbreak OF
yellow fever at the soldiers home aG
Hampton, Va:
0ficia1 Report.
Fort Monroe, Va, July 31.-Surgeon
General, L. S A., Washington: At
four o'clock, yesterday, Surgeon Pet
tus, United States marine hospital
service, quarantine officer, officially
stated that yellow fever was at ma
tional soldiers home, Hampton; 81
case with six deaths.
.'The commanding officer took imme-
diate measures for quarantine
Surgeon Pettus states that the sur
geon general of the marine hospital
service was notified yesterday after
neon. DE WITT, Surgeon"
The Condition Serious.
Adjt-Gen. Corbin and Maj, Johnston,
assistant adiutant general. were at
Fort Monroe Sunday and were present
when Surgeon Pettus made his report
to Lieut.-Col. Dewitt regarding the
outbreak of yellow fever at the sol
diers' home. Gen. Corbin says that
from all accounts there is little doubt
that the conditions are serious, and
there is no telling how far the infec-
tion may have reached. There is a
trolley road along the beach for dis
tance of more than six miles, and eN-
cursion parties have been coming TO
Old Point and adjacent places and have
taken the trolley to Newport News.
and to the soldiers home.
One Theory of the Cause.
Gen. Corbin says that one theory of
the way in which fever might have
been brought to the home is that one
of the soldiers recently visited San
tiago. He returned some time since,
suffering with what the physicians
thought to be dengue. 1t seems it was
not until the inmates of the home be-
gan to die that the disease was dis
covered to be yellow fever.
No Question About the Disease.
Gen. Corbin says there is not the
least question about the character of
the disease, physicians who were pres
cut at the post mortem on some of the
victims declaring that yellow fever
was surely present.
According to adviees received at
the war department there have been n
total of 40 cases, six of whom have
died
Concerned for Fort Monroe.
The soldiers home has no connec-
tion with the war department. 1t is
under board of managers created by
congress, which MANAGES all the sol
diers' homes throughout the country.
The men admitted are soldiers of the
war of the rebellion. Officers of the
wGr department are very much con-
cerned ON the part of the military post
at Fort Monroe, which is within six
miles of the home.
Held "a Conference.
Adit.-Gen. Corbin and Surgeon-Gen-
erpl Sternberg had conference, and it
was determined to hold everything in
ItdhllltNS W idhC vi NNlipN lNNtA
should it appear among the troops,
Surgeon Pettus, through Gen. Cor
bin, has requested Surgeon-General
SJernberg to send him such expert inn
mLne yellow fever surgeons as he can
fine.
Hospital officers Astounded.
The marine hospital officers are as
tonished at the presence of yellow
fever in that locality. The last epi-
demic of the disease occurred AT Nor
folk in 1855, having been brought into
port on the steamer Ben Franklin on
June of that year, and in the epi-
domic which followed there were 1,s07
deaths.
Latest Report From the Home.
Norfolk. Va, Aug. IA message
Il