The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-08-02
Yellow Fever.

WARRINGTON, July H.-Yellow fe-
yer has broken out among the old SOL
diers at the Soldiers Home, Hampton,
Va. Surgeon General Sternberg has
received this message from Lieutenant
Colonel Dewitt, surgeon at Fortress
Monroe. "At 4 P. NJ. yesterday, Sur
geon Pettus, United States marine hos
pital, officially states that yellow fever
prevails in the National Soldiers
Home, thirty. four cases and six deaths"
The marine hospital service is making
active preparations to stamp out the
dread disease. More than four thous-
and old soldiers are quartered in the
institution. The mortality that will
result by the spread of the contagion
will be frightful.
At conference of war department
officials General Corbin decided that
Sternberg and Wyman should go at
once to Hampton personally, and take
whatever steps are necessary to contine
the fever to present limits. General
Merritt, at Governors Island, New
York, commanding department of the
east was notified to remove the garri-
son of Fort Monroe to some place on
the northern coast, location left to him.
Officials do not conceal their alarm.
They fully realize if the fever spreads
to Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport it
will not be long in reaching Richmond,
Washington and Newport News.
Two more cases of yellow fever are
reported in the Soldiers Home at
Hampton to-day, and one death. No
teams or boats are running to-day for
this city. -Four hundred guests left
the hotels at Old Point Comfort at
three A. NJ. to-day by special train.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-The surgeons
report gives the following account of
the appearance of " yellow Jack" in
the Soldiers Home at Hampton:
"Early in July an old soldier entered
the home for short rest and soon af-
terward appeared at the dispensary,
where he informed the physician in
charge that he was but recently from
Santiago via transport to a northern
port; thence he started for Manila via
San Francisco, beat his way to the
home on freight train and entered
with his baggage. He complained of
dumb chills and fever and was pre-
scribed for. He mingled freely with
the inmates of the home and short
time ago disappeared. This is the pos
sible cause of the outbreak.
There have been three deaths from
yellow fever since yesterday and 30
cases are now under treatment. Elk
pert surgeons and immune nurses are
being installed and rigid quarantine
regulations are enforced. There are
no cases in Norfolk. The hotels al
Old Point Comfort are practically de-
serted. Newport News appropriates
SIC, 900 for quarantine.
NEW PORT NEWS, VA, August L.
Excitement over the yellow fever cpl,
demic is dying away here. The latest
reports from Hampton are seven new
cases, three deaths yesterday. Posi-
lively there are no cases outside the
Soldiers Home. Several thousand
have already left this neighborhood for
the North. The Rush from Hampton
depot yesterday afternoon was terrific
Four or five thousand people crowded
the cars of train run in two sections
in order to accommodate people desir
ing to leave. Cause of introduction
disease is attributed to soldier inmate
of the home who obtained al extended
leave of absence recently, and went to
Cuba, returning without telling the off.
Gals. He brought back infected cloth.
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