Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-08-12
NEVER IN DANGER
General Mcmahon Discusses the
yellow Fever Situation.
says NorfotK Was Never I'm Any Dau-
ger md ailments OurMnnn-c>
mcnt OF the Quarantine Discnsc
Originals" -: rhocbus anu Was OF
mia Type.

The situation at the Soldiers Home
is SO well i'll hand that General Martin
Il. Mcmahon. Il director of the Home,
and Colonel Andrew j. Smith. it's in
Spector general. are no longer needed
i'll proximity to the seat of the disease
and they have decided TO return home
Sunday afternoon. This decision was
reached after II conference with Gov
ernor Woodfn over the ':hone last
evening. in which General NIcNIahon
and Colonel Smith were informed that
the conditions at the Home were as
favorable as they could possibly he
The caHable staff OF Marine Hospital
surgeons have the disease under their
thumb. rs ii were. and they are con-
tident that they can keep it in check.
No new cases are appearing and the
| majority of the patients have either re-
covered or are couValeSccnt. There i
not now believed to be the remotes;
| danger of Infection outside of the
bounds If the Soldiers Home. nor IA
it believed that there will be any spread
of the disease inside the Home.
NORFOLK NEVER IN DANGER.
General McMahon stated to Virgin
ian-Pilot reporter last night that he
| lid not believe Norfolk had been in the
| least danger from the fever ut any
stage of its existence at the Home.
The fears EXPRESSED by some of tho
| moro cXcitable of Novfok's citizens sur
prised General Mcmahon. who believes
! such fears were wholly eroundless.
The general says that New York has
fever all during the heated term. hut
there is never panic nor 50 much as
scare created by its appearances \
case comes 10 the knowledge of the
authorities and is isolated on Swim
! burne island immediately.
COON NAN 1r,U-,iI-N--r
General Mcmahon says that the OUT
break at the Soldiers Home has dem
onstrated that yellow fever can be gov
erned when proper measures arc taken.
| He thinks 1t very fortunate that such
| a disease among the old and debiiitate,i
veterans should not have caused more
deaths than it did. II was managed
admirably. he says. from the beginning.
| The government authorities and the Of
hcials Of the Home grasped the situa-
tion with excellent sense and judg-
| ment. and deserve credit for their work
III holding in check the disease.
NORFOLN'S QUARANTINE.
As to Norfok'e quarantine. General
| McMahon spoke very cOmplim entary.
cities on the other side or Hampton
Roads and James river. even so high
up as Richmond We're in much moro
danger than Norfolk, Portsmouth OF
did not believe there was any real
danger TO any community outside OF
Phoebus. where. he believes. the fever
first appeared being communicated
from there TO the Home.
THE FOOLISH FEAR"
Speaking further about the fear-"the
foolish fear" as he calls it-of n few
cXciiablc persons on this side of thu
Roads. General Mcmahon said that
even If ii had been possible for n case
or two of the disease To have broken
through the quarantine lines. So rig
idly maintained. Il panic would hav
been entirely unjustiiiable. The cases
would have been so promptly Isolated
on Cranev Island th-t only n little
extra precaution would have been nee
essary. This is the way New Yorl;
would treat such cases. and does treat
them.
y MILD ATTACK.
General McAlahon said that the form
Of the yellow fever at the Home was
mild. There were in ali rurty-tyvo eases
and eleven deaths. This percentage oi
fatalities would not ordinaria1ly b. con.
sidered small but inasmuch as the pa
tients were all old and infirm soldiers
the death rate was in reality very low,