The morning news., 1899-03-30

beginning to handle our quarantine in an
intelligent manner, and to save a few
thousand dollars, l don't believe we ought
to endanger the $4,000 900 invested in
Chatham county and surrender the
last vestige of our state control and
put it in the hands of people
over whom we have no control. Have we
not seen enough of government control
during the past few months? Have we
no confidence in ourselves or our physi-
clans? Can we afford to try experiments? :?
We have new enterprises projected for Sa-
vannah, but after all our commerce is all
we have that gives promise for the future.
When manufactures are spoken of, ask
the citizens of Savannah, who have invest
ed in them in the past, what they think
of them. Our naval store and lumber bus
mess are fading away, and we shall
have to reach out to the iron and coal dis
tricts of Alabama and to the grain dis
tricts of the West, and we should be in a
position to give the vessels all the benefits
of a liberaf quarantine such as our sur
roundings will warrant, without consulting
anybody. OF what use Is our 26 or 2S feet
of water if we lose our business. Norfolk
and New York are both clamoring for
business. Five or ten thousand dollars put
in the right place might make our ships
at quarantine fly the yellow flag, or detain
them so they would charter for either of
those places al less figure. A little fric-
ton between city officials and the marine
hospital service would have the same ef-
feet. Why allow some one else to put an
officer in charge of our most important,
and commanding position. l do not think
either of the gentlemen advocating the
change would turn their business over TO
other people under similar circumstances.
Much might be written about the merits
of quarantine, which is an institution put
in force here since the war. The steam
ship Isabel ran regularly between Charles
ton and Havana before the war. Passen-
gers to and from Havana for Savannah
boarded her and left her from a towboat
off the bar. No quarantine was in force.
few cas1&, a dozen or so, of yellow
fever every year, but no epidemic until
conditions were favorable in 1854, and 1t
is liable to come in this section when you
invite it. Compare the conditions in Sa-
vannah with those of 1854, and no one
need feel nervous. Then nearly all the
people drank pump water rice fields IN
each side of the city; no paved streets;
West Broad street planted and in half
rotten condition; no drainage of any kind
in the country; streets filthy; lanes were
worse; no sewers; large part of the peo-
pie with fever and ague; bilious and hem.
did not have yellow fever every year in
stead of every twenty years The con-
.trast between the periods named is great.
| doubt if a case of yellow fever was ever
seen in a city such as Savannah is to-
day. The disease is only seen in filthy
cities and so long as our city is kept IN
as clean condition as IL is to-day and
with our system of house drainage COM
plete. we never need fear another epi-
demic In common with many others,
had hoped to see the day that our quaran-
tine should be exercised only so far as
actual yellow fever cases are concerned.
We could then derive some advantages
from what nature, as well as our own ex-
ertions have given us over our neighbors
The views of the older members of our
Benevolent Associa ton like Capt. James
Fl. Johnston, Moses Solomon, George c.
Freeman, DR.. Joseph Solomons, and others
who have been through all the epidemics
for years together, with our older physi-
clans ought 10 be of great value in deter
mining how rigid a quarantine we want
For wears the open door from Havana to
This city by the Plant System has contin-
ned summer and winter. We now have
II Inv the East Coast line from Havana TO
Miami thence via Florida Central and
paninsular to Savannah. / have no fear
fropo- either source. Only our ocean COM
,oerce has been quarantihed. which traffic
is the only one we are benefited by, and Sa-
,-annah should be in a position. cost what
II NAV TO have full and complete control
~ her quarantine and be in a position TO
take any advantages that may offer to her
from having such control
- 0''' H. P Smart
Savannah, Ca, March %, 1888.