Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-01

A SERIOUS SITUATION.
WASHINGTON, July 31.-Surgeon
General Sternberg has received the fol-
lowing from Lieut.. Colonel Dewitt at
Fort Monroe, regarding the outbreak
OF yellow fever at the Soldiers Home
at Hampton, Va:
Surgeon General, U. S. A, Washington,
D. C.
At 4 o'clock 3. m. yesterday, Surgeon
Pettus, u. S. marine hospital service,
quarantine officer, officially states that
yellow fever was at National Soldiers
Home, Hampton; "a cases with six
deaths. Commanding officer took i'm
mediate measures for quarantine. Sur
geon Pettus states Surgeon General
marine hospital service was notified
yesterday afternoon.
DEWITT, Surgeon.
Johnson, Asst Adjt. Gen, were at Fort
Monroe yesterday, 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-
ton may have reached. There is a
trolley road along the beach for dis
lance of more than six miles and ex-
cursion parties have been coming to Old
Point and adjacent places, and have
taken the trolley to Newport News,
and to the Soldiers Home. Many of
them have mingled with the soldiers.
Gen. Corbin says that one theory of
the way in which the fever might have
been brought TO the Home is that one
of the soldiers recently visited Santiago.
He returned some time since suffering
with what the physicians thought 10
be dengue 1t seems it was not until
the inmates of the Home began to die
that the disease was discovered TO be
yellow fever Gen. Corbin says there
is not the least question about the
character of the disease, physicians
who were present at the post mortem
on some of the victims declaring that
yellow fever was surely present.
According to advices received at the
War Department to-day there have
been a total of forty cases, six of whom
have died.
The Soldiers Home has no connec-
ton with the War Department. 1t is
under a 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 War Department are
very much concerned on account of the
military post at Fort Monroe, which is
Adjutant General Corbin and Surgeon
General Sternberg had a conference
early to-day and it was determined to
hold everything in readiness to take
care of yellow fever should it appear
among the troops.
Surgeon Pettus through General Cor
bin has requested Surgeon General
Sternberg TO send him such expert i'm
mune yellow fever surgeons as he can
find
The marine hospital officials are as
founded at the presence of yellow fever
IN that locality. The last epidemic OF
the disease occurred at Norfolk in 1885,
having been brought into port on the
steamer Ben Franklin on June of that
year and in the epidemic which fol-
lowed there were 1907 deaths.
The steamer from Old Point arriving
this morning was crowded with passen-
gers
Orders have been issued by the war
department removing the garrison at
Fort Monroe 10 some point on the
northern coast to be selected by Gen.
Merritt A few officers and twenty en-
listed men will be detained at Fort
Monroe as a guard.
Surgeon General SternDerg expected
to go TO Fort Monroe tonight, but has
learned that the boats viii not stop
there owing TO the yellow fever at
Hampton
Surgeon General Wyman, of the Ma
rine Hospital service, had a conference
with Secretary Alger to-day concern
ing the yellow fever situation at Hamp-
ton. The Secretary of War is ex-oficio
president of the board of managers OF
the soldiers home and as a consequence
his orders concerning the home would
govern IT,
Secretary Alger assured DR.. Wyman
that the war department would assist
in every manner possible to control the
epidemic and that as ex-officio presi-
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