The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-08-08
Against Portsmouth and
Norfolk.
FEVER NOT SPREADING
Undue Alarm Of Ous.iders Over the Sit.
acknowledgements From surgeon
General Wyman and Others showing
That There II NO Cause for Alarm.
The Cities Near the Infected Locality
Thoroughly Protecled-The Lilling.
ton Quarantine Raised.
Especial to The Messenger.)

man from the Washington CORE
spondent of The New York Herald was
, today received in Portsmouth by Mr..
W. E. Christian, of tie Seaboard Air
| Line:
Washington, August ST think We
have the situation we'll in hand" Or.
Wyman says today. THE lapse of an
other day without any spread must IN
cessantly every day lessen the proba-
bility Of h disease getting outside of
the present territory. Reports from
Norfolk and Portsmouth show no per-
sons there who were exposed to the
disease. 1t is not believed there is any
danger at either place"
Yesterday some of the health au-
thorities at Littleton, N. c., taking
council of their fears, quarantined
against Portsmouth and Norfolk. AS
soon as the news reached here the
Seaboard Air Line authorities at once
took action, which Immediately allay-
ed the fears of the Littleton people,
who at once raised the quarantine.
the following correspondence ex-
plains itself:
Portsmouth, Va, August 3.
DIR. L.. ]. Picott, Littleton, n. c.:
referring to quarantine of Little
ton against Norfolk and Portsmouth,
this action is surely absurd There is
absolutely no occasion for alarm. Of
fetal reports from Surgeon General
Wyman in charge at Hampton, report
the fever entirely confined to the SOL
diers' home and no deaths in the past
twenty-four hours and only two new
cases.
AN absolute strict quarantine is be-
ing maintained against Hampton, New
port News, Old Point and the entire
peninsula and there is absolutely no
reason for your people being alarmed.
The action of your health board will
initiate very much against the bust
ness of your town. Yours is the only
place in the United States that has
quarantined against Norfolk or DorIs-
mouth. Under the prescribed form
our conductors will be compelled TO
lock our cars and stop no trains of
any character at Littleton from either
| direction in order to carry out success
fully the order passed by your board.
ST. w. WHISNANT,
superintendent"
"Littleton, N. c., August 3.
ct. w. Whisnant:
Action was without my knowledge,
n is ridiculous. The authorities have
decided to admit all refugees from
Norfolk and Portsmouth upon %certifi-
cate from the health officer of either
Portsmouth or Norfolk. Send the folks
along. The whole town ridicules the
| action Of the board of health.
IL. J. PICOTT,
Health Officer"
With the great mass of the people
living round this port, there never has
been any undue anxiety as to the visi-
| tation from yellow jack still there
| are some persons, eXcitable people who
in spite of the most patent facts in me
case, will persist in giving away to
their fears, which in u has the duo
effect upon others. To all such if they
read the following statements made by
F. S. Hope, state quarantine medical
officer of his port, and Norfolk, and
eral manager Of the Seaboard Air Line,
there can remain no excuse for further
fear.
AS preliminary to what follows,
this statement was made to DIR. Rowe:
DIR. 1 want to get a clean cut state
ment from you as to the situation,
what you think the probabilities are in
regard to Norfolk and Portsmouth and
what the actualities are as to the places
outside"
I'm relation to the situation that now
exists-It is perfect folly for us to at
tempt to determine the cause and in
ception of the outbreak at the infect
ed points. That is a matter that will
be Of scientific and professional inn
portance later on.
1.-The thing that we are to look at is
a practical situation and that is that
the fever since the Both of last month,
the date upon which it was diganosed,
has been confined to it's zone of Incep-
ton. AS is we'll known, it only takes
II f@~o fI-~ ~ ~-- g. IL g.
yer to develop. In the opinion Of the
very best men who are competent tC
give opinions on this subject, ten days
at the longest is ample time for any
infection that may have escaped from
the infected locality to develop. Oul
advices in connection with the health
department of the community, rein.
the federal government, is that this
ten days limit is long enough.
Il think hat the people on the Re.
ninsula at Newport News are thor.
oughly protected by a shot gun cor
don around heir town, which is abso
lutely effective. Old Point is an idea
place for quarantine, as it is connected
with the land by a bridge only witt
Phoebus n the soldiers home. Th'
management OF the situation there a.
you know, is this: DIR. Pettus. United
States marine hospitalrepresentative,i
in full control with absolute power aLc
authority. The outside man both a
Phoebus n the soldiers home is Dr.
White, an efficient and competent maj
n one Of national reputation in tn,
special line. DR.. Wertenbaker is n
cooperative man at Newport News.
Il think these communities can b
assured that the situation there is i
thoroughly competent hands, and vii
be managed with consummate skill an
success. For u own protection tn
quarantine district of which we are
part. Norfolk and Portsmouth an
Norfolk county, we have five tug boat
patrolling the peaches extending fror
York river to a mile beyond Newpor
News.
The people have authority, instruc
lions and ammunition to turn back ev
erything that is coming his way. Out
side OF that we have a small napth
launch which is patrolling the harbo
and the shallow waterways on thi
side with like authority. The beach ex
tending from Ocean View to Lambert
Point is also patrolled. as is the beac