Evening star., 1899-07-31
THE YELLOW FEVER
Gen. Corbin's Theory of Its Origin at
Hampton.
CONFERENCE WITH GEN. STERNBERG
That Officer to Cooperate With
Marine Hospital Service.
DIR. VAN REYPEN'S VIEWS
CONFERENCE WITH GEN. STERNBERG
DIR. VAN REYPEN'S VIEWS

Adjt Gen. Corbin and Maj. Johnston. as
| sistant adjutant general, were at Fort
Monroe yesterday, and were present when
| Surgeon Pettus of the marine hospital
| service made his report to Lieut.. Col. De
| Witt, regarding the outbreak of yellow
| fever at the Soldiers Home at Hampton,
| Va. Gen. Corbin says that from all ac-
| counts, there is doubt of the serious
| condition which exists, and that there is
| no telling how far the infection may have
| reached. He describes the situation, say
| ing that there is a trolley line running
| along the beach for a distance of more
| than six miles. Excursion parties have
been coming to Old Point and adjacent
! places, and have taken the trolley to New
| port News, and to the Soldiers Home
Many of these eXcursionists have mingled
| with the soldiers, but no one knows
whether with those stricken with fever or
not.
How 1t Was Brought to the Home.
Gen. Corbin says that one theory of the
way in which the fever was brought to the
home is that one of the old soldiers re-
Gently visited Santiago and was with
friend there. He returned some time ago,
and was treated for what the physicians
thought to be dengue a disease causing
suffering, but not death. 1t seems 1t
not until the inmates of the home began to
die that the disease was discovered to be
yellow fever. There is not the least ques-
ton about the character of the disease,
physicians who We're present at the post
mortem of some of the victims saying that
the yellow fever germs We're surely pres
ent.
According to advices received at the War
Department today, there have been total
of forty cases, six of them fatal.
The Soldiers Hor.e has no connection
with the War Department in any way. 1t
is under a board Of managers, created by
Congress- which manages all the soldiers
homes throughout the country. The men
admitted are soldiers Of the war of the re-
bellion The home is no part of the Sol
d!ers Home in Washington, which is for
regular army soldiers.
Officers of the War Department are very
much interested in the matter on account
of the military post that is within six miles
of the home, and because the Infection NAV
nave spread among the soldiers.
Conference With Gen. sternberr.
Adjutant General Corbin and Surgeon
General Sternberg had a conference early
today, and it was determined to hold every
thing in readiness to take care of yellow
| fever should it appear among the troons
They also discussed the matter of render
ing such aid to the marine hospital SER
VICE as might be possible or within the
power of the army
surgeon Pettus, through Gen Corbfn has
requested Surgeon General Sternberg to
send him such expert immune yellow fever
surgeons as he can find
Gen. COrbin says that the repOrts of the
epidemic caused the hotels at Old Point to
become empty of guests very speedily The
poatS returning from there last night were
General Sternberg said tbo+ HI. o,, as
clal information concerning The oJthreals
was con- aimed in a telegram from DR. De
Mltt, VINO Is the army post surgeon at Fort
monroe This dispatch was received today
FORT MONROE, Va, July 81.
surgeon General, L. S. Army, Washington
d. c.: wa
AT o'clock pm. yesterday Surgeon Pet
Jus u. 5 marine hospital service, quaran-
tine officer, officially stated that yellow
fever was at National Soldiers Home,
hampton; th1rty-four cases, with six deaths
Commanding officer took immediate meas
ures for quarantine. Surgeon Pettus states
surgeon general marine hospital service
| was notified yesterday afternoon
tSlgneD DE WITT, Surgeon"
To Send an Expert.
Speaking of the situation, General Stern
berg said today:
The matter of dealing with the epidemic
will be entirely in the hands Of the marine
hospital service, but of course we shall CO.
operate in any way possible. We ALL of
course. desire to do that which is best CAL
culated tc bring the outbreak to an end as
speedily as possible. | shall ask to have
a St4io" ItNel tAptII sent 10 + Oft Monroe
for the protection of the army interests
there. The troops will, of course he quar-
antined, and it will be decided later whether
/; they Will be removed. 1t is possible that
they may be required for guards, but as to
this nothing is yet determined"
Continuing, General Sternberg said he had
no theories to advance as to the origin of
the outbreak. Il am sure" he said, that
it was introduced in some way but how |
do not know. It could not have been of
spontaneous origin and that is all 1 am
prepared to say at this time He also de-
cl:ned to discuss the probability or possi-
bilty of the disease extending up the river
toward Washington.
General Sternberg has requested that Act
ing Assistant Surgeon SeatOn Norman be
detailed for service at Fortress Monroe.
Dr. Norman was formerly surgeon of the
Sd United States Volunteer Infantry, one of
the regiments of yellow fever immunes
raised for the West Indian campaign, and
has had considerable experience with yell
low fever epidemcs ait New Orleans and
other places in the south. He is at present
in Washington on leave OF absence from
Havana and will proceed to Fortress Mon
roe tonight, reporting to the commanding
officer there for duty.
Surgeon General Van Reypen.
Surgeon General Van Reypen of the navy
said that his only information concerning
the yellow fever situation had been obtain
ed from the newspapers, and he did not feel
disposed to discuss the outlook. He, like
Dr. Sternberg, was convinced that the epi-
demic was the result of tangible
cause, but in the absence of more detailed
information he would offer theories as
TO what that cause might be. Asked if he
did not think it might be due to the pres
ence of the old Spanish ship, Rena Mer-
cedes, at the Norfolk navy yard, he replied
emphatically in the negative
'1mpossible, he said, quite out of the
question The Mercedes has been lying
there for some time and the vessel has
been in no wise dismantled. The fever
could not have proceeded from that
source"
DR. Van Reypen also said that he did not
believe it would be necessary to suspend
operations at the Norfolk navy yard The
yard would, of course, be duarantined, and
he thought this course would be sufficient
to protect it against infection.
Monitors to he Moved.
The ironclad monitors Terror and Puri-
tan are the only naval vessels stationed at
the Norfolk navy yard, and while no off,
cial declaration is made as to the depart
ment's policy with reference to them, it is