Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-07-31


cided thss Surgeons General Sternberg
and Wymau should proceed at once TO
Hampton to personally and oinciaiiy
investigate the extent of the epide mic
and take whatever steps are necessary
{ } copfne the fever ifposslole TO lis pre-
SAINT limits and stamp it out. a teit.
cram was sent TO General Wesley Mer-
ritt. commar ding the department OF
tha Fast. at Governors Island, to move
most of the garrison from Fortress
Monroe to some place on the northern
coast. the location OF which Is lett to
MIN. Two commissioned officers and
twenty meg, however, will remain at
the fort TO reuder any necessary as
,i.tance. The Josiah Simpson Hos
pi,al recently established at Old
FONT by the War Department
will be turned over to the
Marine Hospital Service if needed.
The officials here do not conceal their
alarm. II is realized that if the fever
preads TO Norfolk, Portsmouth, New
uorc News, Williamsburg and other
owns in that section of Virginia, it will
,oE De long before the disease may find
its way to this city. The country all
around Hampton is low, and much OF
Il is swampy. In 1858 Norfolk had an
awful yellow fever epidemic. The
people of that city are reported to be in
a high state of excitement. The feel
Jog is even worse at Newport News
where the immense shipbuilding yards
ana dry docks are located, and where
over 5000 men are employed. Several
large ships are being constructed there
for the Navy Department, to say moth
ING Of steamers for the merchant lines;
and the appearance of the dreaded dis
ease at Newport News would undo1bt-
edly cause general stampede. The
chances are theWsshington andNorfolk
boa,s on the Prtomac will he ordered
Fl in the event there is further in
crease in the cases and deaths at Hamp-
on. Surgeon General Wyman of the
Marine Hospital Service shortly after
uoon gave out statement OF the con-
iition of affairs at Hampton. Thus far
So cases of yellow fever have been
found, four deaths have resulted and
one patient is morbund, or is in dying
condition. AS soon as the infection
was discovered Gordon of guards was
placed around the home, the patients
we're isolated, and the barracks where
ne disease showed itself was vacat-
ed aud disinfected. The following
surgeons OF the department have
been ordered to duty there, or in
the vicinity Diswasden, Werten
baker, Donaldson, Farquhar, White,
Pettus and McChntock. The latter
Two will be stationed at old Point Com
fort. DR.. Wasden is the yellow fever
expert OF the Marine Hospital Service
and will be stationed at the home. DR..
Donaldson, who is an immune, will
also be on duty among the pa.
tents DR.. White will work on the
outside, examining suspects at Phpbus
and the vicinity, should any develop.
Efforts will be be made to discover the
,rign of the disease at once and to pre-
vent the spreading to other points. The
service here has no information that
would clear up the mystery at present.
DR.. Wyman is informed that the infec
ION is as yet confined to the Soldiers
Home. At noon telegram was receiy-
ed from the Health Board at Newport
News informing Dr. Wyman that they
aad established quarantine against
he infected point. Daniel Seary,
20 old soldier in uniform, was &C.
quilted in the police court here this
morning on charge of indecent expo
.ure and released. When Surgeon
General Wyman accidentally heard OF
ne case later he telephoned the police
and health authorities to try to appre-
nend Seary and detained him. He has
0een looking for just such q man who
reached Hampton from Santiago and
started on his way north few days
.go. The inference is that DR.. Wyman
thinks that Seary is the soldier who
brought the fever to Hampton. Lieu
5ensn: Col. Dewitt, post surgeon, at
Fortress Monroe, this afternoon tele-
sraphed Surgeon General Sternberg, as
t1llows: SAT o'clock p. m. yester-
lay Surgeon Pettus. United States Ma
rlne Service quarantine officer, officially
stated that yellow fever was at the Ma
ioual Soldiers Home, Kampton-34
cases with deaths. Commanding officer
look immediate measures for quaran-
tine" The garrison at Fortress Mon.
'oe consist of batteries, headquarters
md band, % artillery, total OF go
ueu. Drs. W. man and Sternberg ex-
pect to leave Washington for Hampton
omorrow on government vessel.
The follow ng changes in the fourth
class postottices of Virginia were
made today: Arlington, Alexandria
county, Mrs. Ida w. Corbett ap
POINTED postmaster, viceG. w. Fer
,uson, removed; Dry Fork, Pitt
,lyvanis county, Mrs. Rada Pigg,
vice Rutledge Garter, resigned; Hand
som, Southampton, James r. Gillian,
vice James A. Parker, removed; Level
Run, Plttsylvania county, Mrs. F. Il.
Aosea. vice R. B. Dawson, removed;
Shores, Fluvanna county, Arthur l..
Seay, vice a. J. Seay, resigned.
A member of the national democratic
committee here today says that every
member OF that committee, and, so far
is he knows, every real democrat in the
country, agrees with OK Governor Stone,
nat the democratic party will enter toto
10 union with any other party, but will
prose cute lis campaign on its own hook,
and that while 1t will gladly receive
any help from the populists, silver
men, or any other political organization,
it will fight its battle on the old Chi
cago platform and for the old Chicago
ticket, and that such cousre will add
greatly 20 its strength.