The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-01
YELLOW FEVER THE CAUSE
NO TELLING HOW FAR THE IN
FICTION HAS REACHED.
SURGEONS AFE HURRIED 10 THE SCENE
No Question as TO The Disease in The Soldiers
Home Being Yellow Fever. Forty
Cases Have Been Reported
and Six Deaths.

Washington. July 31.-Surgeon Gene
raj Wyman, of the Marine Hospital Ser
vice had a conference with Secretary Al
ger at II O'clock today concerning the
yellow fever situation at Hampton.
Va. The Secretary of War is cx-officio
president Of the Board Of Managers of
the Soldiers Home, and as Il conse-
quence his orders concerning the Home
would govern it. A present the Home
is under the direction of the Governor Of
the Home and Surgeon Nickerey Gen
cral Wyman has sent to Hampton Sur
geon White, Il very experienced yellow
fever physician. who will take control Of
everything under the Marine Hospital
Service.
Secretary Alger has directed the Jo-
siah Simpson Hospital at Fort Monroe
to lie turned over to the Marine Hospital
Service if it is wanted by Surgeon Gen
eral Wyman.
This hospital contains one thousand
beds and was fitted up for the troops
stationed at Newport News last summer.
The Secretary told General Wyman to
call ON the War Department for any
thing that was wanted, and it would he
furnished at euce without regard to reg
ulatiGns or rules
The following order was issued by the
War Department today:
Commanding General, Department of
the East, Governors Island. y. Y:
THE presence of yellow fever having
been officially reported at the Soldiers
Heme at Hampton, Va. the Secretary
Tl,
the immediate movement of the garrison
at Fort Monroe to seme place of safety
somewhere ON the Northern coast to he
selected by YOU Two commissioned Off
GERS and not less than twenty men win
he left in charge of the post. If there
are immunes in the command they will
be given preference. Acknowledge re-
cept and report action taken.
(Signed.) al C. C0RBIN.
"Adiutant General"
The Marine Hospital Service to-day
hurried a number of surgeons to Hamp
ton and vicinity.
The officers of the Marine Hospital
Service refuse to speculate ON the gene
sis of the epidemic. but it is generally
believed to have originated in some Of
the shore dives in Iaoohus, and cases
ncnts are already made to throw quar-
antine lines around any place where the
disease shows itself outside the Home
The Washington health officer was
notified about daylight this mornirg Of
the Hampton outbreak. The morning
boat from Old Point was inspected, but
no passengers detained. The trains viii
also he watched. There is a detention
settlement of cottages ON the eastern
branch, which was utilized dur;ac tho
recent smallpox outbreak This is being
.ovcrhauled to receive any suspects who
are detected by the Washington authori-
ties.
General Corbin says that from all ae-
counts there is little doubt that the con
ditions are serious, and there is no 1, IL
ing how far the infection may have
reached. There is trollery road along
the beach for il distance of more than
six miles, and excursion 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.
General Corbin says that one theory
OF the way in which the fever might
have been brought to the home is that
enc of the soldiers recently visited San
tiago. he returned some time since suf-
fering with what the physicians Thought
to 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. General Corbn says there
is not the least question about the char
acter of the disease, physicians who were
present at the post mortem ON some
Of the victims declaring that yellow fe-
Yer was surely present.
According to advices received at the
War Department today there have been
Z total Of forty cases, six Of whom have
died.
Surgeon Pettus through General Cor
bin has requested Surgeon General
Sternberg to send him such expert inn
nune 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 1853.
having been brought into port on the
steamer Ben Franklin on June 18th. of
that year and in the epidemic which fol-
lowed there We're ,s@)7 deaths.
The steamer from Old Point arriving
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