The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-06
THE QUARANTINE STATION.
GOVERNMENT TO MAKE EXTEN-
SIVE IMPROVEMENTS.

INSPECTOR ut Havana to he Carried
Out-These Include the Transfer
of the Large Floating Disinfecting
Plant Now at Havana TO This sta
ton, the Erection of Automatic
TroIIeys for Discharging ballast,
and the Purchase of New Tug To
Take the Place OF the TheckIn.
The statement of the Secretary OF
the Treasury Of the estimates of The ex-
penses of his department for the next rs
cal year. including an estimate of $1,000
for the quarantine station at Savannah,
means a good deal moro than anyone
would have an idea of from a casual read
ing
The meaning simply Is that Savannah
is to have the best equipped quarantine
station on the Atlantic coast The $4,000
mentioned does not include all of the inn
provements and additions contemplated
for the Savannah station. In fact. one
single item of the intended additions
would practically consume the appropri-
alton, which is evidently intended to pro-
vide simply for running expenses and i'm
provements to the station for the ensuing
year. II cost the city about $4,000 a year
to maintain the station and there is no
reason to suppose that it is costing the
government any more than that amount.
The remainder of the appropriation VIII
consequently go to the improvements.
| large part of the credit for the gov
ernment's prospective liberality 70 The Sa-
vannah quarantine station Is due
to DIR. w. r. Drummer. now health
OH .,f ..Tf
made by the present administration with
the Marine Hospital Service last spring
by which the Savannah quarantine sta
ton was transferred to that branch Of
the general government DR.. Drummer was
then stationed at Havana as the agent
Of the Marine Hospital Service in charge
of the quarantine at that port. Knowing
his familiarity with conditions at Savan-
nah, Surgeon General Wyman requested
DR., Drummer to write "a report as 10 the
advantages and needs Of the station, maxi
ing such recommendations as he deemed
proper and necessary for the equipment
of the station.
Knowing the importance of the Savan-
nah station to the Marine Hospital Ser
vice, both from It's location and on account
of the fact that 1t was the largest station
controlled by the service, Or. Drummer
| recommended everything which he consid-
cred needful for its fun equipment Chief
among these recommendations was that
the large floating disinfecting plant then,
| and now, in use in the harbor Of Havana,
be transferred to this station as soon as
| the larger plant, then in course OF con-
struction and intended for Havana, should
reach that port. Other recommendations
were that new and more powerful tug
be purchased for the station to take the
place of the old Theckla, purchased by
the government from the city; that two
large automatic trollies for unloading and
distributing ballast be erected and that
| additional wharf room be provided.
Or. Brunner's recommendations were in
dorsed by Surgeon III. II. Carter, and have,
| IL Is understood, received the approval OF
| the head of the service. In fact, DR..
! Drummer has reason to believe that the
recommendations will be carried out prac-
| tically as made, including the transfer of
the floating disinfecting plant to Savan-
nah. Since making these recommended
tons DR.. Drummer has again become health
officer of Savannah. He no longer con-
trolls the quarantine station, as was FORM
| erly the case, but he Is nevertheless pleas
| ed to see that the government Is preparing
| to so fully carry out its part Of the bar
gain which II made with the city
| THE floating disinfecting plant Will be
a great addition to the station" said DR..
! Drummer yesterday. It is about 11S feet
| I'm length by IS TO 20 feet beam, and Is
| one of the most completely equipped dis
| injecting plants in existence. 1t was built
| by the Kensington Iron Works of Phila-
| delphia. and was first used at Montauk
Point last August and September in dis
| injecting the returning soldiers and their
| baggage from Cuba, several hundred men
| being handled daily with ease After We
| had finished with the work at Montauk
| Point the plant was taken to Havana In
January, being towed down by the reve-
nue. cutter Algonquin, and having a very
| rough trip Of 1t. The plant proved of great
| assistance kn our work there. ! have dis
| infected as high as three ships In one
! day with this plant"
THE transfer Of the plant to Savannah
| will probably make unnecessary the
| building of additional wharves." said Dr.
Drummer. Two vessels can be disinfected
| by the plant at the same time, one ON
| each side. The advantage of a floating
| plant, of course, Is that 1t can be lowed
| to any point In the stream and the work
| of disinfectng can be carried on at the
| wharves and out In the stream at the
same time. This will Of course greatly
expedite work at the station. The plant
Is fully equipped with all necessary disin-
fecting apparatus and besides has rooms
aboard where passengers and crew can
disrobe and battle while their clothing Is
being disnfected. The new plant which
is being built for the government at the
Kensington Iron Works will be the largest
and most complete of It's kind in existence.
1t will be larger than the one now at Ha-
vana and will In addition have its own mo-
tive power. It's cost will be about $4,000,
as against about 10000 for the cost of the
one now at Havana"
Dr. Brunner's understanding Is that the
cost of the disinfecting plant will not be
charged against The appropriation to the
Savannah station, but that II will be in
addition to the improvements TO be made
by means Of that appropriation Among
the improvements he is satisfied will be
the trolley apparatus for discharglng bal
last This apparatus not only enables bal
last to be discharged much more rapidly
than by the present method, but having
movable platforms, the ballast can be dis
trihuted at will over a wide area, and thus
do away with one of the Inconvenience
Of the present system.
THE Marine Hospital Service can well
afford to go TO some expense in fully equip
ping the Savannah station" said Dr.
Drummer. 'As the first large seaport city
TO turn its station over to che servfcs