The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1899-08-03
YELLOW FEVER
No Doubt About the Disease at
the Hampton, Va, Soldiers
Home.
There Have Been Nearly Forty
Gases and Half a Dozen
Deaths.
Marine Hospital Bureau Takes
Prompt Action to Stamp Out
the Disease.

the Disease.
8 WAsH1EoToN, Aug. 1.-Surgeop Gen.
efal Sternburg has received the follow
ing from Lieutenant Colonel De Witt
bt Fort Monroe. regarding the outbreak
ef yellow fever at the Soldiers Home at
Hampton. Va:
'tAt 4 O'Clock, p. M, Surgeon Pettus,
United States Marine Hospital service,
quarantine officer. officially states that
yellow fever was at National Soldiers
home, Hampton; "a cases with 6 deaths.
Commanding officer took immediate
measures for quarantine. Surgeon Pet
tus states surgeon general marine hos
pital service wa notified Sunday after
noon. DE WITT. Surgeon"
Adfutant General Corbin and Major
johnson, assistant adjutant general,
were at Fort Monroe and were present
when Surgeon Pettus made his report
TO k&eutenant Colonel Dewitt regarding
the outbreak Of yellow fever at the
Soldiers home. General Corbin says
that from all accounts there is little
doubt that the conditions are serious
and there is no telling how far the in
fection may have reached. There is q
trolley road along the beach for a dis
tance of more than six miles, and ex-
cursion parties have been coming to
Old Point Comfort and adjacent places,
add have taken the trolley TO Newport
News, and to the Soldiers home. Many
of them have mingled with the soldiers.
General Corbin says that n theory Of
the way in which the fever might have
been brought to the home is that one of
the soldiers recently visited Santiago.
He returned some time since suffering
with what the physicians thought to be
dengue. It seems it was not until the
inmates of the home began to die that
the disease was discovered to be yellow
fever.
No Doubt About Is.
General Corbin says there is not the
least question about the character of
the disease, physicians who were pres
emit at the post mortem IN some Of the
victims declaring that yellow fever was
surely present.
According to advices received at the
wal department there have been a total
of 40 cases, six of which have died.
The soldiers home has no connection
with the war department. It Is under.
. board of managers created by con-
gress, which manages all the soldiers
homes throughout the country. The
men admitted are soldiers of the war of
the rebellion. Officers of the war de-
partment are very much concerned on
the part Of the military post at Fort
Monroe, which is within six miles of
the home. Adjutant General Corbin
and Surgeon General Sternburg had a
conference early in the day and. it was
determined to hold everything in readi-
ness to take care of yellow fever should
it appear among the troops.
Surgeon Pettus, through General Cor
bin, has requested Surgeon General
Sternburg to send him such expert i'm
mune yellow fever surgeons Is he can
find.
The marine hospital officers are as
founded at the presence of yellow fever
in that locality. The last epidemic of
the disease occurred at Norfolk in 1866,
having brought into port on the steamer
Ben Franklin on June z, of that year,
and the epidemic which followed there
were !, SO7 deaths. The steamer from
o d Point arriving here was crowded
with passengers.
VIII Remove the GsrYisons.
l Orders have been issued by the wal
department removing the gBrrison at
Fort Monroe to some point on the
northern coast TO be selected by Gen
eral Merritt. A few officers and 20 en-.
listed men will be detained at Fort
Monroe as a guard.
Surgeon General Sternburg, speaking
Of the situation, said:
1.-THE matter of dealing with the cpl
Aemic will be entirely in the hands Of
the Marine hospital service, but of
course we shall cooperate in any way
possible. / shall ask to have a yellow
fever expert sent to Fortress Monroe fox
the protection Of the army interesta."
General Sternberg said he had no
theories to advance as to the cause Of
the outbreak.
General Sternberg has requested that
Acting Assistant Surgeon Seaton Nor
man be detained for service at Fortress
Monroe. Surgeon General Van Reypan
of the navy, also declined to discuss the
origin of the outbreak. Asked if he
did not think it might be due to the
presence Of the old Spanish ship Reina
Mercedes, at the Norfolk navy yard, he
replied emphatically in the negative.
DR.. Van Reypen also said that he did
not believe it would Unnecessary to rus
pend operations at the Norfolk navy
ward. The yard would, however, be
nuarantined. The ironciad monitors
Terror and Puritan are b only
naval vessels stationed at he Nor
folk navy yard and it is understood
they will be removed in case their crews
should appear to be endangered. 1t Is
also quite we'll understood that in such
nrnarroncv the navy department pays