The times., 1899-08-03

A quarantine was declared by the District
government late yesterday afternoon
against persons coming from the yellow
fever infected towns of Hampton and
Phoebus. All persons from those places
will be stopped at the District line and
turned back or sent to the detention camp.
Whether they will return or go to the
detention camp will be left to their de-
cision. The object is to keep those who
| have been exposed In the infected district
or In an isolated camp.
The action was taken at the suggestion
OF DR.. William c.. Woodward, because the
quarantine against the infected towns by
places nearer them than Washington is not
strict enough to prevent persons who have
been exposed reaching this city. By going
to Richmond persons from Old Point
Comfort and Newport News who had been
| at Hampton and Phoebus were able to
reach Washington. The officers of the
District government desired to be on the
safe side.
DR.. Woodward's recommendation was
handed to the District Commissioners
about O'Clock. and late In the afternoon
the following order was promulgated from
the municipal Offices:
That until further notice any and all persons
coming from Hampton, Va; Phoebus, Va, or
any other place that is may be hereafter in
entering the District of Columbia until the
Health Officer of the District his duly aecre-
dited representative is satisfied that such persons
neither suffering from nor have recently been
exposed to yellow fever.
Commissioner Wight stated yesterday,
shortly after the issuance OF the order
that the Commissioners thoroughly realize
the danger to which the District Is ex-
posed. He said that the Commissioners
have power to take extreme measures and
that they would do so should conditions
warrant their taking such action. He
added that everything will be done in the
way OF taking precautionary measures.
| They are authorized and empowered by
| the Contagious Disease act of March },
| 1897 to take such extreme measures. The
| act provides that whenever the District is
| in their judgment Threatened with yellow
| fever or any contagious disease a house tc
house inspection may be inaugurated. The
| Commissioners may also require especially
| the cleaning and disinfecting Of premises;
may provide accommodations for such per-
| sons as may be afflicted or threatened with
the contagion, and provide free vaccination
and distribution of disinfectants. They may,
such other acts not contrary to law as
may be necessary in their judgment, to
! prevent the Introduction or spread in the
| District of yellow fever or any other con-
\ tagious disease
! The quarantine order OF yesterday Is the
| first rigid step taken by the local authori-
! ties to prevent the introduction of the
scourge. into Washington. Last Monday
! an inspection service was established, but
/ c M n method ke9DIle
out yellow jack as a quarantine. Under
the inspection service all persons from
| Hampton and Phoebus not presumed to
| have been exposed to the infection were
| permitted TO enter the city. Their names
and addresses were taken and strict sur
veillance Is being kept over them by the
| local health authorities. There are about
a dozen such persons in different parts of
the city and inspectors visit them every
| day.
Under the quarantine order persons from
| Hampton. Phoebus, and other infected
| places are denied entrance into the city
unless they produce indubitab!e proof that
| they have not been exposed.
"All persons from Hampton and Phoe-
bus" said DR.. Woodward to Times re-
porter last night, will have to exhibit GER
tiicates from the Marine Hospital experts
or from the health officers at those places
to the effect that they have not been ex-
posed before they will be permitted to
come into the District OF Columbia. These
certificates must be produced on the trains
to the inspectors which have been detaile /
by the Health Department to look out for
suspects. These inspectors board every
train coming from Richmond. They do
this at Alexandria All persons falling to
produce certificates will either be put OF
at the other end OF the Long Bridge at the
District line and forbidden entrance into
the Capital or they will have to go to
the detention camp.
"A large number of persons passed
through the city yesterday morning from
Richmond. Many of them. wo have reason
! to believe, were from Old Point Comfort
and Newport News. They left those places
for Richmond en- route north and at Rich
mond purchased new tickets. Our inspec-
tors examined them and permitted them to
pass through the city"
In view of the fact that a great many OF
the fugitives from Norfolk, Newport News.
and Old Point, passed through the city
there Is much excitement among local resi-
dents. Everyone seems to be on the look
out for persons from those places and
anxious to avoid them.
The Health Department was called up
ct late hour Tuesday night and informed
that two persons from Norfolk had regis
be Investigated, although no reasonable
grounds existed for believing that the
two persons had been exposed. A rumor
was started last night that case of yellow
fever had broken out in a large downtown
hotel. This the proprietor emphatieally
denied to newspaper men and to DIR. Wood
ward. who made personal investigation
DR.. Woodward learned that no person had
registered at the hotel from either Norfolk
Old Point, Newport News. Hampton, o,
Phcebus. and found upon further inveSti-
cation that there were no sick guests in
any OF the rooms The runner failed OF
verification. The Health Department is
investigating every rumor Of that kind
Dr. Woodward is losing much rest deal
irg with such scares, and was at the
Health Office until a late hour last night
awaiting developments. The inspectors
report to him after the arrival of every
train.