New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-21
SANTA TON or IA TANA.
AUTHORITIES PREPARING TO CARRY OUT
COLONEL WARNINGS PLANS.

AlIffOhl ll>S fteisi E.Hi'Np -
COLONEL WARNINGS PLANS
Washington. March 2o-A private letter Just ~
cclved I'm Washington from Havana says that ap-
parenty the authorities preparing 10 Des'n no
work Of establishing sewer system in that ci'y
in accordance with the plans OF the late Colonei
Waring In consequence tho Unacclimated A'ne'-
cans in Havana have bad case Of fright. ms
writer Of the letter e. immune. 30 that ne nae no
fear on his own account he says however. that
the proposed improvement should not 10 attempt-
ed with the hot rainy season coming on. the SICK
Hest and deadest Of the but that ~ ought 70
be postponed until the fall when tho "eatner ~
colder and the danger less.
The information contained in this letter WHICH
has not been mentioned in the news dispatches
from that city, occasoned some comment when *
became known 70 medical connected with no
Army. and the conclusions drawn rs the "ri'e''
who is "A man Of Intelligence. appeared 70 no een-
orally concurred in. one Of these officials VINO din
not care 70 permit the of his n. m IN IN" d''-
cussion OF a matter that might appear as crtl-
ctsm Of the Department this afternoon ccrdemned
the proposed Improvement ar this TIM" II" Is IA
miar with Havana and The horrible condinon ~
that port and his medical skill makes his comments
OF interest
"Of course said he. III VIII be admitted tnat
the plans for the sanitation Of Havana formulated
bv the late Colonel Waring ~ the leading
sanitary engineers Of the world should oe carried
out As have occupied cuba and are adminls-
its revenues II would h' 10 our larubs us
grace If we permitted the capital and metropolis
Of the island 10 remain the pesthole II has been
FOR 80 many years under Spanish rule. Nevertne-
less there have been known Instances wner' mo
remedy worse than the disease. and 10 under
take to give Havana comprehensive system or
sewers now when the work could not he completed
before the rainy season Of summer is on would DO
a fresh instance.
DANGER OF YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC.
The soil Of Havana is saturated with the nth
and dist ase germs OF a century To turn II up to
tester under the rays Of tropical sun IN the
heated period Of the year would be 10 invite an
epidemic Of yellow fever complicated with out
breaks Of smallpox and other fatal diseases. Tnsre
is no occasion 10 run such deadly risk. Work on
= sever system in Havana should not begin before
next November. II It had been begun last January,
so that IT could have been completed before tho
sicky rainy season set in. ii would have been well.
But as this prevented by the circums ances
that obtained then a regard for the health and
lives Of Americans who are there In military ana
civil capacities demands that IL over until NO.
vember at the earliest Colonel Waring made mis-
investigations in Havana in October Of last year.
and returned home 10 die from yellow fever on the
2q,h Of that month. he having contracted the dis
ease while in Havana.
1T Is a notorious fact that decaying vegetation
in the tropics IS common and potent cause OF
fevers The exposure OF earth that has long been
shut out from the sun has similar effect more
Of disease than either IS tDe
soil impr snated with Nth. as is the case with
the soil OF Havana and it's exposure 10 the rays
tude: in Havana It means death. In 1873 there was
fatal visitation Of yellow fever al SnreY eport Ia
II never definitely determined whether the dis-
from New-Orleans or whether il was due to the
removal Of the great raft in the Red River short
distance above Shreveport. which exposed an ex-
tepsy f 10 the OF atidn Of the sun But il was
agreed by all VINO were acquainted with the situs .
tion that the removal Of the raft was the direct
cause Of the disease becoming epidemic. whether Il
- was this that made the local conditions ripe
for epidemc-local conditions. for the disease
S strlcty to the vicinity Of Shreveport The only
other place whore the disease assumed an epidemic
from from SSToycnori : sii.cie case was carried to
calvert. where it developed. There. too, Z was
An old block Of buildings had been razed 10 make
way for now structures. thus exposing ground tnat
foundations were dug the soil upturned IN the NOT
sun and tho result a deadly epidemic OF yell
low fever while all the rest Of Texas remained free
from the dread disease"
WAR DEPARTMENTS POLICY CRITICISED.
The same official also criticised the apparent In
tcnton OF the War Department 10 take the troops
brought home from cuba to inland camps. and sus-
gested the great danger that would attend such q
nolicv Unless" said he "thcse troops reach the
United States before May ! they will find in all the
s0d d sn vii be- sctv en,orced n there shoud
be yellow fever cases reported in Havana prior TO
MAY J. these States would Immediately establish
guarantees against Cuba. This would mean that
the volunteers would either be prevented from
landing at all or would have to go into detention
camps al the will Of the State health authorities.
This is certainly not ailurinp prospect.
ITO avoid II the Department apparently intends
to bring these volunteers 10 some Northern port.
probably New-York. and send them to Camp Meade.
near Harrisburg Whether the Department admits
# or not Camp Meade. II selected. will be de-
tention camp. and no after reaching IL will be
permitted TO leave IL until after all danger from
any possible seeds OF contagious or infectious
disea yellow fever any otheT-is safely passed.
IL strikes the medical man absurd TO land men
at some seaport and then carry them by railroad
trains 70 a distant inland point 70 detention lamp.
Harrisburg is six eight hours ride from New
York During all this time, II thore was disease
among them even In undeveloped form, they would
be a menace TO the health OF the towns through
country at large. People would crowd about the
train at every stoppng-place. and thus be ex-
posed to a need ess danger. The cars In which they
would b. TRANSPORTED would likewise be Of
danger All this could be avoided and ought 70
or very near the point where the landing OF the
troops would be made They would then go At
once from the transport TO the camp. There would
tagion nor would there be any cars TO become
infected with disease. But Camp Meade or any
her inland distant point utterly unh as place
for detention amp. Yet the War Department
has decided upon Camp Meade. and will devote n
10 that use unless the pubic protests In terms that
even the military department viii be compelled TO
heed