Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-05
Fum1gation of the Newport News
Mails.
SOME CURIOUS STATEMENTS
Remar liable stories Conceived In Rich.
inond. Surgeon White pronounces the
Method Perfectly Effective. What
1t Consists Of, The Times Story.

Is being fumEateu, charging that the
fumigating process is a farce and dc
claring that there is as much danger as
ever Of fever being transmitted through
th,| postal service between Newport
News ana Richmond.
The Times doubtless had its authority
for the statement but that authority
deliberately disrcE;rlcd the truth in
making such cll;irccS. for every piece IF
mail matter That has left this city since
the order was received by postmaster
Read from Superintendent Eickrry mas
been properly fumigatcd. according TO
the instructions and formula always
employed by the roStollicc Department
in emergencies similar TO the pres en1
ono.
When shown the article yesterday
Postmaster Read branded it as
false. Mr.. w. Ct. Burgess. the we'll
known druggist who has the contrac.
for preparing the material and fumiSi,-
ting the generators ana is supcrint"nl-
ing the work Of fulngatiDn personally
denounced the charge as false. Both
gentlemen did not hesitate to pay their
respects to the parties in Richmond
whoever they may be. postal men cvi-
IDENTIFY, who gave the Richmond Times
authority to say that the fuln5atiDn
method here Was Ineffective.
y representative Of the Daily Press
visteu the postoilicc this morn
ing and was given an opportunity vol
witness the process OF fumigation. III
1t is possible TO make 4 thorough fumi-
cation of every letter that is dispatched
from this city Postmaster Read ana HIi.
Burgess are doing it.
y large, uir-tiSht box was ordered cS
peci;,ily for this work yesterday by the
postmaster ANA III this the letters are
being fun! Eat ted. The box is 1UN3N3 feet
III dimensions ana is fitted With VIE
screen shelves on which The special
pieces of mail matter arc scattered.
The cover is rlcn fastened ANA a
tube connected With Il forr,ailchydc
gas generator is inserted in Il hole near
the bottom. III fact there are four Of
these holes aud before the buNful OF
matter is thoroughly funigatcd the Cor
maldehyde genera cor is attached 70
each ard the gas is forced in through
tn. letters on Che Wire screening.
Tie Postotiicc Department sent four
methods to Postmaster Read. one If
which must be used. fIc selected the
best one, which is follows:
Apply fornaltichyuc gas by means
of Il glass cylinder provided With a
vacuum apparatus and special :lppara
tus for genera ting and applying the gas.
The gas should be applied in a dry state
in not less than 20 per cent. in volume
strength. and the time of exposure not
less than TWO hours" The instructions
go on 10 say: Letters should not be
tied up in packages, but should be pl.ac-
ed loosely in the receptacle room, so as
TO leave 4 free access OF gas to all su:-
faces Newspapers and packages tight
~ wrapped should be opened before uiS-
infectinS.
This method is being followed to the
letter. All the mail matter thl, wen;
out ut here yesterday was exposed in
the box fully Two hours. To-Day lilt. let
tors have been enclosed in the air tight
box from three to four hours, instead of
only two IN fact Mr. Read has adopt
ed the plan of keeping the matter in tho
receptacle until it is time for it to he
dispiacrd which is certainly ample
time.
The Richmond Times article also con
veys the impression that the mail mat
ter from Hampton and Fort Monroe is
received here and fumigatcd. That is
not so This mail is fumiGatcd at both
Hampton ana Fort Monroe and when it
comes here it is unnecessary to even
open the pouches, as the postal author
tiles in those places have adopted I,
thorough funisating process. The Ios-
tai aut horitics in Richmond may think
that. because they cannot smell ch"mi-
Gals and see discolorationS and punched
holes on the envelopes, the letters have
not been lnigatcd. They should know
Eslstlnastrr Read and in fact the peo-
pie Of this city better than to suppose
that things are ever done by halves
down here. The city has taken every
possible prccaution TO guard against
letting yellow fever III here or letting It
be conveyed to other cities throuSn
here. Postmaster Read has been one Of
the most valuable assistants in this
good work and all mail requirements
for emergencies like the present are car
ried out to the very letter.
The Times story follows:
The General superintendent Of the
Railway Mail Service yesterday issued
AN order from Washington for the flu
mgation of mt,'ils from Hampton, Phoe-
bus, Rip Raps and Old Point. This
mail passes through the Newport News
postofficc. The Times is reliably in
formed that what is called fumigation
was begun yesterday. but that 1T is the
merest pretense and affords no prutcc-
ton if danger really exists in the mails
"The customary method OF fumiga-
ton is to perforatc letters and expose
the contents Of packages and papers
to the fumes Of some chemical known
to be fatal to the germs. All persons
who have had correspondence with
Jacksonville, Mobile, New Orleans and
other Southern cities Will recall that
letters during yellow fever epidenics
letters received during yellow fever
epielenics there were Enthusiastically
marked by the fumgaling machines.
The method adopted at Newport
News is TO say the least, unique, but
it's effectiveness would not impress the
most guilclcss. This alleged fumi-
CATION was instituted yesterday by
placing the mail for Il short time in Il
small, close box in which the fumes
Of a chemical We're confined. The letter
mail was allowed to remain in tightly
tied bundles so that not even the sur
faces of the envelopes were touched,