The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-05-01
THE STORY OF THE
EPIDEMIC HERE
A Brief History of the Campai. . n in
Honolulu Tersely Told for
Future Reference.


December IL, 1892 was bad day for
Hawaii, for on that day the
bubonic plague ii st made its appear
ance in Honolulu. How and whence it
came no one knew a the tine, though
almost everybody hazarded a guess.
What brought to light the fact Oh the
plague presence was The sudden death
OF the Chinese bookkeeper at Wing Wu
Tai's store on Nuuanu sueet, Just out
of Chinatown proper. DR.. Herbert, be-
ing called by Chinese physician to see
the man, pronounced the case bubonic
plague, aud the autopsy proved that
he was right. Another ca e was discoY-
cred on Maunakea street near Pauahi.
Both bodies were burned and both
places were quarantined. Three more
cases were discovered, swelling the
death list to five; and the Board OF
Health, the Council Of State, and the
Board of Education quickly came to-
gether and took action. The militia
were ordered ont for guard duty, the
government schools were closed. the
Inter-lslard steamers were forbidden t"
leave port. and measures were taken
set in the cholera endemic. The Board
of Health at once issued a call for vol
unteers to assist In the work of house
to-house inspection. which was to be
carried on in "'l parts of the city that
seemed to need 1t.
Money for the Fight.
The Council of State appropriated
$4,000 to fight the plague. Chinatown,
divided into fifteen districts, was put
under strict military quarantine. 1t
was realized that we were in for an
epidemic. and the officials took no Of
the matter with energy, ordering the
city cleaned and calling for volunteer
physicians to remain on cal certain
hours of the day to attend at once to
any suspicious cases which might be re-
ported by the inspectors,
House to House Inspection.
No new cases appeared the next day,
but the inspection began IN earnest,
The houseto house search of China
town brought to light nothing OF lin
portance. Many Chinese and japanese
house servants were caught in the quar-.
antined district, which en-, ai.ed cons.d
cradle temporary discomfort. The in
spectors tooks with them drays loaded
with barrels of lime, whitewash and dis.
injecting matel las; aGd hey 10 nd for
hidden heaps of accumulated refuse in
nearly every place visited; they con
damned all sorts of foul-smelli. & sinks
and outhouses ard had them torn down
or removed, and they diSinieCted all the
places which could be made endurable
Unslaked lime was scattered freely In
all damp and exposed places, ard the
disinfecting fluid was poured In sinks
and cesspools. Beginning with this
day, the subject of garbage cramatory
was frequently discussed. The crema
tory for infected bodies was already
working. The Board of Health issued
an order that no Asiatic freight or pas
sengerk were to be carried from this
port TO the other Islands.
Another case was found on the four.
teenth-this time native woman llv-
ing on Nuuanu street near Pauahi
Meanwhile the work of inspection
BROUGHT 10 light condition of affairs
In Chinatown which was positive rev.
cation TO the people of Honolulu. In
some yards slime two or three inches
deep was dug out, One OF the worst
obstacles to the work was the human
bee hives that flred mp the interior OIL
the blocks. one little box-like room con-
tainine sometimes twenty Jananesa OF
both sexes. During these early days
an enormous amount of information
about plague conditions In general and
the things To do and TO avoid was gath
cred from many sources ard cage ly
reed In the columns of the Advertiser
Danger Seemed to be Over.
The next dcy 1t was announced that
the Hawaiian woman did not have the
plague, and confidence began to return.
Saturday and Sunday were free from
cases of plague. and on Monday, the
18th, II was announced that the danger
seemed to be over and that the quaran-
tine would probably be raised In few
days. Minister Cooper was emphatic in
stating that the quarantine would re-
main In force until all danger was end |
ed; but IL was evident that much of theI
peril was considered past. since the
King street trans were allowed TO run
straight through the auarantlned dis
triet, though without stopping. Even
so early as this It was frequently said
that II the visitation should result In