The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-06-08
DR.. Wood Explains.

DR.. Wood Explains.
I'm sydney its wharves are protected.
and vessels are kept away from the
wharves. Syuney's Board Of health
senus US reports and shows that the
| holds of vessels are fumigated and the
proper precautions taken. In San Fran
| cisco no precautions are taken to guard
the wharves, nor has the search for rats
| Jeen made. Considering all these facts.
[ think vessels from San Francisco
| should not be allowed to come up to our
| wharves, nor should we take any chaIC
| -. The merchandise should be rumi
| gateu thoroughly. 1t is not reasonable
| 20 think that plague has existed in Sai
| Francisco ten weeks and the rats no'
| become infected. They are the most
| susceptible of all animals The rats dis
| appear because they die of plague; they
| don't emigrate or hide. They die, and
| is certain that plague rats are in Sai
| Francisco, and have probably travelled
| from Chinatown to the wharves and
,ther parts of the city. They are prob
| ably in the holds of vessels coming here
| from San Francisco. | stated some of
| hese things to the Council this morn
ing, and they agreed that San Francisco
| should be treated as an infected port.
| wrote the following letter To the agents
| IF the Australia
June 6, 1900
Mcssrs w. G.. Irwin * Co, Agents Ocean
ic Steamship Company.
Gentlemen: In view of the fact that Of
| fetal information has been received at
| this office that bubonic plague exists in
AN Francisco and has been declared by
he San Francisco Board of Health, an,
| n accordance with instructions received
| rom the Executive Council / hereby no
| ify you that the cargo in the holds of
| he steamship Australia. which arrived
| rom San Francisco this morning, will
We received at this port only on the con-
dition that IT is fumigated to the salts
| faction of the Board OF Health.
| Further, the Australia will be required
% discharge all cargo at the Pacific Mai
Tharf and convey it directly into the fu,
! lelay upon the wharf. The deck cargo
onsisting of fruit, fresh vegetables, etc,
viii be received without fumgation.
The steamer VIII be required to keep al
oast sly feet away from the dock AM
ave all cables guarded by rat-proof
shields.
Very respectfully yours; oo
G. b. WOOD.
President Board of Health.
Must Funllgate.
II submit this letter to the Board"
said DR.. Wood.
In reply to a question by Lowrey, DR..
Wood said the agents of the Australia
had said that the Board of Health must
insure tTe cargo IL IL WAS luIillBdleu'
DR.. Wood thought the agents should be
given the alternative of fumigation or
taking back.
Lowrey asked how 1t would do to let
the Australia lie here until change OF
government took place in week or so
and then let the United States authori-
ties take the burden of decision.
DR.. Wood said the Board should not
shirk the decision but make it them
selves.
Fred Whitney of w. G. Irwin & Com
pany said the refrigerated goods could
not be gotten out without removing
part of the general cargo. DR.. WOOD
said there was real danger. The plague
in San Francisco was no phantom. Ha-
wall had about a week of existence as
an independent country and the Board
should take IL on itself to turn over
this port clean to the Federal authori
ties.
G. w. Smith said he did not believe
freight could be fuInigated properly on
any wharf but the Quarantine wharf.
DR.. Garvin said 1t would take a week
or more to complete the fumigating
machinery on the Quarantine wharf.
DR.. Wood said that freight in the fum-
eating chambers was not removed eX-
peditiously. The consgnees paid no
storage and were in no hurry. How
ever this morning Dr. Wood said he
had ordered the freight taken from the
fumieating chambers at once. 1t would
take two or three days to do this.
w, o. SmiLh speaks.
Lowrey moved that the letter sent by
DR.. Wood to the Australia agents be
approved. DIR. Emerson asked II GER
tain packages of Photographic material
could not be removed and cleansed
without entering the fumigating cham
bers which would ruin 1t. DR.. Wood
said the difficulty would be in finding
any certain material.
G.. w. Smith asked as to the liability
of the Board for damages for compell-
ing the steamship company to return
the freight to San Francisco.
w. o. Smith, called on for an opinion,
said that any country had the right to
protect itself against infection. Just
how far country could go, he was not
prepared to say off-hand. Recently in
New York he had talked with the
health authorities on the matter of
guarding against infection and he had
learned that in New York they had to
guard against all kinds of diseases and
took various forms of precaution. Sui |
phur fumigation was the general plan
and usually 1t was burned In contain ,
ers. w. o. Smith enlarged on this sub !
ject and gave much valuable Informal |
ton,
Resolution Adopted.
Dr. Emerson suggested having the
consignees identify goods on hand and
care for them at once. This was not
thought practical. Mr.. Whitney said
two-thirds of the cargo was food-stuffs
which would be injured by fumigation.
DIR. Wood said he had no sympathy
with the shippers In San Francisco as
they were the merchants who had pre-
vented the San Francisco Board OF
Health recognizing the presence OF
plague and they would doubtless be
taught lesson. Mr.. Whitney said the
hardship would fall on the conslgnees
here and on the people here who want
the food.
G. w. Smith made a motion that the
freight OF the Australia be required to
be discharged on the Channel wharf.