Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-16
PLAGUE IN HAWAII
A More HopefuA Prospect Reported From
Honolulu
Majors ls,aad Ruben and DR.. Car
michae4 DeAsribe the Gratifying
Succeed or eight with Disease.

| l., reports to the War Department IN
| der date of February 2, that since the date
| Of his last report, January %, only two
| deaths have occurred from bubonic plague.
and that in the last eight days, excepting
| a doubtful case on the -21st. not yet de-
| termined, no new cases and no suspects
have occurred. He. says the conditions are
| most encouraging and favorable in all re-
| spects, and adds that 1t Is believed that
| II existing conditions continue the quar-
| antine of Honolulu may be raised within
| the succeeding twenty days.
DR.. CarmIchaePs Report.
In report to Surgeon General Wyman Of
the marine hospital Service DR.. D. A. Car
michael. stationed at Honolulu, gives a
summary Of the conditions respecting the
bubonic plague on February 2. He speaks
| of the general Improvement in the situa-
ton as shown by the Geographic adv1ces
strong that the burning Of Chinatown has
done away with most Of the danger. One
new case of the plague was reported from
the Kalihi detention camp on January %,
but no cases have been discovered in the
| city proper since the 25th of January.
| y. but no cases have been discovered in
the city proper since the 25th Of January.
| House to house inspection is still continued,
| and all the citizens are assisting the board
| OF health, which Is doing excellent work.
| Dr.. Carmichael describes a visit to the
l q
| half to the west of Honolulu. where there
| are 5000 people under observation, Chinese.
Japanese and Hawaiians. According to
DR.. Carmichaels description the camp is
| has not been much sickness of a serious
character among the persons detained
| there.
| There is another camp at the drill shed
| at Honolulu and another at Kakaako. and
the pest hospital Is located at the latter
| place. There are 1,160 persons at Kakaako
and 200 at the drill shed. Up to date the
record stands 80 cases Of plague and 40
deaths. e
Precautions with Vessels.
The congested condition of the harbor
| still continues, and the difficulty Of prop
| erly dscharging cargo in the stream 10
| still present. All precautions are taken
| with vessels leaving for the United States,
particularly with those loading sugar for
ports in the mainland. In all cases as
| far as practicable the vessel Is cleaned and
| fumigated in the stream, cargo received
| directly from inter-island steamers from
on-infected island ports. 1t is difficult in
sugar in vessels laying in the open road
stead OF the Oahu coast. The plantations
| of Oahu. Eva and Kahuka situated on
the island Of Oahu have previous to the
rect to Honolulu by rail. To obviate the
difficulty of loading in open roadstead
plan has been arranged which DR.. Car
michael says he thinks is reasonably safe,
an outline of which is as follows:
The sugar to be loaded by clean crews in
disinfected cars at the plantations, the
cars to be sealed and run through to the
warehouse at Honolulu without stopping.
The warehouse which is well isolated from
the town near what Is known as the rail-
road wharf to be thoroughly cleaned, dis
| infected and guarded. The sugar is to be
handled from the cars to the elevator by
/ a quarantine crew in the warehouse. who
are to have no communication with the
| city. When the sugar Is to be discharged
from q chute at the top Of the elevator
| into a disinfected vessel, moored at least
| fifty feet away from the wharf with rat
| proof tunnels on all lines leading to the
| shore. the, creMgfs to remain on the vessel
/ in strict quarantine.
| = Major Ruhlen's Statement.
Quartermaster General Ludington has re-
ceived a letter from Major George Ruhlen.
| depot quartermaster. in charge Of the gen.
| eral depot at Honolulu, H. l., giving some
interesting details in regard to the bubonic
plague epidemic at that port.
THE situation with respect to the bu-
| bonic plague in Honolulu" says Major
Ruhlen, ''is improving very rapidly. In the
| last six days there have been no new cases.
| The restrictive measures established by the
board Of health acting under the authority
Of the Hawaiian government are still in
| full force, but practically the risk of in
| lection to any person outside of the few re-
| naming premises occupied by the lower
| classes of Asiatics or native Hawaiians is
| very remote.
ION the afternoon OF January 20, while
| the fire department was engaged in burn
| ing down some buildings in which cases of
| the plague had developed. the fire passed
| beyond their control. and in consequence
| the whole of that part OF Honolulu known
| as Chinatown was destroyed The fire con-
| sumed not only the buildings. but all their
| contents. the people inhabiting them having
in some cases barely time to escape with
| the clothing on their persons and a few
| articles OF personal effects. An area of
about thirty acres was burned over and
| every building that had been infected or
| was suspected Of having been inhabited by
| infected persons. was burned to the ground
Buildings in other parts of tho city occu-
| pied by persons affected with the plague
| OK by those exposed to 1t by contact with
| plague patients, have also been burned, thus
effectually preventing the spread of the
| disease by destroying all known sources
| and centers of infection.
UNLESS further outbreaks occur 1t is
| likely that quarantine restrictions will soon
be removed and the transportation bust
| ness permitted to resume Its usual course"
| THE SENATE PATRONAGE.
1t Was Decided at the Republican
1 nT~I-