The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1900-05-24
PLAGUE IN BAY CITY
Disease in a Virulent Form in
San Francisco.
EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS THE NEWS
Six Deaths Have Already Occurred
Many Cases Being Watched-The
Victims Are Chinese.

San Francisco, May 19.-Bubonic
plague in its most virulent form actual.
ly exists in San Francisco. Every en-
deavOr is being made by the authori.
ties to suppress the facts at the request
of local merchants and commercial
bodies, who fear the news might hurt
Pacific coast trade.
Thus far, the dread disease is con.
fined to Chinatown, situated in the
heart of the city. Six deaths were re-
ported in as many weeks and q number
of plague cases are being watched.
All the victims are celestials. An epi.
demic is feared, but physicians are try.
ing their utmost to prevent it's spread.
The health board holds meetings daily
and is much alarmed. The district is
squalid condition and favors the
spread of the disease.
Federal Quarantine Officer Kenyoun,
Of the port of San Francisco, has CO.
operated with the local health officers
and has offered the use of Angel island,
the government quarantine and disin.
fecting station. A large three-horss
power sulphur disinfector was brought
up from the island this morning and
has been in operation all day. All the
houses in the district are being fumi-
gated with formaldehyde gas and sui
phur. Kenyoun makes personal in
spection with the health board daily of
q cases under suspicion.
All sewers in the district have been
screened with netting and thousands o!
pounds of fish poisoned with arsenic
and phosphorus thrown into them for
the purpose of killing rats which might
distribute the disease germs.
Physicians are stationed at wharves,
railway stations and all outlets of the
city to prevent Chinese from departing.
All conveyances are searched. Chinese
Consul General Ho Vow is Offering
every assistance in sending Chinese
into the field, and the police have sent
corps of interpreters and guides. who
assist the medicos in the search for
plague cases.
The Chinese hide the sick, as they
fear the quarantine, and dying celes-
tials are carried over roofs by their
countrymen to avoid the health author.
tiles.
The first case discovered was He
Woon York, at 732 Pacific street. The
Chinaman had come from Stockton re-
Gently and died six weeks ago.
DR.. Williamson today sent formal
notification of the plague conditions to
the consuls of foreign countries, with
a request to suppress the news. All
facts are being withheld from the pub
lie, owing to the recent censure of To-
cal newspapers.
The deaths to date are as follows:
Wing Chut Kin, 1901 Dupont street;
He Woon York, 1872 Pacific; Ho Sam.
same address; Thin Moon, Pacific hos.
pital; Yong Hoop, 838 Clay, and Wing
Ching, TIT Clay.
DR.. Chalmers said: Conditions are
very bad, and favor spread of the dis.
ease. Thus far we have the plague in
check"
DIR. kellogg said: 81 fear an epi.
demic and will suppress facts if possi-
BILE. We may be compelled to burn
the infected houses in Chinatown"
OCCUPATION OF GLENCOE.
Logical Sequence Of General Buller's
Advance.
London, May l9.-The war Office has
posted the following dispatch from
General Butler, dated Dundee, May 18:
''We occupied Glencoe yesterday
and the Transvaalers have now evacu-
ated Biggarsberg. The Free Staters on
the Drakenburg are much reduced in
number. The Pretoria, Carolina aud
Lydenburg commandos trekked north
from Hatikulu on the 18th and 14th Of
May, with IL guns. Eleven guns were
entrained at Glencoe. The last train
with ambulance left there at dawn
May 10. This result has been largely
produced by the action of the Fifth
division, which, during the last few
days, has done great deal of very hard
work-marching, mountain climbing
and road making. Trains are now
running to Vessels Mex station"
The war Office posts the following
dispatch from Lord Roberts, under date
of Kroonstad, May Is:
''Two officers and six men of Prince
Alfred's guards, while out foraging yes.
terday few miles from Kroonstad,
visited farm flying white flag. the
owner of which surrendered himself.
with arms and ammunition. They
then approached another farm, also fly.
ing q white flag. When within 40
yards of the enclosure, they were fred
upon by Is or l6 Beers, concealed be.
hind the farm WALL"
The occupation of Glencoe was
merely logical sequence of General
Buller's advance and the Beers retir-
ing movement. As usual, the Beers
are reported to be flying, but also as
usual, the accounts add that their
transports and guns were removed in
safety, which in itself is a contradic.
tion of any statement that the Beers
were panic-sticken.