New-York tribune., 1900-03-05
NAVY MAY LEAVE TORTUGAS.
BUBONIC PLAGUE AND YELLOW FEVER
FEARED.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. I


may have rights at Dry Tortugas where a
of over S500000 has been expended in the
last year in establishing a coalng station and
rendezvous commanding the Southern and Gulf
coast at the West Indies. and where there is
now being rapidly prosecuted the establishment
of what is regarded as the most important
strategic base between the Chesapeake and Cen
trail America. When the war with Spain began
and vast fleet concentrated at Key West,
where large cruisers and battleships were com
PEELED to lie outside in the open roadstead and
take coal from barges, Rear Admiral Bradford
promptly laid a submarine cable to Tortugas and
began the erection there under the Presidents
approval and upon concerted recommendation
of Army and Navy strategists Of a great fort-
fed base of much Importance to the Gulf of
Mexico Malta Gibraltar is to the Med-
terranean.
To-day by primitive tedious methods days are
consumed in coaling ships at Key West which
will take only as many hours with the ingenious
automatic contrivances being installed at Tortu-
gas. and while coaling at Key West costs
dollar ton. at Tortugas 1t will cost only six
cents. At Tortugas the Army had erected the
most formidable fortfcaton south of Fort Mon
roe. but the station deemed insalubrious.
and several years ago was turned over to the
quarantine service. When Cervera's fleet left
Spain the President promptly had Fort Jeffer-
base, thereby enabling the blockade Of the
northern shore of Cuba to be maintained Since
that time the naval contractors have been con-
tinually engaged in completing the great sta
ton, which under naval discipline and efficient
methods has been made as healthy a ship at
sea, besides being kept in teegraphic communi
cation with Washington.
TERMS OF THE NOTIFICATION.
Under the circumstances Secretary Long
astonished the other day to receive an official
communication from the Treasury Department
notifying to the Navy to stop work and get It's
men away from Tortugas by April 1, Surgeon
General Wyman Of the Marine Hospital Service.
looking for a good deal of yellow fever and
bubonic plague this summer, and had to use
Fort Jefferson. which cost only S5OO0OOO as
pesthouse, Notwithstanding the fact that close
to the lower end OF Florida almost within sight
of Tortugas, there scores Of uninhabited,
unimproved keys admirably adapted for the iso
lation Of contagion.
Surgeon General Wyman, in his recommended
ton to the Secretary of the Treasury, after call
ing attention to the active prosecution of the
naval improvements which show every sign Of
continuing through the summer as shown by
the report OF his medical officer 'in command"
at Tortugas continues his official report with
the following cheerful prediction and sensa-
tonal suggestion of interest throughout the
United States:
The officer in command calls attention to the
fact that ii is possoble that at any moment a
vessel having actual bubonic plague on board
may present itself at the station for disinfec-
ton, and states, with reason, that there Is ne
cessity for diminishing the population of Tor
tugas to the lowest possible numbers, In view
of such an exigency, thereby diminishing the
possible risk of infection or the station itsei1.
ALLEGED DANGER OF INFECTION.
With many people on the island other thaD
emDlOVeS.
there is an actual danger of such infection, and
consequently the result would be the establish
ment Of a focus Of bubonic plague within the
limits of the United States. a contingency which
would be deplorable indeed. During the last
quarantine season there were many employees
OF the contractors at work on the station wnile
the island actually being used for yellow
fever detention camp, and the quarters or these
employees themselves became infected with vel
low fever, necessltating the most strenuous work
on the part of the officer in command to pre-
vent the spread of the disease ana TO hhaliy
eradicate the focus of infection, which, but for
the presence OF these employees, would not nave
existed. Had not the efforts above alluded 70
been successful II would have been imperatiVely
necessary to retain in quarantine on IortuSas
for indefinite time ell of the refugees VINO
were carried TO that island in order to enable
them to leave the infected city of Key West and
reach their destination on the mainland Inc
quarantine station proper and the detent3n ION
csmp were most seriously embarrassed by the
presence of these mechanics and laborers, and
the facts above set forth clearly demonstrate
that it is inadvisable and dangerous tor the
island TO be occupied during the quarantine sea-
son by any other than the quarantine officers
and employees.
have therefore. to recommend that this mat
ter be brought to the attention of the Navy De-
partment with a view to limiting the operations
of that Department at Tortugas Quarantine Sta
ton in general, and to prevent the continuance
of any work during the season of close quaran-
tine from April ! TO November /.
FEAR OF BUBONIC PLAGUE.
| The inclosure in Dr. Wyman's request is from
| Assistant Surgeon Taliaferro Clark M II. s.,
who in concluding his report, says:
The presence of bubonic plague on the Span
| sh peninsula renders certain the presence OF
vessels at this station, with actual infection on
| hoard Should this disease assume epidemic pro-
| portions YOU can readily appreciate the abso-
| Iute necessity to diminish the population OF Tor
! tugas for the coming season, to the smallest
| prOportions and the urgent anxiety OF your rep
| resentative to see this accomplished. This mat
| fer is taken up now because II VIII be TOO late
when such an infected vessel arrives
Just what action the Navy Department VIII
take in this matter has not yet been announced
further than its determination not to abandon
Tortugas except by the specific order of the
President Letters just received from Tortugas
show that the naval contractors and employees
there are alarmed lest the quarantine officers
| will actually land bubonic plague sufferers
among them.
FAITH CURE FOR BRAIN FEVER.