The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-05
SITUATION HAS IMPROVED.
NOT PROBABLE QUARANTINE WILL
BE DECLARED AGAINST TAMPA.

Spouse to kilograms to Surgeon
White, of the Marine Hospital Ser
vice, and Is Convinced That If
There Had Been Fever IN Tampa
He Would Have Been So Advised.
DIR. Whites silence Taken to In
dictate That He Has Not Discover
ed Yellow Fever, at Any Rate.
Sanitary Board Ready to Meet and
Act at n Moments Notice.
No quarantine against Tampa has yet
been declared and from the indications
last night ii appeared that the necessity
for the adoption of measure so rigorous
and drastic would not be forced upon the
city. At any rate the outlook is decidedly
more encoura ging than it has been since
the first report of the existence of yellow
fever in Tampa.
DR.. !, Y. Porter, president of the Flor
ida State Board of Health, and Surgeon j.
III. White of the Marine Hospital Service
reached Tampa yesterday morning DR.
Drummer had a previous understanding
with DR.. White that he should be wired of
the conditions prevailing in the city alleg-
ed to be infected and waited impatiently
during the day for the expected advices
They did not come
In the afternoon DR.. Drummer sent Dr.
White code message, using the code of
the Marine Hospital Service, and asking
the reason of his delay. He was urged
to keep the Savannah health authorities
advised of the existence OF any cases of
foxya IL. IT,
measures might be taken to protect this
city against infection. Up to a late hour
last night no answer to this message had
been received
Il consider DR.. Whites silence in this
matter most favorable and encouraging"
SAID DR.. Drummer yesterday, land 1 am be-
ing rapidly brought TO the belief that there
is no yellow fever in Tampa. DIR. White
reached the city with DIR. Porter early this
morning, and 1t certainly could not have
required more than five or six hours 10
make thorough investigation Of
the conditions prevailing there
There has been DEATH and an autopsy
must certainly have been held.
Extensive notes of the results of this
autopsy would, in the nature of things
be retained by the physician or physicians
who conducted 1t, and these notes. in
the hands of an expert, would reveal in
rev minutes whether the patient died
from yellow fever or some other disease,
say 1t required an hour to visit the two
patients, who have been described as suf-
fering with yellow fever and four hours
to investigate suspected cases. not more
than six hours could have elapsed from
the time of DR.. Whites arrival in Tampa
until he had had an opportunity to form
an opinion as to the existence of yellow
fever, '0"
Had the result of his Investigation been
70 convince him that there was a single
case of yellow fever in Tampa, | am as
sured that he would at once have advised
me OF TINS fact, and so provided me with
information upon which l could have act
ed for the protection of the peonle Of
savannah AS have not received a tel
egram from him, I am strongly of the
oplnlon that he has not found eny in
uIcauon OF the existence of yellow fever
rms, OF course, is an opinion, but II is
supported by all the strong probabilities
or the situation.
"A reason for Dr. Whites silence. in
case ne mas not yet discovered proofs or
indications of the prevalence of yellow
fever, is not hard to find. He il ;nvesti.
gazing the situation on hehaif of the ma
tlonal government and his responsibility
IN the matter Is heavy. He would n-t
llghtly commit himself to an opinion that
no yellow fever exists in Tampa. merely
because after one days investigation he
mad not been able to discover it, should
ne discover a case of yellow fever on the
Following day, he would be placed in a
situation decidedly embarrassing and he
Will be careful, Therefore. in what he has
to say Nevertheless, that he has not dis
covered yellow fever yet is almost GER al,
ana is extremely encouraging"
Blank notices of a meetinp of the san
ltary board, addressed to all of its MEM
bers, were in readiness all day long It
mad been decided that a meeting of the
beard should be called immediately upon
the receipt by DR.. Drummer of informal on
from Tampa of the existence of yellow
fever there, for the purpose of cons. de ing
the situation apd declaring a quarantine
IN case 1t was deemed necessary or wise
As no information was received. no
meeting of the board was held
In the absence of the Mavor Acting
Mayor 1Iedeman is ex-officio chairman Of
the board. The other members are Health
Ofhcer w. F. Drummer secretary: Dr. St
j. b. Graham, DR.. j. G.. FARRELL Col
Beirne Gordon, Rev DIR. w. C. Schaeffer
and Mr.. ]. M. Solomons. Acting Mayor
T1edeman and Health Officer Drummer
were in conference several times yester-
day, and between them plans were ar
an effective quarantine, in case it should
tie deemed proper to declare one. The
power to take such a. step is vested legal
ly in the Mayor or Acting Mayor, so that
no prellminaries will be actually essen
tial Unless, however the hour when the
information is received is inconvenient or
the emergency particularly pressing and
urgent. Acting Mayor Tiedeman will prob
ably call the sanitary beard together be-
fore he takes a positive step in the mat
ter.
DR. Drummer said that in case a quarau-
tine were declared he could select his
board of inspectors In FIVE minutes time
TO do the work he estimates that three
inspectors will be required fer the Ines
cf the Plant Sys en- from the south, in
which division the train of the Southern
Railway from the south will be included,
one for the Florida, Central and PENN
sular from the south. two for the Geor-
two for, the Florida Central and Peninsu-
lar from the north, and three for the
Plant System from the north.
To fill these positions DR.. Drummer has
in his ONCE the application of about sew
enty-five men who want to be inspectors.
OF course, the great majority of these
would be absolutely incompetent to Look
after the work and untitled for the re-
sponsibilities 1t entails, but there would
yet remain sufficient number who could
be trusted.
The inspection of trains from points in
Florida was continued yesterday and last
night. AS a result of the information