The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-12-03
SMALLPOX HERE.
One Case Brought to Hobo
ken From New
York.
ELEVEN DAYS IN TENEMENT
House Has Been Quarantined
and Stricken Child Sent
to Snake Hill.

The discovery of smallpox in a tenement
in the heart of Hoboken's most thickly
populated district has alarmed the health
authorities of that town. Grave fears are
entertained of spread of the infection
notwithstanding the fact that the dwell
ing has been quarantined. The authorities
are making strenuous efforts to assure
the people that there is no occasion for
anxiety.
Five-year-old Sadie Semple was re-
moved last night from her home, No. 259
Eleventh street, to the pest house at
Snake Hill. The childs mother accom-
panied her rather than be isolated in the
quarantined tenement.
This is the only case discovered to date,
but what gives rise to the general un-
easiness is the knowledge that the child
lay afflicted with the disease for eleven
days in her home, which is five-story
double brick building, occupied by more
than forty people. Half of this number
are children, most of whom have been at
tending the schools in the district.
Grammar School NO. is within a
stones throw of the infested tenement,
and teachers and pupils have been pass
iifS II udliy LOT nearly Two weeks.
The health authorities admit there is
positive indication that the disease has
been brought into the city from a New
York school district, where twenty-five
cases of smallpox were discovered last
Friday.
The Semples moved to Hoboken from
New York November Is. Prior to that
time the child attended the kindergarten
at No. 259 West Sixty-ninth street, where
the epidemic has since gained such start
ling proportions.
She became i'll last Wednesday week
and DR.. Croker, Hoboken physician was
called in by her parents. DR.. Croker pre-
scribed for her. The symptoms of the dis
ease were not apparent at his first visit,
he says.
The little ones condition did not inn
prove, but the parents were not alarmed
until last Friday evening, when the
mother read in the newspapers of the
epidemic at the Sxty-ninth street kinder
garten. DR.. Croker was again summoned
and when he learned that the child had
been in constant attendance at the kinder
garten before coming to Hoboken he no.
titled the health authorities
Dr. Samuel Helfer, president of the
Health Board took immediate steps to
confine the infection. A quarantine was
placed on the tenement in secret to pre-
vent the public from becoming alarmed
and County Physician Converse was in
formed. Both physicians visited the in
Tested dwelling last night and,the removal
of the child to Snake Hill was ordered
1t is plainly discernible that the health
authorities are more perturbed over the
condition of affairs than they care to
admit
"The chances of the spreading of the
disease are remote and we desire to as
sure the people that as matters now stand
there is no cause for anxiety said Presi-
dent Helfer today. I'VE have the situa-
ton well in hand and are confident that
there are no smallpox cases of local
origin. There is no doubt that the Semple
child contracted the disease in New
York
'sThe Health Board considered matters
urgent enough, however, to meet last
night and adopt measures to cope with
the situation. Every precaution to check
the disease is now being employed.
Deputies will be kept watching the in
leSteu ttHeuSul HiSut dIu udy uulll the
danger is over and a watch will be kept
on all the schools.
1T is the first time in many years that
we have had to deal with such crisis
as the one now feared by the people and
We desire to do everything in our power
to dissipate this fear. The public can be
assured that we have the disease under
perfect control.
The inmates of the tenement were all
vaccinated this afternoon.