Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-07-25
SMALLPOX N A[ASIA|
Deadly Disease Raging at Nome
10000 Gold Hunters In
Imminent Danger.
Hordes Of Eager Spectators Pay NJ
Attention to Laws Of
Health.

Crazy to Get Rich-surgeon Ebert
Reports 700 Cases Of
Enteric Fever.
Washington, July 25.-Twenty thou
sand people at Cape Nome City. Alaska,
are in danger of death by disease.
Most recent reports from the plague
stricken camp came yesterday and de-
scribe a horrible condition OF affairs
that is unparalleled in the history OF
the northwest
Writing from Nome Harbor op June
90 Surgeon r. g. Ebert reports in a
letter received yesterday by Surgeon
General Sternberg that within three
weeks this little settlement OF tents and
4 shaclss has grown from scattered vii
llage OF 200 to place OF 10000 people
-settlers mad with the fever for gold
and entirely Without regard for the
welfare or condition of their neighbors.
Already" says the surgeon in his
\ report, there are 100 cases of enteric
fever and thirteen are known as cases
of smallpox. Even these figures can
not be vouched for, because there is no
truth-telling in this country"
4 Measles is also reported as having
4 broken out.
The settlement is said to reek with
4 filth and sewage, the streets are de-
scribed as being paved with decaying
matter, and there is said to exist at
4 Nome no spirit of generosity or a scin-I
4 tilla of interest In what happens to a
majority of the people as long as this
man or tha. man finds the treasure he
4 is seeking.
The sanitary precautions that the
4 authorities We're able to take a few
4 weeks ago We're simple and crude and
4 might have been sufficient to protect
4 the physical welfare of n few thou
4 sand people; but since then incoming
4 ships have brought thousands OF stran-
gers. The immense number of arrivals
have made it impossible for the quar-
\ antine officers to do the proper amount
4 of inspecting and persons must have
4 landed. it Is said, who have been In
/ fected with dangerous diseases.
4 DR.. Ebert says there are absolutely
,Isno provisions for the destruction or re-
4 moval of garbage and insanitary' mat
4 ter. The hcrdes of gold seekers that
i have arrived have swamped the settle
4 ment. and 4 STATE Of utter anarchy
4 practically exists, with every man
i Hooking out for himself. with no care of
4 what happens to the next man.
4 Probably the most hopeless feature OF
4 the entire situation is the lack OF au-
4 ,hority in Nome.
4 know no more than Surgeon Ebert
a wrote" said Surgeon General Sternberg,
4 and that tellsthe story we'll enough. /
Il can not do3anHthing: can not clean up
Nome city any more than can under-
4 take to rid the city of Washington of
any unsanitaiy matter that might exist
there. My duty is to look after the
4 health Of the soldiers there. and that is
all. My province does not lie within
"a the scope ofdirecting the cleansing of
& the settlement at Care Nome.
4 The surgeon general was asked If. 1t
being true he could not take some ac-
ton for the relief of the settlement,
might not the surgeon general of the
marine hospital service direct move
ment of this sort.
4 Herepled that the surgeon general OF
the marine hospital service had juris-
T diction over quarantine, and that there
q his duty ended
Surgeon General Wyman of the mar
I line hospital service has ordered two ad
l,ditional medical inspectors to Nome anc
they should arrive there shortly, bu,
I their duty is to inspect all incoming
ships and TO examine the passengers sc
that infected or diseased persons car
!. mot be allowed to land and mingle with
, the healthy.
Gen. Randall, who in charge of tn,
!. military at Nome. hassacted on sug.
/, gestion of the chief surgeon. DIR. Ebert
! land ordered the construction of drains
!. destruction Of garbage and the remova
! of filth.
Surgeon Ebert in his report says tina
even this order is not being obeyed be
cause it takes money to carry out thi
s plan, and money can be obtained onI,
n Thy voluntary subscriptions.
8 The people are so intent on gettinl
1 rich in a few days that they will no
. give money boarded for other purpose
. for the cleansing OF the settlement In
a deed. lit is most difficult, according I
4 Surgeon Ebert, to hire labor al an
e price. Wells are not dug, SO insan
i with the gold fever are the settlers, an
Il water Is selling at to 10 cents gallo
d and 1t is very bad atthat.
!. Common laborers receive 81 an hour
. mechanics s1.5O and hour and teams 81
E, an hour Owing to these high prices 4
i. is almost impossible to carry out tn
& orders OF the general. All Of the com
o missioners except one have resigned Q
y ceased to act.
h Captain Jarvis OF the revenue cutie
IS service. who informed the treasury de
partment not long ago of the danger q
s Nome on account of the appearance {
/ smallpox, has opened a pest house in
d tent and has done much to segregat
< the persons i'll with this malady frol
s. the rest Of the population. The steam
i ers Oregon and Ohio recently brougt
in victims OF this disease, who mingle
among others in the settlment, and tn
fear is that many now have the malad
/ who have not come under the notice {
st the authorities.
se Port Townsend, WASH, July 25.-Ti
N. United States cutter Manning arrive