The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-20
A SIN IL Child Had The Dreaded
Disease.
The Ship Is in Quaran.
tine
And the Little Patient Is In the
Isolation Hospital.

case of small pox was difc 1vered yes
terdsy morning on the steamship van
couvsr. This sbip arrived here at SIX
o'citck Sunday night with two hundred
and three Storage Passengers, ell OF
whom were bound for western points.
The most Of thsss passengers were ex-
amined by the inspector Of immigration
and the health officer Sunday night and
allowed to leave tbs ship. no C lsss of sick
ness being reported on board by the ships
doctor. Yesterday morning after the
most of these pas ssr gers had gone II was
found that there was one passenger who
bad not been sccount.d for. This ore
was found to he child OF about i've
years old, who was sick and had been
sicx for three days. lie health chcers
examined this caild and found that 1t
was suffering from small pox The CHILD
w of Danish birth and was one OF a
family of five meme OF whom, excepting
thls ons child, was sick.
1t was too late when this case of small
pox was disc )vered to quarantine all OF
the passengers. 50 the ship was placed In
quarantine and the health of o3rs togeth-
tr with the Marine hospital surgeon held
u consultation and decided to d. the best
they luld under the c'tc1mstancss. The
Vancouver was allowed to come up to the
end Of the dock, but none of her crew or
those who remained on board were al
lowed to step on the wharf. The sick
child and the family were taken TO the
isolation hospital on the city farm where
they will be strictly quSrantined and
where the child will be treated, The sh ip
will then be thoroughly fumigated and
when this Is done the cargo, which Is
nearly all hound for western and
Canadian points, will he allowed to be
landed. The cargo has NOT. Of course,
come In contact with the disease In any
way. The ship will then be allowed to
take on board another cargo II it is de-
sired. bat none of her Grew will be al
lowed to come ashore.
1t is understood that the Vancouver Is
bound for Halifax, where she is to take
On board regiment of British troops for
South Africa. Last night police officers
were stationed at the Grand Trunk docks
to epforos tbs quarantine regulations. as
ths beard of health has supreme power In
such cases.
One Of the memers Of the board Of
health said yesterday that there was no
danger OF the disease being spread in
Portland. He said that he could moi
understand how the sickness Of the child
of the ship unless her condition haG bsen
concealed FROM him in hopes that the
family would be allow ed to land on
reaching Portland.
The surgeon on these chips Is obliged to
visit the passengers in the storage at
least once every day and the doctor of the
Vancouver had attended to his duty in
this respect, but he hid not known of the
disease until yesterday morning. AS for
the passengers who were exposed In some
degree to this disease they are by this
time widely 6cattsred and ALI on their
way west. As far as possible they will
be looked after and subjected to examina-
tlon. Every thing that can be done to
prevent oontagion will be done.
II the city only had that isolation ward
now which the board of health has been
trying to secure an appropriation for the
case Of small pox could lie cared for In a
much better manner than 1t can be now.
The building In which the present case OF
small pox is isolated Is not adequate to
the needs of q big city like Portland
where something of this kind Is liable to
develop at any time. The board Of
health Is doing all that can be done, how
ever, and Mayor Robinson assured a
PRESS reporter yesterday that he felt
confident that these officials would take
syery precaution to protect the health OF
the city.
MINERAL, ON I0SEpH LA RO-