The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-25
BARRIER To GO
Sale of the Chinatown
Fence at Noon.
Question of Wisdom Of Opening Dis
trict-- Park Idea Urged Be-
fore too Late.

Today is set for the sale of the fence
around that portion of Chinatown de-
clared by the Board of Health free from
infection. Sharp at noon Morgan will
call for bids at the corner of River and
hing streets. doubtless the owners of
the property thus relieved from the ban
will proceed speedily to devise means
for mahng it pay an income by erecting
buildings or leasing it for some business
purpose.
The idea has been suggested before
OF Transforming part or Chinatown
the burnt district-into public park.
1t such move is contemplated, no time
is to be lost Honolulu, for its size. has
breathing spots in number to be proud
OF, but in this congested part of the city
bit OF mother earth with trees and
grass, uncovered by structure, for the
free use of the people would be bless
ing indeed.
Many question the wisdom of so soon
throwing open the land which bred the
PLAGUE. On this subject une following
from the British Medical Journal will
be OF Intel est
At the meeting of the Royal Meteoro-
logical Society, held on December goth,
Mr.. Baldwin Latham read an important
paper on the Climatic Conditions
Necessary for the Propagation and
Spread of Plague. After some prelimi-
nary observations, he remarked that
the rise and fall of the plague in any
country in which it had established
itself showed periodocity so marked
~ no +oI e.,
any supposlUion connected with Infec-
ton or contagion alone. Though plague
was due to a specific microbe, it could
not spread except under certain meteor
illogical changes associated with the
conditions of the ground favorable to
the eXhalation of what was necessa
for the propagation and spread of the
disease. A high degree of pollution
combined with certain hygrometric
conditions, appeared to be necessary
Plague might be disseminated in vari-
Gus ways, by air, water, food or direct
incubation, but these would have little
effect in producing an epidemic unless
there were present also certain climatic
conditions. In every country plague
usually rose to its height in particular
period of the year. and always at the
same period in the same place 1t was,
moreover, affected by temperature. One
of the most remarkable circumstances
was that plague suddenly died out when
the temperature rose above a certain
point. A sudden fall of temperature
Lad also favored outbreaks of plague.
To reconcile these and other phenom-
ena, it was necessary thoroughly to I'M
derstand the hygl ometric conditions OF
the ground. The conditions which ordi-
narily produce evaporation from water
or land surfaces were Identical with
thOse conditions which produce eXhaia-
tions from the ground.
J From observations it appeared that
II the temperature of the air increased
beyond the temperature of the ground,
} so that its dew point was above the
temperature of the ground, instead OF
evaporatiol- taking place, condensation
took place, and to this might be entirely
due the sudden stoppage of plague after
The temperature had risen to a certain
} point, which by raising the tempera-
ture of the dew point stopped all ex-
haratlon from the groun. and mirht
cause condensation to take place In
stead of evaporation. So also, where it
had been observed that a sudden fall of
temperature caused plague to arise. A
fall Of temperature meant that the tenn
perature of the dew point must fall, and
the tensional difference between a low
dew point and high ground tempera-
ture would at once lead to exhalations
escaping in large quantity from the
ground.