Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-09
HOSPITAL CLOSES
Last Vsstige Of Smallpox Disappears
From the District.
SUSPECTS PERMITTED TO GO home
Data Concerning an important
Local Institution.
RIGID OBSERVANCE OF LAW

RIGID OBSERVANCE OF LAW
With the closing of the quarantine sta
ton or detention camp at 1910 o'clock last
Sunday morning the last vestige of small
pox in the District disappeared. and Of
ficially the city is now clear Of that con-
tagion. At the above hour the suspects,
seven in number. were released and al
lowed to return to their homes, and the six
guards were notified that their services
were no longer required, for the present at
least. The released suspects were all taken
from the same house in the northwest sec
ton in which Barbara Washington, colored,
was found suffering from the disease They
are all colored-two men, four women and
a child.
The quarantine station or detention camp
was established by Health Officer Wood
ward about three years ago. Prior to that
time suspects were quarantined within their
infected homes, scattered about the city,
and therefore necessitating the employment
Of large force of guards, besides being
constant menace to the respective neigh
borhoods in which the infected premises
were located. The wisdom Of DR.. Wood
wards plan of establishing the quarantine
station on the far eastern suburbs is ap-
parent, not to mention the saving to the
District In the matter of salaries for the
additional guards required under the old
system
The quarantine station is situated at the
corner of 18th and D streets southeast. It
consists Of seven two-story frame buildings
painted gray and inclosed, front and rear,
by a, wire fence about seven feet high. with
gateways on the east and west to admit the
contagion ambulances. Positively no one
is permitted within this Enclosure except
the suspects, the superintendent and his
wife and the visiting physicians and proper
health office officials. The two guards who
are constantly on duty are instructed to
themselves are stationed outside of the in
closure and are not permitted to enter it
under any circumstances.
These buildings are surrounded on all
sides by long stretches of dreary commons,
and are without shade or shadow. They
face the historical Congressional cemetery
and are only a few yards from the de-
populated and ancient Ebenezer Methodist
cemetery, which Is now waste OF weeds
and rank underground, the resort Of in
Vulnerable snakes and toads. To the south
west from the quarantine station is the
grim and gray workhouse, then northward
the Washington Asylum Hospital, aims
house and jail, with potter's field and the
smallpox hospital in the rear. all the sur
roundings being suggestive Of crime, dis
ease, poverty, misery and death.
CIeanliness the ShibbOleth.
The rooms in which the suspects are
quarantined are kept as clean as a new
pin, cleanliness being the shibboleth Of DR..
Fowler, the health officer, who has i'm
mediate supervision of the institution. The
apartments are neatly furnished and COM
Portable, and there Is no stint about the
to table fare, the suspects are supplied with
the best the Washington markets afford
during the sixteen days Of their detention
in quarantine, at the expiration of which
time they are discharged. provided the dis
ease does not develop In the interim.
The superintendent of the quarantine sta
ton or detention camp is Mr.. William M.
Repettt, who resides with his wife In one
of the seven buildings. and who has been
in charge since the station was established.
three years ago. Mr.. Repetti Is member
of of the oldest and most respected
families in East Washington. where he was
born. His father is a famous musician.
and was one of the original members of the
Marine Band. Superintendent Repetti was
nurse In the smallpox hospital during the
epidemic of 1894, when DR.. ]. Ramsey New
lit, the present coroner, won general and
unstnted praise for his heroism in remain
ing in the District pest house six months in
the interest of the community and of the
unfortunate victims of the dreaded con-
tagion.
Mr.. Repettfs devotion to duty during that
trying period won for him the admiration
of DR.. hewitt, upon whose recommendation
he was appointed superintendent Of the
quarantine station. Mr.. Repetti's kindness
to and care Of those under his charge have
merited their appreciation and thanks. also
The superintendent residence is in the
center of the frame row. next to the office
and drug room. In this building he resides
year in and year out with Mrs Repetti
who orders all the food supplies for the
station and sees that 1t is properly prepared
and served.
Visited Daily.
The station Is visited every day during
its occupancy by Drs Fowler and Bowling.
When necessary they make several visits
daily to examine the inmates SO that as
soon as the disease begins to develop the
patient can be quickly removed to the
smallpox hospital. The greatest number of
patients in the station at one time was
fifty, during December, 1900, all of the
houses being filled.
The buildings are kept under the closest
surveillance every minute in the twenty
four hours of each day by the six guards
employed for this purpose. These men are
regularly commissioned as special police
men and wear metropolitan police badge
They are divided into three reliefs of two
men each, and are duty six hours and
twelve hours Off. One guard Is stationed
at the southwest corner of the row of
buildings, where he can constantly keep in
view the front and west side of the sta
| ton. The other guard has his station on
the northeast corner, where he can observe
| the rear Of the buildings and the east end
| Thus every inch Of the structures is con-
| stantly under the keen surveillance of
watchmen, each of whom is provided with
| one OF the old iron police patrol boxes, in
which to take shelter during stormy
weather.