The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-14
ALPHA'S ILL LUCK
THE STEAMER TIED Up At QUAR-
ANTINE STATION.
SMALLPOX FOUND ABOARD.
NEGRO GIRL FROM PORT ROYAL
INFECTED WITH THE DISEASE.

NEGRO GIRL FROM PORT ROYAL
INFECTED WITH THE DISEASE.
/ Case Was Discovered When the Al
pha Was stopped on Quarantine
and Capt. Beach, Her Owner, Was
Then Notified That the Vessel Must
! BE Detained-He Insisted Upon
| Coming to the City to See what
Better Arrangement He Could
Make-Then Compelled to Return.
Those Not Immune Must Undergo
Detention for Fourteen Days.
The steamer Alpha, which reached the
city from Beaufort, at 9 o'clock last night,
was stopped at her dock and compelled 10
return to quarantine by the officers of
the Marine Hospital Service. The Alpha
had on board a little negro girl, who was
suffering from a well-developed case of
smallpox.
The Alpha's passengers, twenty in
number will have to endure detention at
quarantine from twenty-four hours to
fourteen days. The vessel, with those of
her passengers who have had smallpox,
or have recently been vaccinated, will be
disinfected to-day and permitted to re-
turn to the city. Those of the passengers
and crew who have neither had small
pox nor have been recently vaccinated,
must remain at quarantine for fourteen
days, the full period of incubation of the
smallpox germ.
The Alpha, under the command of Capt.
Fletcher Hinson, and having on board her
owner Capt. George u. Beach, left Beau
fort yesterday afternoon. AT Port Royal
the vessel picked up three passengers, a
negro woman and her two children, one
of the children becoming subsequently the
innocent and unconscious cause of all the
trouble
off Mackey's Point has been stationed
for some time the government tug Hutton,
formerly the Theckia in charge of DR.. w.
l.. Quilian, of the Marine Hospital Serv-
ice. DR.. Quillian boarded the Alpha for
the purpose of examining the passengers
and crew, to see whether or not the quar-
rantine rules as to vaccination had been
compiled with and search for cases of
SMALLPOX He found one.
The little negro girl. who had been
brought aboard at Port Royal, no sooner
came under the eye of DR.. Quilhan than
he saw that she had smallpox, and that
the case was well developed. Primary and
secondary symptoms of the disease were
both in plentiful evidence on her face and
arms.
DR.. Qullian notified Capt. Beach that
the Alpha must be detained at quarantine
until all needed precautions against in
lection had been observed. This meant
the fumigation of the vessel, it's cargo ana
the personal belongings of all the passen-
gers Rnd crew, with the detention for two
weeks of those who had neither had small
pox nor been recently vaccinated.
Capt. Beach wanted to come up to the
city and see if he could not make some
more favorable arrangement with some
body in authority here, and as the Hutton
was coming up to the city anyhow, to take
on her night crew, DIR. Quillian consented
to this arrangement. He notified Capt.
| Beach, however. that no one would be
| permitted to land from the Alpha without
definite permission. The Alpha and the
Hutton steamed up the river together.
When the Alpha's dock was reached, the
Hutton steamed ahead of her and tied up
next to the Clifton, which was lying
against the wharf. The Alpha came to
outside the Hutton and her passengers
and crew were warned not to come ashore.
This, however they made no effort to do.
DR.. Quillian telephoned for. DIR. w. c.
Hobby, the Marine Hospital surgeon in
charge at Savannah. who went at once
to the dock where the Alpha was lying.
at the foot of Whitaker street. His ex-
animation of the child suspected of hav-
ing smallpox but served to confirm the
diagnosis of DR.. Quillian and his views
upon the subject of the Alpha's detention
at quarantine were identically those
which DIR. Quillian had insisted on when
the case of smallpox was first discov-
cred.
The Alpha would have to return TO
quarantine and there remain until all
precautions against infection have been
observed. To this course Capt. Beach
readily, though perhaps not very cheer
fully, yielded his assent AS a matter of
fact there was nothing else for him to
do; the surgeons held all of the high
cards in the deck and he knew it.
Permission was asked and granted for
the Alpha to take aboard whatever fuel
was needed to carry her to quarantine
and back to the city, after her period of
detention is over. This accomplished, she
steamed down the river, accompanied by
the Hutton.
OF the Alpha's twenty four passengers,
eight are white. These latter include
Capt Won Harris, Mr.. W. r. wilkins and
Mr.. Otto Schwarz. There was one lady
in the party, who had expected to leave
Savannah on the Central train last night
She returned to quarantine with the
others.
1t is expected that the process of flu
mgating the vessel and her passengers,
with the baggage and other possessions
of the latter, will be concluded to-day or
tomorrow. This done the Alpha will re-
turn to the city, leaving behind those
unfortunates who cannot show they have
had smallpox or been vaccinated
What proportion of the Alpha's passen-
could not be learned last night. To board
the Alpha meant that one must remain
aboard of her and the Information avail
able had to be gained at second or third
hand
IAIIII nIIAIIEN Tn nav