Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-08
wRETcAED SOLDIERS
Experiences of the 18th Infantry on
the Fitzpatrick.
SMALLPOX BREAKS OUT ON BOARD
Serious Rumors About Response
bIIIty for the Disease.
NJ 5 E r [ E S OF l. F E
SMALLPOX BREAKS OUT ON BOARD
M [ S E r 1 ES OF LIFE
special correspondence of The Evening Star.
On Board Transport fitzpatrick,
HONOLULU HARBOR. II. r..

|. HONOLULU HARBOR, H. T.,
April 20, 1901
!. we arrived here on the 18th instant an,
: immediately went into quarantine, beins
! ahehored about two miles from the city
. Honolulu is the garden spot of the world
. ana you can imagine our disappointment
at not belng allowed to set foot within it.
. porders If the coaling is completed to
. morrow We will start for Manila, with the
poor satisfaction of having seen these
, beautiful islands only from distance.
> Inc HaWaiians are badly scared over the
smallpox reports from the mother country
ana are adopting stringent measures with
all steamers and their passengers All
mails from America will go through quar-
antlne before distribution. All arrivals
VIII nave to go through quarantine.
When 1t is considered what a hard time
'hey had TO stamp out the bubonic plague
on the islands the authorities cannot be
blamed for their precautions and their
treatment of u.s.
our commanding officer tried to get per-
Iumlsate the boat and give the men a
chance to stretch their legs and clean
themselves and clothes, but the board of
health would not listen to it.
The beautiful city lies before us like a
panorama, making glorious picture day
ana night At night the city appears as a
oiaze OF electric lights of all colors. There
is zigzag trolley line back of the CITY
which ends at the top of the mountain
The electric lights on this road make a
pilltant slght and 1t is our main pastime
watching the ears go up and down
| although we have lain here a week to-
Gay IS the first time that the enlisted men
nave seen any local papers. Yesterdays
issue says that the people of Honolulu
sincerely sympathize with us in our be-
reavement, but, really, they could not let
us land The local papers sent over large
| bundles of late issues for free distribll-
| tloh 10 the men, and notice in said pa
PelS INFORMED us that the citizens were col
lectlng reading matter, fruit table luxu-
ries and tobacco.
The notice particularly called for tobac-
| co. the reporter being informed that the
men were entirely out of this necessity.
Inc young man was imposed upon by some
! Wag on board, as the men are well sup
! pned with the weed, having purchased on
| credit from the eOmmissary on board any
amount they set down. ANY person ia
miliar with soldiers knows that they in
Variably purchase in wholesale quantities
When doing so on credit.
The dining rooms are crowded day and
night with the men gambling for tobacco
ana the tables are heaped high with the
Gllierent brands 1t resembles Monte
Carlo on cheap scale
A Serious Rumor Prevalent
There has been persistent rumor that
the medical officer at the Preside, San
"HSiSSo' camp diIo"ed the nfSC man
stricken with smallpox to go on the trans
port, knowing that he had the disease but
that he did to prevent the command
being quarantined at San Francisco 1t is
almost impossible to believe that an official
would risk the lives of a thousand people
by allowing man broken out with the
dread disease to mingle with them without
restraint. 1t Is a fact that the man, Prf-
vate Joe Kelly, Company NJ, 18th In
fantry, went on the sick report at Preside
mo 1irtr p
doctor examined him and that his face
was then broken out. The next day another
case broke out and the Honolulu papers |
state that the medical officers on hoard |
advised the commanding officer to turn |
back to San Francisco, which he declined |
to do.
There are now at the Marine Hospital |
on shore from this boat two cases of small |
pox and fourteen cases of measles and |
mumps. New cases are at once sent on |
shore. "
The past week has been spent in fumi-
eating tbs mems clothes and quarters and |
coaling the ship by the crew In order to
do this the men have been driven from one
end of the boat to the other being COM
PEELED to huddle together day and night on
deck. Their dining room is all cboked m
with coal, and they must eat any old place
The fare has not improved a particle since
m last letter If there are any human
beings on this earth having a more mis-
cradle existence than the unfortunate en-
listed men on this boat l would like to
near or them Tor Sympathy'S sake
Some Sad Experiences.
1hey fumlgate one deck at a time The |
men have to leave everything in their
quarters except one suit Of clothes on their
back and their mess kit. They are then
ordered on deck without a blanket where
they must stay for thirty-six hours. The
nights are very cold here, and the men
have suffered intensely. The majority Of
har
Of course get sleep. The others hide
themselves In all manner of holes to snatch
a short snooze but what a miserable pic
lure they present in the morning after
such a night! The night that the most
men were rowing the decks in this manner
the cabin passengers gave hop which |
was greatly enjoyed by the men in search
Of place to lay their head
At the end of thirty-six hours the mon
whose quarters have been fumigated are !
hen required to take bath and then de- |
oosit the clothing that has not been flu
nlgated in small room and then return |
naked to their quarters which have heen |
opened up in the meantime and then mt |
IN fresh suit. A large number of re-
fruits had no change of clothing and were
to remain in bed unless some
I'D soldier took pity on them and loaned
hem clothes They presented ludicrous
Ill manner Of attire. Not few had over
coats and nothing else.
In small room about twenty feet square {
'ver 400 men deposited their clothes for
umigation. without any order, and when !
he doors were open the men were allowed I
o rush in to collect their own. which they
lid in a body The fumes Of sulphur were {
yery strong, and the men emerged from {
he dark hole in fainting condition. they
'oughed for an hour afterward. They kept {
| tight grip, however, on their little 6
bundles. .
The first men in got their pick, and If &
hey could not find their own clothes
would appropriate some other soldiers, t
md the last men IN could only gaze upon /
ested. This state of affairs caused much f
'nprintable language, and it was several ,
hours before the men got quieted odwn. It
10 more need for fumigation on this I'M T