The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-25
THE THECKLA ON GUARD.
Quarantine Inaugurated Against
South Carolina Islands.

vent the continued coming 4 of small
pox into Savannah The Marine Hospital
Service inaugurated the quarantine yes
terday morning and the quarantine tug
Theckla stands guard at Venus Point to
turn back all craft from South Carolina
that show the slightest sign of infection.
DR.. w. f. Qullian is in charge of the
Theckla in its effort to prevent the intro
duction of the disease. He is supplied with
vaccine points and is prepared to force all
crews and passengers from the section
against which the quarantine Is establish
ed to undergo vaccination.
A satisfactory vaccination mark will be
accepted as evidence of the recent per-
Torrance of the operation. and persons
who may be able TO show such mark
will not be compelled to submit again.
Shops, schooners and steamers will all be
intercepted and inspected. Where 1t Is
thought necessary disinfectants will be
employed. No effort will be left untried
to prevent the people of the coast sec
ton of South Carolina from continuing to
bring the disease into Savannah.
DR.. Hobby, Marine Hospital surgeon in
charge at Savannah, will have sup erv!sion
| of the smallpox quarantine. DR.. Quill
acting assistant surgeon. The surgeons
Will exercise the greatest vigilance to pre-
vent cases finding their way into Savan-
nah by the water route, and Health Of
| ficer Mrunner believes the measures
adopted will prove successful.
| If il should be found that vessels that
ply between the South Carolina sea ISL
auds and Savannah are seeking to evade
the quarantine tug, the position of the lat
tor no oh no wi located
off Mackey Point to intercept any craft
that might try the Catalogue sound and
South channel route.
Owing to the dread in which some Of
the negroes of the South Carolina coast
hold vaccination it is thought not improb-
able that the volume of traffic between
this city and the islands viii be somewhat
reduced. Some of the craft may discon-
tinue their trips until such time as the
disease may have been stamped out, and
the necessity for quarantine relieved.
Only incoming vessels will be inspected.
Those bound from Savannah to the sea
| islands will not be molested. This would
| seem to show that the Marine Hospital
Service does not think very much of the
report made by Dr. Simons. chairman of
! the South Carolina Board of Health, to
the effect that cases of smallpox find
| their way to the South Carolina coast
| from Savannah. The local health author
| tiles would interDose no objection to sucn
an inspection. though they scarcely see
the necessity for it, as the islands appear
to be the only source from which the dis,
ease finds its way into Savannah There
are but few cases here now, and they have
all been carefully isolated at the pest
house All the patients are negroes.
Health Officer Drummer expressed sat
isfaction yesterday in the establishment
of the quarantine 1t shows that the Ma
rne Hospital Service is ready to protect
! the city's health. This is the first in
stance since the quarantine station pass
ed to the governments possession, IN
which it has been necessary for it to act
for the safety of the city. 1t is clear that
local quarantine. when the interests of
the city are at stake, will be as carefully
looked to as when the station was owned
by Savannah.
Active and eneI getic measures should
be taken in South Carolina, DIR. Drummer
| thinks, to suppress the disease in the
hotbed of its ravages. Augusta has had
| the same trouble that Savannah has ex-
| perienced
The last report of DR.. Eugene Foster
president of the Board of Health of Au-
| gusta, had the following relative to
| smallpox and the failure of the South
| Carolina authorities to exercise the prop
| er precautions against the spread of the
disease:
Jan. 81 $3.50, case of smallpox was
found in our city. The patient, a negro
was employed in Aiken county. South
Carolina He contracted the disease in
the gravel pits where he worked, and
came to Augusta and was taken ill of
smallpox the day after arrival in our city
From January 81 10 July 81 inclusive
the number of the cases of the disease
in Augusta, including those received into
smallpox hospital from Richmond county,
was 1856. OF this number there were from
the city % whites and 131 colored. Small
box existed in all the sections of South
Carolina adjoining Augusta No rational
effort was made by the South Carolina
health authorities to stamp out or even
prevent the spread of the disease As a
consequence smallpox was imported into
Augusta thirty-six different times in six
months.
1.-The lack of sanitary control of SMALL
pox in South Carolina was the source of
complaint by me as your executive offic-
err and at my request Governor Gambler
protested to the governor of South Caro-
lima that they should control the disease
in South Carolina and enforce rigid isola-
ton and disnfection. But these protests
were unavailing On one occasion the sup
erintendent of the Aiken county chain
gang then working in South Carolina,
three miles distant from Augusta, discov-
cred that one of the convicts had small
pox. He telegraphed the governor of
South Carolina for instructions in the
matter. The governor of South Carolina
teegraphed the officer. Turn the pris-
oner loose and this was done
1T is needless to say that this outrage
upon the rudimental principles of sani-
tary civilization caused a spread of the
loa thsome disease in the negro popula-
ton cOntionOuE TO Augusta MANY no
groes living in this city were regularly
employed upon farms and in railroad con-
struction in the sections of South Caro-
lima near Augusta and came to our city
on Saturday nights, returning on Mon
day morning to work in South Carolina
AS a consequence, many of these negroes
fell i'll of smallpox while visiting their
families in Augusta.
nnAnnEnn