The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-15
SMALL POX'S FIRST VICTIM
LIEUTENANT COBB SUCCUMBS
THIS MORNING.
Was Taken off Transport Lawton Eight
Days Ago-Had Very Severe Attack
of the Disease.

The first victim of the smallpox sue
cumbed to the disease shortly after IL
o'clock last night at the quarantine isl
and. He was First Lieutenant Thomas
n. Cobb, Jr., of the 29th volunteer in
fantry. The death of Lieut. sntnt COBB
was attended with very sad circum-
stances for, unuii a few d.Iys of iIs
death, it was thought that ne wuu!1
recover.
Lieutenant Cobb was one of the first
patients to be brought here. lie was
seized with the disease while on tha
/ transport Lawton, en- route home with
his regiment after a couple of years
service in the Philippines VIII the
vessel was sighted a week ago Sunday
and the two cases of smallpox rep pJrted
Lieutenant Cobb and the other patient,
| a physician, We're removed to the station
at Quarantine Island. Both seemed to
| be withstanding the disease fairly well
although Cobb was not in as good cox
! dition as his companion. When the
men were removed to the station they
had both practically passed the most
dangerous period of the sickness and
! their recovery was more Il question Of
vitality than anything else.
AT first Lieutenant Cobb seemed to
| rally and the change from the hospital
| on the ship to that on shore Appeared
to benefit him. The physicians felt r?-
couraged and it was confidently
lIDuSll llltll ne NbulNl bt dDlt W DG
discharged within a very few weeks.
The ravages of the disease were
too severe however and two days
ago change for the worse was no
ticed His condition became worse
Saturday evening and Sunday he was
no better. He gradually sank last night
until 1915 o'clock when he expired.
owing to the nature of the disease 1t
was deemed unwise to attempt to pre-
serve the remains so the body was Gre
mated this morning. Simple service
. We're conducted by j. ID. McVeigh the
superintendent OF the quarantine sta
tion on the island, no regularly or
dained minister officiating. Several flo-
raj Offering were sent by Major Robin
son the depot quartermaster and
friends of the deceased.
Little is known here about the dead
man or his antecedents In fact nobody
! appears to have learned where his home
or his people are. The death of Lieu
tenant Cobb will be reported to the war
2 department and communication can be
j. secured through this source with the
y dead mans relatives.
b 1t is very urobable that the hard SER
= vice which Lieutenant Cobb experience
ed while with his regiment in IRE j'Hi-
n lippines had considerable to do with
e his death. His constitution must have
$ become seriously impaired and weak
II ened by the rigors of campaigning in
n the Philippines for his regiment saw
|. some very hard fighting there last year,
4 The result was that when the disease
= attacked him he was not able to battle
q against it. He had one of the worst
-, cases which has come to the notice of
- the quarantine officials in a long time
| The other smallpox patients at the
= quarantine island are doing well. The
= companion of Lieutenant cobb was dis
- charged from the camp. The measles
y and mumps of the soldiers are also
. progressing well,