The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-12-11
QUESTION OF
CEMETERIES
BOARD OF HEALTH COMMITTEE
TO TAKE UP THE NATTER
INSPECTOR TRACY's LETTER.

The cemetery question was brought
up again at the meeting of the Board /
of Health yesterday afternoon. city .
Sanitary officer Tracy sent a letter to .
the Board as follows
Gentlemen: Permit me once again !
to bring up the question of either clos |
ing the cemeteries within the city linn |
it's to further burials, or of so regulat- |
ing them that the present very lnsanl-
tary and dangerous practices be stop
ped.
II felt that hasty action should not
be taken and that, the different keep
ers should be allowed to remedy the
conditions existing as far as lay in
their power, and that the organizations
controlling these cemeteries should be
allowed to take the initiative and Of
their own accord to close at least the
crowded portions of their holdings and
for that reason they have been allowed
to go ahead and we have seen to it
that all graves were at least the re-
qured depth of six feet and that the
burial was made at that depth.
"A record has been kept of each in
terment since the first of September,
showing each case where anything out
of the ordinary has happened. 1 find
that in this time thirty-seven collins
have been disturbed, some actually
chopped in two and part of the remains
reburied beneath the new one. Some
of the cemeteries are so low that when
graves are dug to six feet the coffin will
be entirely submerged in water. This
has happened not only once but five
times in three months, and no move
has been made on the part of the or
CARNATIONS controlling these burying
grounds to stop it.
"A cemetery which so far has not
been brought before the Board as
place necessary to be closed is the ma
tive Protestant plot at Kalihi, Hau-
helemano. Two burials have lately
been made at this place and in each
case it took two full days to blast
! grave out of the rock. AS you all
know, unless some means is taken to
arrest decomposition changes in the
body, this is entirely too long for it to
remain above ground.
Trusting that the Board will see fit
to take some action in this matter, l
remain, Very respectfully,
&C. H. TRACY,
"City Sanitary officer and Inspector of
Cemeteries"
DR.. Cooper said that little progress
appeared to have been made with the
cemetery matter, and he suggested that
a special committee take it up. Dr.
Mays, Mark Robinson and Lorrin An
drews were appointed TO constitute the
| committee.
The executive was authorized to ad.
vertise for supplies for the first si1
months of 1904 for the Leper Settle
ment and the Insane Asylum, also
for beef cattle, purchase of hides anC
common carrier service for the former
DIR. D. S. Mccarthy, on a favorable
report of the Board of Medical Exam
liners, was recommended for licens
to practice, and, on a request from
DR.. l.. S. Thompson, district physician
for Kau, DR.. Mccarthy was appointet
as his substitute during a leave of alb
sence.
With few appreciatory remarks OF
the memory of the late S. X. Kane,
member of the Board, the president
named Winston, Robinson and Smitl
as a committee to prepare a suitabl
resolution on his death.
d Superintendent j. D. McVeigh wrot
a letter about the settlement store a
Kalaupapa, on the strength of whicl
Il the opinion of the meeting was give
Z that, being self-sustaining, the stor
ought to pay it's own employees
President Cooper reported that O.
Sunday at 1880 a. m. he received
telephone message from the quarantin
{ boarding officer DR.. A. N. Sinclair
that a case of measles was on boar
the transport Sherman just arrived
- He responded by going down to tn
boat landing, but on arrival saw pee
pie coming ashore from the transpor
h At this he made request that in case
y of such contagious disea ses-mcas sic
being among the list for which vessel
are not notwithstanding found o
board incoming vessels the Board {
Health be notified. Being referred I
the chief quarantine officer, he pre-
ferred the same request to him by lei
ter.
Dr. Golfer REPLIED saying that the r.
y quest would be complied with so fa
as notifying the Board was concerne
but he had not the power to quarantiT
", the vessels in such circumstances. D
= Golfer suggested in his letter that II
~ Board prepare circular requestir
S, the masters of vessels having sickne
on board not to bring the ships
wharf until the representative of Il
e Board of Health should have had g
opportunity of investigating the sicl
ness.
President Cooper stated that he hi
prepared a circular.