The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-12-11
QUESTION OF
CEMETERIES
BOARD or HEALTH COMMITTEE
TO TAKE UP N'HE 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 burals. or of so regulat- ,
ing them that the present very lnsani- |
tary and dangerous practices be stop /
ped.
Il 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 We're 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
torment since the first of September,
showing each case where anything out
of the ordinary has happened I 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 burylng
| grounds to stop it.
"A cemetery which so far has not
been brought before the Board as a
place necessary to be closed is the ma
tive Protestant plot at Kalihi Haul
| helemano. Two burials have lately
been made at this place and in each
case it took two full days to blast a
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. II. 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 20 constitute the
committee.
The executive was authorized to ad-
vertise for supplies for the first siS
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 a licens,
| to practice, and, on a request from
DIR. L. S. Thompson, district physician
for Kau, DR.. Mccarthy was appointed
as his substitute during a leave of alb
sence.
With a few appreciatory remarks OF
the memory of the lace $. 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 ]. D. McVeigh wrot
letter about the settlement store a
Kalaupapa, on the strength of whicl
Il the opinion of the meeting was give
4 that, being self-sustaining, the stor
ought to pay it's own employees.
President Cooper reported that o
Sunday at 1890 a. m. he received
'e 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
4 At this he made a request that in case
y of such contagious diseases-mcasle
y being among the list for which vessel
are not quarantined-being 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.
DIR. Cofer replied saying that the r,
quest would be complied with so fa
as notifying the Board was concerne
but he had not the power to quarantiT
l., the vessels in such circumstances. d
Cofer suggested in his letter that Il
IT, Board prepare a circular requestir
49, the masters Of vessels having sickne
on board not to bring the ships
wharf until the representative of Il
C. Board of Health should have had {
opportunity of. investigating the sic
ness.
President Cooper stated that he HI
l prepared a circular.