Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05
Epidemic Fund Available.

President that the conference was held this
morning and the decision reached.
A number Of years ago Congress provided
a fund TO be known as epidemic fund,
and this is available it has been decided,
for the financial expenses incident to the as
sumption of federal control Secretary Shaw
found today that there is a sufficient fund
on hand to meet whatever expenses may
arise. 1t is expected though, that state
and city authorities will contribute some
thing.
1t was stated that there were a number
of precedents for the federal government
taking charge. this having been done in the
yellow fever epidemics at Brunswick, Ga.
and at the National Soldiers Home, Hamp-
ton Va, a number of years ago.
Surgeon General Wyman will be COM
PEELED to greatly increase his force Of ply
sicans, nurses, etc, and to lay in a larger
amount of supplies
Secretary Shaw and DR.. Wyman wish 1t
understood that they do not want to see
scare result from the circulars that have
been sent south advising the screening of
houses against mosquitoes While the in
structions given in the circulars are wise
and practicable, 1t must be understood that
the recommendations apply only to neigh
borhoods where fever has been discovered.
Orders to Capt. Ross.
Secretary Shaw has wired Captain Ross
of the revenue cutter service to proceed at
once to New Orleans to personally superln-
tend the revenue cutter service at that
point with a view of strictly maintaining
quarantine. Captain Ross is now making
an annual inspection of the service on the
Atlantic coast and today is at Portland,
Me. 1t is expected he has already left
there for New Orleans. Secretary Shaw
said today that the strongest possible eff
fort will be made to cOnfine the scourge
inside the city limits Of New Orleans and
he had every reason, he said, to believe that
this would be accomplished
Interruption to Mail Service.
The Post Office Department announced
today that the interruption to the mail
service in the states of Mississippi, Louis
lana and Texas, on account of the enforce
ment of quarantine regulations In the fever
districts, is mainly confined to limited areas
or districts and to points reached by local
military trains.
Postal service which has been interrupted
will be restored as soon as quarantine regu-
lations permit. The department will make
no attempt to raise quarantines, nor to
avoid them. but mail destined from one
quarantined district to another will be per-
mitted to be transferred by private parties,
provided there is no additional cost to the
government
When one postmaster In the affected dis
trct notifies another that demand has been
nade for the delivery OF the mail the pr1-
vate transfer may be authorized at the risk
Of the party to whom the mail is ad-
dressed.
Comparison With Former Years.
interruption of mail thus far reported is
slight in comparison with certain previous
years. The through service for the state
of Texas is intact. although some of the
mails are being forwarded by way of ST.
Louis, which otherwise would have gone by
New Orleans The California mails are go
ing through and New Orleans Is being sup
piled by the through trains on the Louis
Vile and Nashville. Illinois Central and
Southern Pacific roads, most Of the trains
stll are running regularly and carrying the
mails.
Mails are not being fumigated by the
Post Office Department, as the public
health and marine hospital service deems
this unnecessary as protective feature
and declines to provide for it. Officials of
the Post Office Department are not assuna-
ing any responsibility for the failure to
fumigate the mails, beyond accepting as
correct that yellow fever cannot be con-
yeyed from one point to another by this
means. It was said today that should
there be change of opinion in regard to
the necessity for fumiratinn It will be be-
gun at once.