New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-03

Although Russia has ceased to be her roe 80
IS now confronted with an enemy IN Naallc "'tl e
which If it should get a grip upon her ain
would infict far greater losses than the RUSSIAN
, forces caused. ... ...... .-.
I3,Ibonfc pIague made its appearance at New
C,bV-ang Manchuria, on October IL, and ever SINGS
the japanese sanitary experts have been hgnllls
against the disease with deadly earnestness' know"
ing that the spread Of the pest to the army OF ono
million men in the north would cause q terrihc
harvest of death. The military administrator o.
New-C hwang q colonel OF the Imperial GuaIos.
carries the responsibility of the stamping out OF
the pest upon his shoulders, and II Tor any 800
the army should suffer would, to use the solemn
words of the administrator, ~be In duty oouho
to commit hara-kiri,'' or suicide.
On the first appearance of the plague an an
fected district about five hundred yards square
was walled in at the dead Of night so that when
fba Chinese inhabitants of the section awoke
they found themselves entirely cut OF from the
outside world The Japanese declare that they
viii burn the buildings within this quarter to the
ground IL the pest becomes an epidemic
Chinese and Japanese sentries were placed at the
entrances to the infected district and no one was
allowed to enter to depart Water ard neces-
sary foods were furnished free by the authorities
to those Guaranteed and liberal compensation al
lowed TO those who suffered damages to property
from necessary distinctive methods.
At the further spread of the pest another dis
trict Of similar size to the first was surrounded
Surgeons examined every inhahtant OF these dis
trictS. all suspicious cases were Sent 10
ton hospitals. Floors and roofs OF many houses
were torn out and the entire place drenched
with disinfectants. The surgeons who CARRIED on
this work were CARRIED in oilskins, rubber gloves
automobile goggles and respirators IN which dress
they were objects Of great amusement to the
Later the plague spread to outlying towns and
tireIy to wall in these villages and inspect every
/ inhabitant- Over three thousand and twenty per-
| sons were examined, one by one under this order
| FIreWoOd for cremation and other necessary sup
/ plies were sent down from the army in plentiful
| Quantities and the surgeons generally equipped
The Chinese greatly object TO having bodies Gre
! whose BODY Is destroyed on this earth wifi have
| no body to use when he arrives at the future
world. The Chinese. to themselves from
! cremation, from loss by their business build
| quire careful surveillance. One family, when a
member OF 1t died. tried TO get the body away by
| outlying village where death occurred.
The Japanese surgeons after finding several in
! family over $50 traps were placed, and Of the
seventy animals caught within the infected district
about two-thirds were declared to be infected with
! the Iast. In fact, the Japanese began a crusade
on early last spring. offering q reward of ten
sen. or Eve cents. gold. for every head and a
| turned IN average every month AS q
further incentive TO rat hunting, at the outbreak
| every rat turned IN tag bearing number was
| given in exchange. At certain periods lots were
the authorities and prizes awarded TO lucky num-
| bers. In some cases these prizes amounted to
| $50 gold. Naturally. when a Chinaman thinks
/ of securing $50 for rat he puts forth his best
| efforts 20 capture many as possible.
the far discovered arc largely
sporadic ana since the Japanese surgeons consider
year they have been giving the Chinese quarter Of
the city daily overhGuings and inspections. This