The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-08-05
To AVERT A PANIC
New Orleans Appeals to
Roosevelt TO Take Full
Charge Of Fever
Situation.
President ACTS PROMPTLY
WILL RENDER EVERY POSSIBLE
AID TO STRICKEN CITY.

Orders surgeOn-GeneraI Wyman to
Take Every Step in His Power to
Meet the Situation-New Orleans and
Louisiana officials LOath to Admit
That Epidemic Has Got Beyond Their
ContrOI-Request For Federal Con-
troll Made, 1t is Stated, Because it
Would Restore Confidence Through
out Southern States.
New Orleans, Aug. 4.-With no inten-
tion of admitting the fever situation be-
yond control, but in the hope Of reviv-
ing confidence here and elsewhere in
the south, officials and business inter-
ests to-day decided to send request to
President Roosevelt to have the United
States government assume full charge
of the struggle to wipe out yellow
fever from Louisiana. The public ap-
proves the action taken. Expectation
is that within the next two days Sur
geon General Wyman with all the re-
sources Of the government will be en-
listed actively in the campaign
The decision to ask the federal gov
ernneTlt to take control was reached at
at meeting held late to-day at the
cotton exchange. President A. Brittin
presided. There were present Mayor
Behrman, Chairman Janvier of the cit
izens committee, President Souchoh of
the state board of health, President
Kohnke Of the city board of health,
\ representatives of each of the ex-
changes and commercial bodies, Sur
geon White of the United States ma
rine hospital service and number of
representative citizens. @&#
1t was the concensus of the meeting
that government control would restore
confidence throughout the other states
in the south where there has been crit
icism of the city and state authorities
for not sooner making public the exist
ence of yellow fever. 1t was the belief
Of those present that Surgeon General
Wyman would be able to send a force
of physicians to New Orleans thor
ough1y equipped for the handling of the
yellow fever situation because of their
experience and unquestionable facilities
to enforce scientific campaign against
the fever.
Immediately after the meeting a tele-
gram signed by the mayor and others
present was addressed to Governor
Blanchard, telling him of the action
taken.
Announcement that the federal gov
ernment was to be called on to take
charge at first created some alarm in
New Orleans, many taking such action
as an acknowledgement that the sit
uation had got beyond control. That
alarm was allayed when it was an
nounced that the object in turning over
the direction of affairs to the marine
hospital service was to renew conf
dence among doubtful persons and thus
avert a panic.
AT a conference at the city hall it was
decided that Mayor Behrman should
issue proclamation requiring every
business house in the city to close on
Wednesday so that employees might
take hand in the general cleaning
movement.
Hundreds of persons are temporarily
moving from New Orleans to ST. Tam
many parish, the only near haven to
which they can go. The parish has
opened its doors to all refugees. yell
low fever has never developed in st.
Tammany parish during the most seri-
Gus epidemics because yellow fever
mosquitoes have never existed there.
Business houses are feeling the effect
of the quarantine. There has been
reduction in business and trade is quiet.