The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-06-13
YELLOW FEVER
AT SHIP ISLAND
THREE PATIENTS BEING CARED
FOR AT THE QUARANTINE
STATION.

The New Orleans Pieayune of Tues
day says:
For several days it has been known
here that there was one positive easss
and two suspicious cases of fever on.
board Of a steamship at Ship IslaEd.
Quarantine Station. but there was no
official announcement of it by the GFa-
rine Hospital Service, which has
charge of that station. hence the mat
ter was not officially confirmed unEA
yesterday. ;;f&EE
The news reached DR.. Irfon, Prest
dent Of the Louisiana State Board OF
Health, Saturday. afternoon, and as
that stationAis IN Mississippi, he i'm
mediately got into communication
with DIR. ]. f. Hunter, the Health Of
ficer of Mississippi DR.. Hunter had
not heard of the cases, ami started an
investigation, which resulted in the
fOllowingt telegram to Dr. Irion yester-
day; - :
County HeahH Offcer reports
steamship Whitehall, from Colon;
twelve days ago, had three cases
Vessel detained at Ship Island.
y. F. Hunter, Secretary"
The Picay7lne wired it's Washington.
correspondent To- learn what the Sur
gecn General knew of the cases, and
the following further confirmation was
received last night:
Washington, June 11.-SurgeOn
General Wyman said to-day that his
latest information from Ship Island
is that three yellow fever patients
from Colon arriving on the steamer
Whitehall are being cared for at the
station. and that no other case has
developed. The vessel is being de-
tanned for six days, and General Wy
man says that there is no cause for
any uneasineSs in New Orleans or
elsewhere on account of the fever. At
ter cabling to Colon he was positive
that adj of the suspicious cases had
yellow fever, and took precaution to
prevent the disease from spreading
From what is known Of the cases,
it seems that the Whitehall was re-
turning to Gulfport from Colon, after
taking cargo of lumber to the
isthmus, and two suspicious cases of
illness were found on board at the
Quarantine Station at Ship Island. ThaI
ship was detained, and then a, third
case developed, which the Marine Hos
pital Of1ceT at the Station diagnosed
as positive and 50 reported TO the
Surgeon General. The Surgeon Gen
e. ais statement, about cabling to
Colon indicates the presence of consid-
cradle infection there, which has not
been made public. About month ago
one case was reported al Colon.
Much interest attaches to the N
lection of the Whitehall, because tais
same vessel played a conspicuous
part in the yellow fever visitation last
summer. 1t is believed by some that
the fever was brought to New Or
learns from Belize in May or June 1905,
while the people of Belize for time
blamed the Whitehall for introducing
the infection into their town earlier in
the year, The ship arrived in Belize
with her captain and some of the
crew sick, and the captain died OF
yellow fever in Belize.
Of course, every possible pTecau-
ton has been taken against the
spread of the infection, and no one Is
TO approach the vessel In |
quarantine, so there need be no I'M
easiness on that score. The fact that 1
the Missippi authorities are aware OF
the conditions is ample warrant for
the belief that they will watch the |
coast line closely. and prevent com
munication with the ship.
DR.. John N. Thomas, State Quaran- /
tine Physician, was in the city in con-
suitation with DR.. Irion and Secretary /
Ingram. of the State Board Of Heath, |
arranging for the legislative inspec-
ton of the Quarantine Station.
A special meeting of the Board OF /
Health viii be held Friday at 10 a. N.
to meet the Committee from the Sen /
ate and House. and Saturday morning
the party win proceed to the station.