Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-05-24
Shipping Men len. Indignant Over New
! Quarantine Law
, THIS PORT AND NORFOLK SUFFER
Vessels Arc Held at Old Point Five
Days Without Reason, the Agents
say-Dlscrlminaton in Favor Of
Other Points.

IA .U
h The theoretical exampiication OF
national quarantine naruely. Iivu
days, detention at Old Point, aopIic,l
at present as PER steamer Frthiuf
( OIL Nansen. bound u NorfolkAnow re-
4 leaSed-and the steamer Bjoryili,
\ bound to this port. amounts 40 4
practical quarantine of This nor;
against Baltimore. Philadelphia, New
42rk. Boston and other northern
ports The reason for this Is hard
!, to understand"
D The above statement was made TO
Daily Press reporter Yesterday by
shipping man here while discussing
the new quarantine regulations, re-.
Gently ISSUED by The surgeon gcner.
al of the United States, concerning
all vessels entering Hampton Roads
from West India ports.
! Nearly all of the shipping agents
at this port are highly indignan;
over the new quarantine law and il
is more than probable that the rcp.
resentative business and shipping
men at this port and Norfolk will
soon make an effort TO have the or.
der repealed. III it remains in effec,
the regulation will practically kill
the coal trade between this port
and Norfolk and the West Indies.
Up to this time Newport News ana
Norfolk have shipped more coal to
the West Indies than all other Amor.
lean ports. The trade has been work
ed up slowly until ut present over
5o,0oo tons of coal goes out of HamD
ton Roads to the West Indies eacn
month. If the quarantine regulations;
governing Hampton Roads remain
In effect. however, Baltimore. Fhil
adelphia and New York will take tho
trade away from Newport News anil
Norfolk, for shipping agents would
rather. pay slightly higher freight
rate from northern ports to the West
Indies than 10 have their vessels
held up at Old Point for five days.
which might mean Il loss TO them of
hundreds of dollars.
Newport News and Norfolk are the
only coal ports that are in the vel.
low fever zone as laid out by the
federal surgical authorities.
The northern limit of the zone is
placed at Cape Charles, so that Bal
timore. Philadelphia and New York
are not subject TO the stringent quar-.
antine regulations governing ports in
the fever zone
Just why this. condition of affairs
exists shipping men here are unable
to determine. 1t is true that Nor.
folk was stricken with yellow jack"
IN 1855, but yellow fever broke on
in Philadelphia five years prior to
that. in 1850.
Under the present quarantine laws
vessel can enter Philadelphia from
the West Indies be fumigated. dis.
charge her cargo and come TO Hamp-
ton Roads, to load cargo. in spite
Of the fact that she has been frmi.
gated at n port north of this and
shows "a clean bill OF health. she
must be held in quarantine at OH
Point five days before she is allowed
to come to this port or Norfolk TO
load a cargo.
The shipping agents here say that
it looks very much rs if this port
and Norfolk are being Disseminated
against.
In the past vessel arriving al
New York CT any other Northern
port from the West Indies could be
fumieated there and if she showed 4
clean bill of health she could come
to this port without being detained
at Old Point.