The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-03
Sanitation IS the Watch
word.
Representative Citizcux of the Strlck-
en- City Consider .hc Plcn of Es.
tabliahing Relief COrps Mt
Dclchnmps.

coast of ALBANIA are now 1aced py
an added. and potentially by greater
danger. and that which last week rob
bed them Of their all. Disease and sick
ness, the natural result of poor SAM
tation and exposure to the elements
are threatening the survivors OF the
tempest and unless some plan Is
adopted to ward off the peril. it seems
almost inevitable that a new horror
will be enacted in the county OF MO-
bile.
Notwithstanding that heroic efforts
are being made by the citizens of Mo-
bile to look after the destitute. many
are still without adequate shelter and
proper clothing. Nearly al Of them
are dependent upon the bounty of the
relief corps which Is working for them
every hour of the day. The land
about them in many localities has been
left swampy by the receding tide. and
cannot be drained in time to be of any
service to those in danger. In the
rank marshy grass and sedgcs lie bod
les Of hundreds of horses. cattle and
mules. rotting in the sun. On the pla-
ces formerly occupied by their homes,
the land is slippery with The still un-
dried mud. In some instances. the
poor people have been forced to sleep
as many as two score In room. and
this situation has not yet teen wholly
relieved. Worse than all is the fact
that the survivors. many Of them. are
still so pitiably destitute that they
must for weeks to come rely upon the
generosity of those Alabamians who
are willing to spare of their purse and
their store before they will be able
| TO look after themselves.
Under such conditions, worn as the
people of the coast have bcen by their
terrible experiences. it is small won
der that the specter is even now fear
ed. What may come In the weeks that
are to ensue is nightmare which
haunts the relief workers. and which.
II it is to be avoided, demands imms-
diate action.
Your correspondent this morning
spoke on this question Of danger with
an officer of the relief corps just re-
turned from the camp at Coden. The
reply was ominous.
Yes" he said. there Is great
danger of sickness there. On every
side the people are threatened In
their present unprotected condition.
the people are in dire peril. We are
hoping for the best. but we fear"
And the situation at Coden is bet
ter in hand than the situation at any
other point in the devastated district.
That this matter is not being neg
lected in the plans of the Relief Com
mittee of Mobile was shown. howev-
err. at the meeting held IN the rooms
Of the Commercial Club last night.
Here the condition Of affairs was
thoroughly canvassed, and the danger
of epidemic gone over. Several cour-
SEES of action We're suggested, and al
though no definite plan has yet been
decided upon to ward off the danger,
the committee has fun power to act,
and doubtless will select the most
feasible plan within the next few days.
il.
being undergone on Dauphin Island
and at Heron Bay. On the former. a
little strip of land separating the
Sound from the Gulf there are $50 peo-
pie without shelter of any kind. except
that which has been provided by the
relief committee. The only house left
standing on the island is the general
store which was used as haven OF
refuge during the storm. The supply
of food in this store ran out the day
after the tornado had passed. and for
twenty four hours the survivors COM
pletely cut off from the mainland, were
without food.
On Dauphin- Island however, there is
small danger of epidemic. The island
is low and sandy and the sanitation Is
good Unless a number of those who
passed through the hardships of tn"
storm are taken with pneumonia or
bronchitis, it is not thought likely
that much fear may be entertained on
their account. The Winona, the United
States revenue cutter. under tie COM
mand of Capt. A. P. r. Hanks. has
been making daily trips to the island.
so that the people there are in no dan
ger of starvation, although they have
not sufficient food to last for more than
several days.
At Heron Bay, on the other hand,
the people are badly off. both for tho
necessities of life. and as regards SAM
tary conditions. Back of the desolatc
spot which was once the home TO more
than a hundred people, the weeds and
bushes are filled with decaylng bodies
of animals. citizen who came from
there late last night reported that the
atmosphere of the place was unbearabl"
and that it is now almost untenable.
Within the coming weeks 1t Will pe
Impossible to live there.
Even at Coden, where the situation Is
best in hand, and at Bayou la Batrc,
the people are threatened with the
same danger Here much of the land
Is low and swampy. 1t is a physical
impossibility to dispose of the carbon.
Definite reports have not yet been re-
ceived as to the sanitation Of Alabama
Port although 1t is thought it is not
os had as some of the other places.
One plan which was suggested AT the
meeting last night, and Whlch seemti
IN meet with general approval, was
that Of establishing general concen
ration camp for the refugees at som"
centrally located point l'elrhdllpS
was snokcn of several times as con
v.njcnt srot At this place there IS
good water. The ground whlIe low, -
SNTsl NM