The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-09-10
GENERAL
COMPLAINT
Quarantine Island Said
to Be Not a Nice.
Place.

were detained in quarantine after the
arrival of that vessel here from tht
Coast, is to the effect that the treat
ment given them by the quarantine
officials was not, to say the least. sat
isfactory. In their statement they have
repeated the charges of partially
shown in allowing the father of DR.
Sinclair ashore and in not subjecting
the cabin passengers to the same quar-.
antine treatment as was given them
They also accuse the quarantine Off
GERS of neglect in that the quarters
assigned them on Quarantine Island
We're neither comfortable nor clean.
Their statement is as follows:
PROTEST.
We. the undersigned, being for the
most part citizens of the United States
or claimants upon its protection, pro-
test that We have been treated with
great injustice by the officials in
charge of the United States Quaran-
tine Station in the harbor of Honolu-
III, IerritOry Oh Hawaii.
The fourteen men whose names are
appended to this document were steer
age passengers on the S. s. Sierra, of
the Oceanic Steamship Company. ply
ing between San Francisco and Homo
lulu.
We protest against the absolute in
justice of any group of persons being
selected to bear discomfort, trouble,
and monetary loss, while others who
are in the same condition as ourselves
are allowed to escape absolutely
through the assistance of wealth or in
fiuence. The medical officials above
referred to, not only allowed partiality
to be shown, but themselves showed
Partially to one passenger and to two
groups of passengers of the 5. S.
Sierra.
The S. S. Sierra left San Francisco
at II o'clock in the morning of Satur-
day, August Gath, 1907. After the end
of three watches a member of the crew
employed in the fire room, was report
ed sick: during the remaining five
days of the voyage the sick man was
seen on that portion of the
decks reserved for the second cabin
freely with them; he took up several
of the children of the second cabin
in his arms and played
with them, although a member of the
ships crew; he was placed in the
mems hospital which is separated
from the steerage quarters by only
the steerage kitchen; he repeatedly
used our lavatory and the cup out of
which We drank water.
When we reached Honolulu, Doctor
Sinclair diagnosed the case as plague;
his diagnosis was confirmed by Doc
tor Ramus. The surgeon of the Sierra
declared in our hearing,
that man (the patient) never had the
plague Thus a man declared a
plague patient by two doctors of re-
pute, had been allowed to go and come
at will ON the ship, and to associate
familiarity with it's passengers for five
lays.
The first and second cabin passen-
gers were permitted to land, and all
heir baggage was sent ashore; neither |
heir person or property was subjected |
10 fumigation; Furthermore, Doctor |
Sinclair took his father ashore, who |
had been a steerage passenger and |
liable to the same germ-breeding con- |
iitions as ourselves; the steerage |
acting under orders of the |
). S. CO., or by request of the afore-
aid government official, carried Mr.. |
Archibald Sinclair's baggage from the |
'hip; to the extent of our knowledge |
Mr.. Sinclair's baggage was not fumi-
rated; Doctor Ramus told US that |
cSs- l.; 4
hat his father should be under as
trict surveillance, and receive the
anne treatment as we.
Our cause of contention has for its
,asis these items: "a The first and
econd cabin passengers were allowed
o land, Notwithstanding the fact that
hey were just as liable to carry germs
n their clothing and baggage as we;
p a companion of our whole voyage, |
Vho, as far as the medical authorities
we're concerned, was no less liable to
ave germs than we, was allowed to
and, owing to the all too apparent
act that his son, through his gov
position, was in possession of
lfluenee adequate to his object When
re protested to Doctor James against
UGH favoritism and injustice, that
mciaI replied: I've been here for |
years and Uncle Sam viii
-and by me in whatever L do" and
e laughed when he said it.
No fumigation or any other medical
recaution was resorted to in regard |
the steerage quarters after the final ]
lagnosis of the case had been made; 1,
e protested in body TO the steerage
eward and other officers of the ship
yainst being forced to re-occupy for