Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-10-18
fRISCO'S NEW FIGHT.
Golden Gate City Now Battling
With Bubonic Plague.
GOVERNMENT RENDERING AID
Captain Rupert Blue In Charge Of the
Work Of Combating the Dread ORR
entail seeurss How the Disease
Sprsads and How u 10 Treated.

Spreads and How u 10 Treated.
ON top Of the many trials and tribu-
lations which have befallen the Golden
Gate city since the earthquake Of
eighteen months ago there comes now
the dread bubonic plague. IL is the
climax Of an extended period OF bad
luck. but san Francisco refuses 10 look
upon IL as the last straw. and there is
no sign of 4 broken back.
This must be the end. There can
be nothing worse" remark the loyal
citizens who have stood SO much at
the hand Of fate.
They shrugged their shoulders when
the truth was broken To them as gently
as possible by their efficient board Of
health aud straightway set about com
batting the dread oriental scourge.
writes special correspondent OF the
New York Tribune. They are certain
they Will conquer ii AS they did the
many acres Of devastation left by fire
aud earthquake: that they will eradi-
cate II AS they are roofing out the even
more insidLous plague OF municipal
corruption.
Washington lost no time In coming
to San Francisco's aid. The recogniz-
ed plague authority In the service Is
Captain Rupert Blue. who was in
charge Of the health and sanitation of
the jamestown exposition. In twenty
four hours he was hurrying west. fol
lowed by Dr. Rucker, who had been in
charge Of the health exhibit at the eX-
position. and by other surgeons from
various parts Of the country. Two Of
hcers who had Just returned from the
Philippines were intercepted by teie-
graph at Seattle and, foregoing the
anticipated pleasure Of leave" with
their families In the east hurried to
! San Francisco.
Soon DR.. Blue had force OF twelve
government surgeons, augmented by
sn equal number of San Francisco
| doctors with plague experience. who
were temporarily attached to the serv-
| Ice as acting assistant surgeons. The
working force now includes forty sani-
| tary inspectors and $50 laborers
An agreement has been reached be
tween the government and the city au-
thorities dividing the expenses. The
United States will pay the experienced
plague fighters, while San Francis
CO will pay the wages OF the laborers
| and furnish all materials during the
fight. which DR.. Blue does not believe
can be finally ended FOR eighteen
months.
The city's temporary plague hospital
WAS established on the grounds of the
county hospital, which Is Oh the out
skirts Of the mission district. stock
Rde OF corrugated hon was built
around one OF the outer buildings OF
the hospital leaving room for thirty or
| forty tents for plague patients and sus
pected cases. As rats are recognized
the disease, this stockade was sunk
several feet into the ground, and the
rodents within the stockade were kill
ed of before the plague patients were
| Installed.
| A correspondent visited this tempo
rary hospital recently with several gov
eminent and local surgeons. 1t was an
experience not soon to be forgotten and
zone that comes to few medical men
even outside Of San Francisco and the
government epidemic service. A smil-
| Ing, white capped nurse admitted the
visiting party TO the stockade through
barred door. In frame building
In the center Of the shady lot were the
laboratory, kitchen and living quarters
for nurses and doctors. There other
young women, cheerful and smiling
despite the fact that their days and
| nights are spent with the black
death all about them, tied the visitors
Into insect proof canvas robes and
Dwathed their heads, with the excep-
ton Of their faces, with antlseptic
| towels.
There were ten Of these young wo.
| men. and each Of them volunteered for
the plague service with full knowledge
that the death penalty might be ex-
acted before her work was finished.
Up to the time the plague pavilion
was established they were under train,
Ing IN the county hospital, getting s..
$40 and Sl2 month. according to the
length Of service. Their wages have
not been Increased for the plague serv.
Ice. but they are not complaining.
When the history Of the plague fight
| OF 1907 is written their names will de.
serve a high place in the honor roll.
At the time Of the visit to the plague
hospital there had been thirty-fve
cases and twenty deaths. Fourteen pa.
tents, the majority Of them women
and children, were fighting with the
dread disease or slowly recovering
from fts ravages. All had been treated
with injections Of Yersim serum, which
Is steadily lowering the death rate Of
disease that not long ago was con.
kidered incurable. The patients lay on
neat cots, two In tent. with the ex-
cepti0n OF one large tent, In which
were mother and three small chill
dren. The tents were carefully screen
ell against insects. and as plenty of air
10 necessary to successful treatment
they served admirably.
In the hrst tent visited lay two sis
tiers In the third day Of their struggle
Tor life. They were young women
from family in fair circumstances.
One OF the young women had been
employed as stenographer in one Of
the big railroad offices. They lived
with their father. who was a city en-