The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-15
Mild Epidemic of Smallpox in
Santa Fe Offices.
Six Men From One Office in the
Pest House.
ARE NOT SEVERE
Precautions Taken to Prevent
Spread OF Disease.
Big Building Has Been Fumi-
gated From Top to Bottom.

An epidemic of smallpox has
spread aIarmingly among the clerks
and officials at the Santa Fe office
building in this city, 1t is reported
that there are at the present time
about fifteen clerks from the force of
Freight Auditor A. A. Hayes office
down with the disease.
The epidemic broke out about a
week ago and during all this time it
has been kept quiet by those in
charge. No public reports of any
kind have been made as it was
thought the epidemic could be con-
quered before it had included so
many clerks.
There are six young men in the pest
house east of the city where they
are being cared for by the city. They
are all in good condition this after
noon and it is not thought that any
serious results will follow.
I'VE are having great time out
here" said one of the young men over
the telephone today. I'VE have all
the cigars We want to smoke and
all traces Of the disease to dis
appear. I don't know how many
more fellows are coming out but we
have a royal welcome for all Of them.
We are not worried over the results
of the smallpox and feel that all will
be well in short time This bust
ness of sitting around with your feet
on the fire place is just like the times
you read about
The pest house does not resemble
Port for the sick anymore. Big strap
ping fellows smoking cigars and pipes
and singing every song they have ever
heard have transferred the house into
a modern college frat" home and it
is more Of a jest-house than pest
house.
The officials at the Santa Fe office
building are confident that the disease
has been stamped out even though an
other case was reported to the city
board Of health this morning. Every
effort possible is being made to check
the epidemic and it is thought that
there will be little trouble after this
week. sE
Vaccination is the order of the day
in the office building forces. There are
probably 300 men and women working
in the big six story Santa Fe office
building in this city and with all of
them exposed to the disease the rail-
road and city physicians are holding
vaccination bee lrS -
For the last four nights the health
officers have been funigating the whole
building from top to Bottom. Funnfga-
ton materials of all Kinds are used and
the work Of annihilating all traces of
the human hand can progress. Every
precaution has been taken for the
health of the railroad employees and Of
ficials.
The office of A. A. Hayes, freight
auditor, is on the fifth floor of the
Santa F'e office building-the next floor
to the top. On account of this fact all
the employees of the office go through
the building before getting to the street
On the other hand the office Is a con-
siderable distance from a majority of
the other offices in the building The
floor above probably contains more
workers than any other floor in the
building and it is feared that the cpl
demic will take hold in this mammoth
office. If it does it means consterna-
ton among the clerks in the building.
However, it is thought that at the
present time the disease is well under
hand and will spread no further There
is no occasion for qOkrantine--it is
lucky because it would mean a temper
airy halt in all the immense amount Of
work that is handled in this big gen
eral Office building every, day. It would
mean a tieup of the official work along
the Santa Fe lines and would be an
endless task of Strengthening out the
tangle when the quarantine was raised.
The cases at this time are very light
and will not result seriously. Every
thing is running along smoothly and
outside of a morning, noon and night
series of informal group conferences
between the clerks. there is little talk
of alarm.