Disease Quarantine of Inbound Vessels

Barriers Against Invisible Foes. Frank Leslies Popular Monthly, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 14ffe81782

Quarantine for the protection of the public health, according to the provisions of this Act, is hereby authorized & required and established in and for the port of New York for all vessels, their crews, and passengers, equipment, cargoes, and other property, on board the same, arriving there from different ports."—Act of April 29th, 1863, Section 1.

It is a pleasant morning in late summer. The sun shines warm and bright over the group of buildings and chicks lying a little above Fort Wadsworth on the east shore of Staten Island, known as Sthe Quarantine Station. A refreshing breeze blows inland over the bay, making its rays bearable. Still, it is warm enough to make things appear quiet and sleepy.

In the lower room of the little building at the land end of the L-shaped dock, some boatmen are lazily waiting for incoming ships while another is tinkering about in a little place in the back, fitted up as a workshop.

In the smaller, towerlike second story, the telegraph operator of the Western Union is kept busy, besides his routine work, in receiving and transmitting messages coming in from Fire Island, the Highlands, and Sandy Hook. from which places the arrival of ships is successively reported for the benefit of the public.

On two sides of his den, long, narrow openings are arranged in the wall. Through these openings, the operator thrusts his telescope, which he uses to verify the names of the ships as they pass him and perhaps other details occasionally.

But the watchers in the room below have seen a large steamer coming in and the big bell hanging suspended on a forked pole before the door is vigorously tolled. The signal is intended for the doctors who live in the two houses perched picturesquely between the trees higher up from the shore.

Boarding Incoming Steamships

Vessels are boarded as soon as possible after arrival, and thus, only a few minutes later, a blue-uniformed figure comes hurrying down the wooden flights of steps leading from the offices and dwellings to the dock. It is one of the two deputies who assist the Chief Health Officer and to whom falls a good share of the outside, routine work.

The latest report of the Health Officer reveals plenty of this. It shows that 5,758 vessels from foreign ports and 1,842 from domestic ports arrived and were inspected at Quarantine during 1890, the passenger steamers bringing over 370,000 steerage passengers.

The George A. Preston Tugboat

Beside the dock lies the tugboat of the station, the George A. Preston, with the official yellow flag fluttering at its stern. (Yellow, by the way, gruesomely suggestive of that dread fever from the South, is the official color of Quarantine.) The captain is already at his place in the wheelhouse, and as soon as the doctor and the Associated Press agent get on board, off they go.

They have already put in two hours of hard work in the early morning, and there is more before them, for away down the bay, there are a number of black dots rapidly resolving themselves into incoming ships, among them one of those huge transatlantic ferryboats. The little steamboat puffs and reels as it makes straight for the first arrival, a Scandinavian freight steamer.

As we near it, the men begin to tumble up on deck from all points. When we make it fast to the vessel's side, and the doctor reaches the ship's ladder with a long jump and clambers up, they are drawn in line, ready for inspection. The crew that stands before the officer is composed principally of descendants of those hardy Norsemen who " discovered" America on their hook ages ago.

A Bill of Health

Everything is found in good order, and the bill of health is banded over, together with the regular fee of O. (All masters of ships from foreign ports must present such a bill of health, duly executed by the consul, vice consul, or other consular officials of the United States at such port, setting forth the sanitary condition and history of the vessel.)

Morgue, Crematorium, And Wards On Swinburne Island. Frank Leslie's Popular Magazine, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 14fff9a78f

A similarly satisfactory state of affairs prevails on the next ship, a West Indian freight steamer, except that there is an uncertified bale of skins on board. The word is passed to the tug's captain for the necessary disinfectants. A blue-coated boatman hustles up the ladder with a huge black bottle. It contains vitriol oil, a little of which is mixed in a pail with some other chemicals, placed beside the bale, and covered.

A good whiff of the potent vapor from this mixture is enough to take your breath away, and the steaming disinfectant thoroughly permeates the entire bale. Vitriol or sulphuric acid oil is generally used to disinfect all animal products not vouched for by certificate as having come from healthy animals or having been shipped from an infected point.

Disinfecting A Ship

If there is a case of infectious disease, like smallpox, on board, the most potent disinfectant, sulfur, is used in the patient's room. Chlorine gas is employed in regular fumigation, while a strong solution of bichloride of mercury is used for cholera and yellow fever.

Quarantine

Quarantine applied only against yellow fever, cholera, typhus or ship fever, smallpox, and "any new disease of a contagious, infectious or pestilential nature." However, by the Act of Legislature of 1885, scarlatina, diphtheria, measles, and relapsing fever were added to the diseases subject to quarantine at the port of New York.

Meanwhile, other ships have been arriving and are awaiting their turn in a long, straggling line. They are taken up as nearly as possible in the order of their arrival. The little tug turns on its center and steams a short distance to where the large passenger steamer we saw coming up before is now lying; the vessel is one of the Hamburg Line.

Telegraph Office and Quarantine Boathouse. Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 1500059b6c

As we neared the floating palace, we dined with the officers standing in the center of the ship—a fine-looking body of men, broad-shouldered, well-built Teutons. The cabin passengers are gathered together aft, divided off by a rope stretched from side to side. At the same time, the forward deck is black with a mass of steerage passengers 350 in number.

A few minutes later, the latter passes in a single file before the Health Officer; those who forget to uncover their heads are quickly reminded of the fact by the ship's officers' energetic "Hal 61". Each one holds up his green ticket, which furnishes evidence of his vaccination by the ship's surgeon, which he will also need on some of the emigrant trains going West.

What a heterogeneous stream of humanity passes before us! Germans from all parts of the empire; Austrians, their trousers thrust into high boots, shiny and smooth except for the accordion-like wrinkles at the bottom, over the feet; Russian and Polish Jews, the men usually wearing very long and heavy coats and an apologetic air, with strings of children, carried, dragged and stumbling along; Arabs, Italians, and what not, most of them with a half-scared, furtive air, which some make an unsuccessful attempt to conceal under an assumption of bravado or jocularity.

It is surprising that a large percentage of the people are Germans of the better classes, many of them evidently well educated, forced for reasons of economy to avail themselves of the cheapest mode of traveling to the promised land of the thousands who hope to better their condition.

But the inspection is over, and the officious little steamer turns in its tracks again and makes straight for a large sailing vessel that has cast anchor nearer shore. This ship is from Rotterdam. The usual questions are answered satisfactorily: the captain's name, the duration of the voyage, the number of men, what cargo, the consignee's name, and the broker's name.

Swinburne Island (top) And Hoffman Island (bottom). Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 1500022e03

The skipper is unprovided with a bill of health. However, this omission makes a difference of $3 to him. On the other side, he could have procured it for $2; here, it costs him O. Again, the tug swerves off, and a few minutes later, we are lying beside a magnificent four-master. It has come from the Philippine Islands, and the sailors form a crew made up of a medley mixture of slight Chinamen, heavy, bushy-bearded Scandinavians, swarthy, powerful Malays, dark-skinned West Indians, and other exotic nationalities.

We now steam back to the dock, examining two small sailing boats from Georgia. The lanky skipper of one of them—proud commander of a crew of six—when ordered to hand over his health bill and the obligatory fee of $1, in his anxiety and excitement, risks a broken leg in his hurried scramble over the lumber-piled up high on his deck. However, the necessary formalities are observed, and the worthy salt may proceed on his way.

The little steamer swings in at the dock again but does not stay long. In a short while, a gentleman in civilian attire gets on board. Dr. Smith,* the Chief Health Officer, will visit Hoffman Island this morning.

* The above was written just before Dr. William T. Jenkins succeeded Dr. Smith. Another change must also be noted: the appointment of Dr. A. T. Tallmadge in place of Dr. A. W. Smith, deputies accompanying him.

All on board are business veterans. Dr. Smith has been in charge since 1880, succeeding Dr. S. Oakley Vanderpoel. The deputies, Drs. E. 0. Skinner and A. W. Smith, have also served for several years.

William Seguine, the Health Officer's secretary, with whom we chat in the stern, has held his office since 1876. The spare-built man who is busy over a notebook just outside the pilot house, in which Captain E. F. Keegan has been turning the wheel for some eighteen years, is Richard Lee, who has represented the Associated Press ever since January 1st, 1877.

We first run over to a couple of freight steamers from Havana. On the way, we are informed that from June to September, all ships from that port (which has the name of the most infectious one in the West Indies) or any other "yellow-fever port" from which the trip is made in less than five days are detained until they have been away from it for that time, which is considered the maximum incubative period of yellow fever.

Various other precautionary measures further ensure safety against infection. The United States consuls in the West Indies, the east coast of South America, the west coast of Africa, the Spanish Main, Bahama, and Bermuda are expected to report immediately if infectious diseases become rampant at those places or if the number of deaths from infectious diseases common at any of such places rises above the usual figure. (Thus, forty-five deaths a week from yellow fever is considered the maximum in Havana.)

In such cases, incoming ships from those parts are stopped at the Lower Quarantine, six miles below the upper station. Here, a boat is permanently moored, from which such vessels are boarded. If there are cases on board, they are removed to Swinburne Island, and the ship is allowed to go on its way after proper fumigation.

Formerly, all vessels liable for quarantine were compelled to discharge "in quarantine" and were detained for ten to thirty days; the law provided warehouses, docks, and wharves for such vessels.

Nowadays, exemption from long delays and substantial expense at Quarantine is the inducement offered to masters or owners of vessels to adopt vigorous protective measures against infection at the beginning of a trip.

Calling The Crew Of A Steamer. Frank Leslie's Popular Magazine, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 21e8516184

Vessels from ports subject to yellow fever, for instance, were formerly detained for forty-eight hours at the Lower Quarantine for fumigation and then permitted to proceed to the upper bay, between Bobbin's Reef Lighthouse and Bedloe's Island, where their cargoes were discharged into lighters, and the vessel cleansed and allowed to proceed to the wharf.

Under Dr. William M. Smith's regime, much of this cumbersome and unnecessary mode of procedure has been eliminated. Suppose there is good evidence that the incoming vessel is not infected. In that case, it is allowed to proceed with as little delay as possible, the detention lasting only ten or twelve hours.

Therefore, the masters and owners of such vessels naturally strive to have a clean record and do their best to preserve their people from contagion. As we have seen before, an exception to this rule is made in the case of vessels arriving from yellow-fever ports with passengers or a crew on shore within five days prior to their arrival, during which vessels are detained until the five-day period is over.

This plan has achieved the most satisfactory results, and the arrival of a vessel infected with yellow fever is an infrequent event. In a word, ships are now restored to commerce with as much expedition as is consistent with the protective purposes of Quarantine.

Meanwhile, we have already reached the ships and are staying out of the required five-day term. After double fumigation with oil of vitriol in buckets placed in the hold, they will be allowed to pass up.

This done, we turn around and steam down toward Hoffman Island. On our way, we learned about the object of our visit there. A steamer of the Belgian line came in a few days before with a smallpox patient on board. The sick man was taken to the Reception Hospital on Sixteenth Street, New York City, and then transferred to North Brother Island in Long Island Sound.

Vaccinated Steerage Passengers

Those steerage passengers who had been vaccinated before the disease broke out were allowed to land, and the steamer passed on after proper fumigation. The Quarantine people immediately immunized the other emigrants and were then transferred to Hoffman Island at the steamship company's expense. Here, after the second day of their sojourn, the Health Officer visited them daily.

Those on whom, upon examination, the vaccination is proven to have been successful are soon taken away; the others must remain for two weeks, within which period the disease will reveal itself if present. As they stay here at the expense of the steamship company, the latter has a good reason for seeing that its passengers are effectually vaccinated at the beginning of the trip.

Dr. Smith has frequently urged them to do this, and his efforts have been successful to a considerable degree. Dr. Smith also repeatedly pointed out the inefficiency of the medical service, especially for merchantmen, and suggested that better salaries be paid to ensure the procuring of competent medical officers on ships.

Even the financial interests of the steamship companies would seem to demand this, for the incompetence or carelessness of the ship's surgeon often results in detentions at Quarantine that are expensive to the vessel's owners and might have been avoided. In 1890 alone, 1,538 immigrants were removed from eight different steamers and kept at the Quarantine of Observation for periods varying from four to fourteen days.

While we are getting these facts, we have already passed by Fort Richmond and the mass of grass-covered earthworks beyond and above it, known as Fort Wadsworth, running pretty near to shore in following the channel. It is getting cooler, and a stiff little breeze blows into our faces and drives the spray of the waves onto the deck of the tug.

A water boat lies at the island's dock, vigorously pumping up Ridgewood (L. I.) water from its hold. The big yard beyond is swarming with immigrants, for some 500 have been relegated to this place for a two weeks' exile. A high fence encloses the mass of humanity on both sides, and the Quarantine people at once take up their position at a table by a gate, through which each person passes after being examined. It is now lunchtime, and we have a reasonable opportunity to assure ourselves that the immigrants kept here are well-fed and cared for.

We clamber on shore and enter the New Administration Building on our right. The examinations are almost completed, but the large dining room remains empty. We pass through the spacious kitchen, where large, fine chunks of meat are being cut up by the steamship's stewards, who are kept here with their steerage passengers, while the cook is perspiring and poking around about some huge kettles, in which potatoes and other eatables are steaming and simmering.

In all these rooms, the ceilings are of galvanized corrugated iron. The wails, up to a height of about five feet from the bottom, are made of imported white enameled bricks, the smooth glaze on which ensures cleanness, dryness, and an absence of lodging place for disease germs, as also does the asphalt under your feet in the dormitories, which are located in two separate buildings.

Interior Of A Hospital Ward - Swinburne Island. Frank Leslie's Popular Magazine, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 21e88afeb0

The beds in these—bands of canvas stretched on frames of iron tubing—are folded upward and back against the wall and fastened to hooks when not in use. Mattresses were found to be of no particular use here except to breed vermin.

We then pass through the laundry, where the clothes are hung over horizontal poles fitted in upright boards at each end after being washed. These sliding frames are run together into a solid row, and steam does the drying as it does the cooking. From here, we go up to what is, perhaps, the most interesting place in the building—the disinfecting chamber. A series of sliding frames occupy this, ranging along narrow passageways. Three wire baskets are hung in each of these frames, one above the other.

Each basket is intended to hold the clothing of one person or family when disinfection is going on. A tag is affixed to each basket for identification, and the frames, which run on overhead tracks, are pushed back, their ends forming a solid along the passageway.

Everything in the chamber is iron, and the place is as airtight as possible. Nine thousand feet of coiled piping passes through the MOM.

The disinfection process exhausts the air in the chamber, and the stanchions in the room support the enormous pressure from above. "The doors and room," we are told, "are calculated to withstand the pressure of 7 pounds per square inch," and gauges are so placed as to indicate the pressure. Superheated steam is let in under high pressure, rising to about 250°, more or less, as desired.

There is a thermometer in each of the three sections of the disinfecting room. As shown by these, the degree of heat is indicated to the engineer below utilizing bells over the engine room door, worked by electric connections. Thus, the amount of heat desired can be regulated at will. After disinfection, the effects are taken, if necessary, to the drying room, where steam dries them.

Formerly, much of the work was done in the Old Administration Building, which contains Superintendent Bernard A. Owens's dwelling and accommodations for cabin passengers. But considerable and important improvements have been undertaken at Hoffman Island within the last three years, the necessity for which became manifest when the grim visage of cholera loomed up before the port in 1887 like a threatening thundercloud.

The importance of being ready for such dread visitors, who threaten destruction to health and business alike, was hardly recognized until so forcibly presented. However, over $200,000 was appropriated to improve the Quarantine of Observation.

To mention but a part of the work that has been accomplished: The masses of sand around the buildings have disappeared under a layer of broken stones, and the whole place is paved with asphalt. The same material also covers the floors of the dormitories, rendering them impervious to disease germs.

Fumigating Room - Quarantine. Frank Leslie's Popular Magazine, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 21e88e3027

Sixty-eight metallic bathtubs have been placed in place of the formerly used half-barrels. The closets discharge into porcelain-lined troughs, where the dejecta can be disinfected. If necessary, a valve closes the opening in the sewer until that object has been affected. They are placed in annex buildings erected beside the two dormitories. Each building is divided into four sections, which communicate respectively with four corresponding divisions in the dormitory, divided off by galvanized iron partitions.

It is perhaps not widely known that Hoffman and Swinburne Islands are not entirely natural formations but mainly artificial constructions. They are both built on West Bank, a long strip of sandbar lying just east of the channel that runs southeast of Staten Island.

The sand is enclosed by cribwork protected by heavy riprap and by a concrete wall surrounding each island, inside the cribwork and extending from below the low-water mark to a foot above the islands' surface.

The foundation of Swinburne Island was laid in 1866, and that of Hoffman Island some two years later. The first was completed in 1870, the second in 1873. The improvements made within the last three years have, however, brought the total cost to pretty near $3,000,000.

Swinburne Island, as it now stands, after the improvements it has undergone—with its rows of hospital wards, its crematory and mortuary (masons des mores), the new dock, seventy-five feet long, the breakwater that makes a safe slip north of this dock for vessels, and all the other necessary arrangements, as complete as any in the world—is as satisfactory as the plans intended it to be.

As we have seen, Hoffman Island is not a hospital but simply a "Quarantine of Observation" for those who have been exposed to smallpox or typhus. Twelve thousand emigrants have been isolated here since 1880.

The other island, Swinburne, is a simple hospital intended solely for yellow fever and cholera eases. It has been used for this purpose since its completion in 1870, in place of the " floating hospital " called for by law. The ten white hospital wards, opening from both sides of a central hallway, are airy and pleasant, each ward forming a building by itself. Superintendent John Butler's dwelling was made of wood, and the other buildings were made of brick.

Patients Who Die

Those of the patients who die are cremated unless their relatives or friends object. The effects of the sick are fumigated with sulfur. In case of the owner's death, if not claimed by the heirs within two months, they are delivered to the public administrator.

Those of the dead who are to be buried must be placed in metallic coffins, and if they die in the hot season, their bodies go to the mortuary. Here, they are placed in metallic boxes, and the latter are sealed up until the weather becomes cooler. The mortuary lies just behind the crematory, in which latter place there stands a row of numbered brown earthenware jars containing the unclaimed ashes of some half a dozen of those who have been incinerated here.

Until a few years ago, those who died in Quarantine were buried at Seguine Point. When the crematory upon Swinburne Island was finished in 1889, the remains of those buried at the cemetery were disinterred and incinerated on the spot in a rude but effective furnace. The quarantine people then abandoned Seguine Point.

By the way, Swinburne Island was originally to be named after Governor Dix; however, by an Act of May 15th, 1872, it received the name of Dr. Swinburne, under whose direction it was built.

Before the erection of these islands, and to meet the emergency created by the destruction of the Quarantine hospitals at Tompkinsville in September 1857, the sick were taken on board the hospital ship moored at the Lower Quarantine Station. Just below this ship is the anchorage ground of the Lower Quarantine, designated by yellow buoys.

Superintendents House - Hoffman Island. Frank Leslie's Popular Magazine, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 21e89001fa

The present ship, the S. D. Carlton, is no longer the "floating hospital" provided for by law but simply a floating station from which ships are boarded from ports infected by yellow fever or cholera.

A very simple signaling system reports the arrival of suspected vessels. This system works more surely and is less troublesome than the telegraphic connection formerly tried and found wanting.

The yellow flag that usually floats on the front of the "hospital ship "—from the foremast head—is transferred to the mizzenmast head, and the American flag takes its place. This is seen at Swinburne Island above. From there, the telegraph carries the news to the Quarantine Station, from where they go down to board the detained ships.

While absorbing all this information, we boarded the tugboat once more. There is more routine work in the afternoon. Still, we spent a little time profitably chatting with Secretary Seguine, who gave us some interesting historical data, for quarantine has its history.

The port of New York, through its extended trade, is peculiarly exposed to the introduction of contagious diseases, which has at various times been brought rather forcibly to the attention of the powers that be. Numerous laws have been enacted to protect public health.

As early as 1647, the Council adopted measures to prevent the introduction of epidemic diseases into New York. In 1714, His Majesty's Council issued an order directing that vessels from Jamaica be quarantined at Staten Island, and two years later, this order was extended to all vessels from the West Indies.

The first quarantine law for New York harbor passed by the Colonial Legislature was enacted in 1758 and provided for quarantine at Bedloe's Island; the State Legislature re-enacted this law in 1784. In 1794, the Governor was authorized to appropriate Governor's Island for quarantine purposes, and five years later, Staten Island was designated instead. Full authority was given for securing an anchorage ground and erecting a hospital to be known as the Marine Hospital.

In 1801, the Quarantine establishment was finally instituted at Tompkinsville, Staten Island, upon the site of the present Cotton Docks, where it remained for over sixty years.

Though New York was no doubt satisfied with the change that removed Quarantine further from the city, Staten Island was not. With the increase in population, the growing hostility against the institution became so bitter that the Legislature, in 1857, passed an Act to secure the selection of another site.

George Hall, Egbert Benson, and Obadiah Brown, the first Quarantine Commissioners appointed under this law, chose Sandy Hook, but New Jersey objected. Failing here, they pitched upon Segnine Point, at the southern end of Staten Island, and began erecting the necessary buildings. The inhabitants, however, cut off Quarantine from that quarter by turning out on May 6, 1857, and setting fire to the establishment.

A second attempt to obtain Sandy Hook, which had also failed, continued in use at the old station at Tompkinsville. This incensed the surrounding population that they followed the example of their Seguine Point brethren. On the night of September 1st-2rd, it destroyed the place where their petitions and remonstrances could not dislodge. The county later had to foot the bills, for by law, it was held responsible for the damage done by its mob.

To meet the emergency thus created, the Commissioners decided upon the construction of a floating hospital but changed their minds. In 1858, they hit upon " Old Orchard Shoals" in Raniton Bay as a site, but plans were also not carried out. In 1859, another Commission was appointed, consisting of Horatio Seymour, John C. Green, and Ex-Governor Patterson, and the " floating hospital " idea was finally adopted. The steamship Falcon was purchased for that purpose and located below the Narrows.

The general government also provided the Quarantine people with the steamers Illinois and Empire City. Illinois served until 1888 when it was finally abandoned, and the B. D. Carlton was purchased to take its place.

The arrangements were still inadequate in the early sixties. On April 23, 1863, however, the General Quarantine Act was passed, establishing a general system of quarantine for the port. By this Act, the permanent office of Quarantine Commissioners was created, and their duties and powers, with those of the Health Officer, were more closely defined.

Among the subsequent amendatory Acts was April 22, 1867, which provided a permanent structure on the West Bank, a temporary one on Barren Island, and a landing and boarding station on the west end of Coney Island. Of the last two projects, nothing more was heard. Still, the construction of Hoffman and Swinburne Islands on the West Bank was duly undertaken, and the location of the present hoarding station was established just above Fort Wadsworth in 1874.

On Board An Emigrant Steamer - Passing The Doctor. Frank Leslie's Popular Magaine, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 21e8bdfb7f

Thus, out of all these difficulties—occasioned to a great extent by the apathy of the people, out of which they were occasionally aroused by the alarming proximity of Yellow Jack and cholera—there has arisen a Quarantine establishment that probably excels in completeness any other in the world.

The confidence in its efficiency has made the air of secrecy that formerly enshrouded all Quarantine activities a thing of the past. Still, if the methods down there were as well known as they ought to be, some of the misstatements made by the newspapers during the late " hunger-typhus " scare might have been avoided.

Vaccinating Immigrants. Frank Leslie's Popular Magazine, June 1892. GGA Image ID # 21e954b55a

A perusal of the collected laws relating to Quarantine will convince us that they are, in some measure, antiquated and conflicting. Still, the jurisdiction of the Quarantine establishment extends from Sandy Hook to Hell Gate. The Health Officer is invested with almost unlimited discretionary power, which has been used with good judgment.

However, anyone aggrieved by a Health Officer's decision may appeal to the Commissioners of Quarantine, whose decision is final in that case.

Violation of the Quarantine regulations, or obstruction of the officers in the performance of their duty, is punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 or by imprisonment of not less than three nor more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. And masters of vessels who refuse or neglect to furnish all necessary information to the Health Officer are punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000, imprisonment not exceeding twelve months, or both.

By the law of April 11th, 1888, the annual salary of the Health Officer was fixed at $10,000, and all fees were legalized. The fee for the inspection of vessels from foreign ports was reduced from $0.50 to $5.00, and that for vessels from domestic ports south of Cape Henlopen, formerly $1.00, $2.00, and $3.00, according to the vessel's tonnage, has been fixed at the uniform rate of $1.00 for all classes.

The fee for boarding at night is reduced from $15.00, $10.00, and $8.00 to the uniform rate of $5.00. The same amount constitutes the disinfection fee, which formerly ranged from $3.00 to $8.00.

Since the Act of 1801 was passed, providing for the appointment of a Health Officer, the following M.D.s have served in that capacity :

Physicians Serving As Health Officers Since 1801

* Dr. William T. Jenkins succeeded Dr. Smith on February lst, 1892.

While we are listening and reading, a steamer of the Compagnie Transatlantique has come in. It is growing late, and a raw wind has arisen and blows hard over the water while the sky has become dismally gray in tone. A merry babble of voices is borne over to us from the steamer's deck, and a clarinet's shrill, squeaking notes rise high above the faintly heard hubbub.

They are anxious to reach the Compagnie's dock before nightfall, and the big ship steams slowly up the bay, with the small black-and-white Quarantine tug puffing along beside it. They have lost some time already because the Portuguese steamer that came in just before from the Azores has been subjected to a comprehensive and careful examination, having brought smallpox on its two preceding trips. But there is no more work to be done after this, as it is nearly six o'clock, at which hour the working day ends here.

Feeling relief, we leave the damp wind at the waterside and board the northbound train at the Fort Wadsworth station, a quarter of a mile beyond.

But as we glide homeward on the Staten Island Ferry boat, our glance, following the impulse of the many impressions we have received, naturally turns back once more in the direction where New York has set up her wall of protection against the insidious attacks of subtle and deadly epidemics.

White, Frank Linstow, "Barriers Against Invisible Foes" in Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly, Vol XXXIII, No. 6, June 1892

Disease Quarantine of Inbound Vessels

A Critical Look at Immigration Health Inspections at Ellis Island

Ellis Island is often remembered as the gateway to the American dream, but it also served as a barrier against invisible threats—infectious diseases that could devastate the population. The quarantine and inspection process for inbound vessels played a crucial role in shaping immigration policies, public health measures, and the experiences of immigrants arriving in the United States. This article, Disease Quarantine of Inbound Vessels, offers a detailed and captivating exploration of how America protected its borders from epidemics while welcoming millions of newcomers.

For teachers, students, genealogists, family historians, and researchers, this article is a must-read, providing rare insights into the medical inspections, quarantine procedures, and challenges faced by immigrants before they could set foot on American soil.

Why This Article is Essential for Immigration History Studies

✔ Comprehensive Look at Quarantine Measures – Learn how incoming ships were boarded, inspected, and sometimes detained before passengers could reach Ellis Island.

✔ Insight into Public Health Policies – Discover the strategies used to prevent outbreaks of smallpox, cholera, typhus, and yellow fever, including fumigation, vaccination, and isolation at Hoffman and Swinburne Islands.

✔ First-Hand Descriptions of Medical Inspections – The article vividly details the rigorous health checks performed on immigrants, from physical examinations to document verification and disinfection processes.

✔ The Role of Quarantine Islands – Hoffman and Swinburne Islands served as detention centers for infected passengers, and this article provides an in-depth look at the conditions, facilities, and medical treatments offered there.

✔ Historical Documentation of Immigrant Health Risks – The article highlights real cases of diseased passengers, contaminated cargo, and emergency medical interventions at the New York port, showing the critical role of Ellis Island as a health checkpoint.

Key Highlights from the Article

1. The Process of Boarding and Inspecting Ships

• Ships arriving in New York Harbor were met by quarantine officials, who conducted on-board inspections.
• Health officers in blue uniforms quickly boarded each vessel, questioning captains about any signs of disease.
• The George A. Preston tugboat transported health officials to inspect arriving vessels.

2. The Role of Quarantine Islands (Hoffman & Swinburne)

• Ships with infected passengers were diverted to Hoffman Island for observation.
• Patients with severe illnesses such as cholera or yellow fever were taken to Swinburne Island, which functioned as an isolation hospital.
• Immigrants were subjected to vaccinations, medical check-ups, and disinfection before being released.

3. The Rigorous Medical Examination of Immigrants

• Steerage passengers were lined up and individually inspected for disease symptoms.
• Vaccination records were mandatory—immigrants without proof were immediately vaccinated.
• Baggage was often fumigated with sulfur or vitriol oil to prevent the spread of infections.

4. The Science of Quarantine and Disinfection

• Ships from disease-prone regions were held for a five-day period before being allowed into the harbor.
• The use of superheated steam, chlorine gas, and bichloride of mercury was standard for disinfection.
• A fumigation chamber at Ellis Island used high-pressure steam to sterilize immigrants' clothing.

5. The Impact of Quarantine Policies on Immigrants

• Many hopeful immigrants spent weeks or months in detention, waiting for medical clearance.
• Families were sometimes separated—if one member was deemed unfit, they faced deportation or prolonged detention.
• The financial burden often fell on steamship companies, who were required to cover quarantine costs.

Why This Article is a Must-Read for Various Audiences

🔹 For Teachers & Students: This article provides primary-source descriptions of the medical inspection process, which can be used in history lessons covering Ellis Island, public health, and immigration policies.

🔹 For Genealogists & Family Historians: If your ancestors came through Ellis Island, this article helps you understand the health-related challenges they may have faced, including quarantine records that could hold clues to your family history.

🔹 For Public Health Scholars: A fascinating exploration of early disease control efforts and how Ellis Island served as a frontline defense against global epidemics.

🔹 For Immigration Policy Researchers: Provides a historical perspective on how health screenings shaped immigration law, leading to policies that still influence border control today.

Final Thoughts: A Fascinating Look at the Hidden Side of Ellis Island

Ellis Island was more than just a place where immigrants were welcomed—it was also a fortress protecting the U.S. from deadly diseases. The quarantine process was one of the most critical but often overlooked aspects of immigration history. Disease Quarantine of Inbound Vessels sheds light on this crucial topic, offering a riveting and informative exploration of the medical, legal, and logistical challenges of immigration screening.