THE QUARANTINE ISLAND.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2483, 31 January 1871, Page 2

THE QUARANTINE ISLAND.

The necessity for measures for securing the Province, against the introduction of infectious diseases, was lately brought prominently into notice by the breaking out of fever on board the Robert Henderson during (lie voyage from Great Britain, the subsequent death of one passenger on the Quarantine Island, the breaking out of fever in Dunedin after the release of the passengeis from quarantine, and the sad death of the daughter of Dugall, who has charge of the buildings. Our readers will remember that on the announcement of the' arrival of the vessel with fevt-r on hoard, the Board of Health immediately met for consultation, and decided to place the passengers and crew in quarantine. But when they examined t e buildings, they were f mud to be so sadly out of repair that, notwithstanding rheur. ency, the passengers were competed to remain on board, exposed to all the dangers of infection, until through great exertion the necessary work could be done. We hope that strict inquiry will be made as to the reasons why these buildings were allowed to fall into decay; for we believe there is no doubt that some twelve months back the Board left a memorandum rccommen ling immediate attenti n, and that some few months ago the Superintendent gave pos tivo instructions that they should be attended to ; bu‘. nothing was done by the Land ard Works Department. Considering the kindly solicitude lately expressed by the head of that department for the‘welfare of immi. grants, this is the .more surprising—but true it is—nothing had been done. Perhaps had not the disease re-appeared in Dunedin, we should not have had the curiosity to pursue inquiry further ; but feeling that publ'o sa F ety r quired investigation, we determined to visit the island to ascertain the nature of the s' nit ary arrangements. ’ Most peop'c are aware that Quarantine Island is the central is’and of the chain that crosses the Bay at Port Chalmers. It is scarcely possible to imagine a spqt better fitted by nature for a sauitorium. The laud slopes upward from the Bay. It is well grassed and wooded. Mr Dugall who Jives there with his family has cleared and fenced a considerable area, and there are winding walks and sheltered nooks where the temporary residents can take exercise or indulge in amusements. The scenery around is romantic and beautiful, and the bracing wind from the oqean seems to bring health with' it as it breathes so cool and sweet and fresh upon the cheeks. At the landing place, a little causeway running out into the water, we were met by Mr Dugall, who politely accompanied ns over the ground and buildings. Wc must say we were absolutely shocked'at the niggardliness and ignorance displayed in the preparations. Mr Dugall has everything as clean and neat as scouring and labor can make them. He does his duty well; but there is not a building nor an arrangement that is not a disgrace to the Provincial Government. There is no well contrived convenience for storing water, no cooking apparatus, no disinfecting house, no washhouse, no baths. The first sight that meets the eye on landing, is a row of large tubs painted white, lying ou their sides on gauntrees, intended at one time to be filled with water imported from Port Chalmers ; but the hoops are off the tubs and they are falling to pieces. So useless were they, that in a hurry a few large iron tanks were sent for the Robert Henderson’s passengers, but they aproar to have been pitched upon the Wharf and left where they happened to land, and they are too heavy to be moved bv one man, even with his wife's help. TheWery lab r of carrying the water up from the landing a tendency to limit the use of it not withstanding its necessity for cleanliness and health, I lie buildings themselves are utterly umuited for lodgings for a great number of persons and seem intended tq induce and perpetuate disease, There are two j one seems to be about one hundred fPet long, and must serve as dormitory,

eating, drinking, and assembling rooms. It is wind and water-tight. The ground floor is divided into several small rooms—most of them about 8 x 12, and two in which married people are supposed to be accommodated, 14 x 12. The upper room is in the roof, and here we believe, for the sake of mo ality, the young iady passengers are stowed. How many are destined at any time to huddle together there, Heaven knows —but we venture to say there is not one that would not as soon remain on board of ship as attempt to r st in that close room, tainted with air vitiated by having been breathed by those below, and compelled to inhale it, compressed as it is beneath a ceiling, in the centre of which, only, is it possible to stand upright, if there is one thing more nccessan than another to preserve health, it is fresh air ; hut here, ns throughout Dunedin, the architect has scorned all attempts at ventilation. This horrid dungeon is for the accommodation of those who are well. Leaving this barbarian lazaretto, and going to the hospital, we were shown a rectangular building, divided into fmir compartments on the ground floor, in one of which Mr Dugall and his family live. The others were for the sick, and as in the other case there is a floor in the roof. For the sick there are absolutely no arrangements—no couches—no fire-places —no lavatories—no means of change of air, except by op ning windows or doors, and since the seams were made up to prevent draughts, no ventilation. In the roof there was a row of buckets to catch the water which, through a defect in the construction of the roof, flows into the room whenever rain falls. In both buildings there are cribs for sleeping in, but some of them are so dark, so cramped, and so confined, that it is a disgrace to put a child into them. Like the other building, the hospital is nnventilated. We have a well regulated gaol at Dunedin for our criminals, a splendid hospital for the sick, a lunatic asylum for the insan' 1 , a benevolent institution for the poor, and an industrial school for neglected children. Frchof these institutions is an honor to the Province, but the quarantine establishment is a disgrace to humanity. Like all other outrages upon Heaven’s laws, it is bringing punishment upon us for neglect. One of the most important processes connected with quarantine regulators is disinfecting the clothes and luggage of the immigrants. There should bo a separate house with apparatus for this ; but since no means of doing it is provided, the surgeon of the Robert Henderson was unable to have it done perb ctly. Hence the two cases of fever since the children were released from quarantine —hence the death of Dugall’s child. We trust that no man will henceforth venture to speak of humanity as connected with immigration, so long as this crying evil is mu’emedied. The last place we visited was the burying ground. Twelve graves are there, the resting places of those who left their homes in hope to labor in another country. They landed and died. The cemetery is neatly kept and palisaded. One of Mr Dugall’s children was buried there before Tuesday last, another is now added to the number. We should like the bead of the department, in whose charge the Quarantine Island is, to reflect how far Government neglect is implicated in the death of the little one whom last week we saw in apparent health at her father’s dwelling. We feel convinced that the liberality and kindness shown to the criminal, the insane, and the pauper, will not be withheld from the immigrant; and that the people of Otago will nor. tolerate that neglect which exposes those who come to dwell with jis, and thr.aigh them, ourselves, to the danger of disease or death.