Mark Baber
RIP
MAB Notes:1. After spending 1882-83 on the White Star/Occidental & Oriental transpacific service, Coptic was switched to the White Star/Shaw, Savill & Albion service to New Zealand. This article describes her return to the Pacific service, on which she spent the balance of her White Star career, which ended in 1906; look here. 2. The numbers that appear in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph are as they appear in the original but unless Coptic's crew was only seven members strong, they're certainly wrong.
The San Francisco Call, 13 April 1895
Retrieved from the California Digital Newspaper Collection web site,
http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=p&p=home
FLEW THE YELLOW FLAG
---
The Coptic Arrives From China With Smallpox on Board
---
Cabin Passengers May Be Released To-Day---The Silk Cargo Landed
---
The Occidental and Oriental steamer Coptic arrived in port yesterday from
China and Japan. The coming of the Coptic has been waited with considerable
interest, for it is many years since she was here and since that time she
has been practically rebuilt. She has been put on the China run to take the
place of the Oceanic, which was sent home to England for extensive repairs.
Those who hoped to inspect the new steamer were disappointed, for she came
into port flying the yellow flag, and the vessel and her passengers were
ordered into quarantine.
The Coptic arrived early yesterday morning, and Quarantine Officer Lawlor
boarded her off Meiggs wharf, where she dropped anchor. Two cases of
smallpox had been discovered on the trip, one of which was found to be of
the most virulent type. Dr. Lawlor ordered Captain Lindsay to steam to the
Angel Island quarantine station, and during the trip the cargo was
fumigated.
There were 466 bales of raw silk on board and the Occidental and Oriental
Company was desirous of getting the stuff ashore with all possible
expediency as in its handling time meant money. The silk is intended for the
East, and every bale was taken off and sent along toward its destination
last night. The tug Fearless was pressed into service and she made several
trips to and from the quarantine grounds during the day. The tug also
assisted in the transfer of the steerage passengers from the steamer to the
island. The cabin passengers remained on the steamer and the work of
fumigating them and the steamer will be completed to-day. It is expected
that the Coptic will dock this afternoon when the passengers will be landed.
In the steerage were 214 Chinese and 36 Japanese, and with the crew there
are in all 257 people in the quarantine station. The smallpox first broke
out on board on the 5th inst. A Chinese fireman named Ah Hee developed
unmistakable symptoms of the dread disease, and Surgeon Meloney, upon
examining him, pronounced his case the worst he ever saw. The surgeon
lost no time in isolating Ah Hee, and then proceeded to vaccinate all the
passengers. In going through the steerage, the doctor discovered that Chim
Chiang, another fireman, had a slight touch of the disease. Chim was also
isolated, and Meloney barred all the doors so that the cabin passengers
could only go on the hurricane deck. Thanks to the doctor's prompt action,
the spread of contagion was nipped in the bud, and no other cases were
developed.
The steerage passengers will remain in quarantine for seven days if no new
cases are discovered. The Coptic brings the greatest number, of Chinese
which has arrived here in a year. Of the batch of 214 there were 73 for this
city, the balance being destined for Panama and Havana. They are all
merchants.
Following is the list of cabin passengers:
George S. Arnold. Mrs. Bostwick and child, J. L. Brady, U. S. N., Mr. and
Mrs. C. E. Chapman, W. S. Crosby, U. S. N., Mr. and Mrs. Dunby, Mrs. E. S.
Dunby, Miss Dunby, Rev. and Mrs. Van Dyke and four children, H. Tuegge., E.
C. Fewell, K. J. Griffin, U. S. N., A. M .Proctor, U. S. N., J. P. J. Ryan,
U. S. N., P. Dilligio, J. B. Jobling, Rev. and Mrs. Kingman and child, C. J.
Lang, U. S. N., L. J. Magill, U. S. N., Percy C. Morriss, M. B. Pengent, U.
S. N., E. R. Pollock, U. S. N., J. B. Potter, U. S. N., W. G. Powell, U.
S.N.; H. B. Price, U. S. N., Mrs. C. V. Sale and child, Paymaster Siamm, U.
S. N., Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Smith, E. O. Tuttle, H. H. Ward, U. S. N., C.
Wells, U. S. N., Count Wickenburg.
-30-
The San Francisco Call, 13 April 1895
Retrieved from the California Digital Newspaper Collection web site,
http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=p&p=home
FLEW THE YELLOW FLAG
---
The Coptic Arrives From China With Smallpox on Board
---
Cabin Passengers May Be Released To-Day---The Silk Cargo Landed
---
The Occidental and Oriental steamer Coptic arrived in port yesterday from
China and Japan. The coming of the Coptic has been waited with considerable
interest, for it is many years since she was here and since that time she
has been practically rebuilt. She has been put on the China run to take the
place of the Oceanic, which was sent home to England for extensive repairs.
Those who hoped to inspect the new steamer were disappointed, for she came
into port flying the yellow flag, and the vessel and her passengers were
ordered into quarantine.
The Coptic arrived early yesterday morning, and Quarantine Officer Lawlor
boarded her off Meiggs wharf, where she dropped anchor. Two cases of
smallpox had been discovered on the trip, one of which was found to be of
the most virulent type. Dr. Lawlor ordered Captain Lindsay to steam to the
Angel Island quarantine station, and during the trip the cargo was
fumigated.
There were 466 bales of raw silk on board and the Occidental and Oriental
Company was desirous of getting the stuff ashore with all possible
expediency as in its handling time meant money. The silk is intended for the
East, and every bale was taken off and sent along toward its destination
last night. The tug Fearless was pressed into service and she made several
trips to and from the quarantine grounds during the day. The tug also
assisted in the transfer of the steerage passengers from the steamer to the
island. The cabin passengers remained on the steamer and the work of
fumigating them and the steamer will be completed to-day. It is expected
that the Coptic will dock this afternoon when the passengers will be landed.
In the steerage were 214 Chinese and 36 Japanese, and with the crew there
are in all 257 people in the quarantine station. The smallpox first broke
out on board on the 5th inst. A Chinese fireman named Ah Hee developed
unmistakable symptoms of the dread disease, and Surgeon Meloney, upon
examining him, pronounced his case the worst he ever saw. The surgeon
lost no time in isolating Ah Hee, and then proceeded to vaccinate all the
passengers. In going through the steerage, the doctor discovered that Chim
Chiang, another fireman, had a slight touch of the disease. Chim was also
isolated, and Meloney barred all the doors so that the cabin passengers
could only go on the hurricane deck. Thanks to the doctor's prompt action,
the spread of contagion was nipped in the bud, and no other cases were
developed.
The steerage passengers will remain in quarantine for seven days if no new
cases are discovered. The Coptic brings the greatest number, of Chinese
which has arrived here in a year. Of the batch of 214 there were 73 for this
city, the balance being destined for Panama and Havana. They are all
merchants.
Following is the list of cabin passengers:
George S. Arnold. Mrs. Bostwick and child, J. L. Brady, U. S. N., Mr. and
Mrs. C. E. Chapman, W. S. Crosby, U. S. N., Mr. and Mrs. Dunby, Mrs. E. S.
Dunby, Miss Dunby, Rev. and Mrs. Van Dyke and four children, H. Tuegge., E.
C. Fewell, K. J. Griffin, U. S. N., A. M .Proctor, U. S. N., J. P. J. Ryan,
U. S. N., P. Dilligio, J. B. Jobling, Rev. and Mrs. Kingman and child, C. J.
Lang, U. S. N., L. J. Magill, U. S. N., Percy C. Morriss, M. B. Pengent, U.
S. N., E. R. Pollock, U. S. N., J. B. Potter, U. S. N., W. G. Powell, U.
S.N.; H. B. Price, U. S. N., Mrs. C. V. Sale and child, Paymaster Siamm, U.
S. N., Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Smith, E. O. Tuttle, H. H. Ward, U. S. N., C.
Wells, U. S. N., Count Wickenburg.
-30-