JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR, SATURDAY, MAY 26TH, 1900

2020: DAY 63

SMH, p7

109 Goulburn St, Sydney, 1900 - Source: State Library of NSW

(p5) - OUR VIENNA LETTER - APRIL 12
- “Looking back over the history of this unhappy country, that never knows rest, vainly one casts about for signs of progress and improvement. Nothing is to be found but a spirit of retrogression and spiritual oppression. In legislation, in administration, no advance. In the last three years Austria had six Ministries and three of the six budgets were never passed by Parliament. … coal strikes, dangers of anarchists, German empire news, Recipe for photographic developer solution...


(p6) – DARLING HARBOUR WHARF RESUMPTION
 / AN ASSOCIATION FORMED
- of wharf & ship owners
- Editorial on garbage collection - the sooner we get an incinerator, the better


(p7 ) – WOMAN'S COLUMN The work of cleansing – is it not the true function of all women ? Do you remember that princesses and ladies of high degree did not disdain to wash the linen in the early days of the golden long ago? The lovely maidens by the river's brink, with their snowy linen outspread under the gleaming blue of the Grecian sky form a picture pleasing for all time. Though the estimation in which such work is held has degenerated … the function of the washerwoman is one of the noblest possible, typical of the best work that women can ever do, turning what is soiled and stained into what is wholesome and sweet. … “Virtue never dwelt long with filth”  

(p10) – BUBONIC PLAGUE
 / ONE FRESH CASE
- 662 rats caught.


THE CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMITTEE 
/ REPORT ON RAT DESTRUCTION – 
68,076 Killed since March 2
( & paid for @ 2d/head; a further 3000 since paid for @ 6d/head )- "A report which had been prepared by the executive showed that attention was being given to the habitations of the Chinese. Eleven Chinamen had been attacked within a few days and of these ten had died. That was an enormous fatality. [these figures overstate the official record by 50%] With all their virtues Chinamen had not the same notion of cleanliness that Europeans had." 
- proposed new by-laws to insist that baths be installed in all houses
(by landlords) ;
114 complaints for the week (Council couldn't keep up because not enough inspectors)
.
- Rat trapping - the best place to put traps, the best traps to use, the best kinds of bait, and how to handle dead rats
- Exec told Pres of Board of Health there were some grounds for believing Chinese were concealing their plague patients. 
-Insanitary conditions of schools
- complaints about damages during cleansing; Premier wouldn't admit responsibility but would pay compensation as an act of grace in some cases.

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR, FRIDAY, MAY 25TH, 1900

2020: DAY 62

SMH, p4

192-4 Elizabeth St, Sydney, 1900 - Source: State Library of NSW

p4 -EVENING EDITION / THE LATEST CABLES / THE LATEST COUNTRY AND INTERCOLONIAL TELEGRAMS / LATEST COMMERCIAL AND MARKET NEWS / SPORTING AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE  Editorial on relative sanitary virtues of Sydney & Melbourne, responding to Melb. press attacks on Sydney as one of  the most insanitary cities in the world; 
 - quotes death rate in Melb. as 17.77/1000. So, 1250 have died each year who wouldn't have if sanitation had been as good there as here. So its population would be 10 - 15,000 more if it had been more salubrious. In London, (death rate 26), 200,000 more would have lived if city as good as Sydney -> "A few facts are worth much more than florid descriptions of filth." Filth descriptions o.k. as incentive to cleaning up dirtiest places.. "But unfortunately they have had other and prejudicial influences seriously affecting the general business of the city and the trade of the port. The exaggerations have served their purpose and something more. The absolute truth requires to be known.
- Editorial on women as sanitary inspectors. Idea of femininity as being more diligent at inspection. Doubts about women because they mightn't know as much as men about drains and drainage, so they'd have to ask the men and this would duplicate services. – “A sanitary inspector is supposed to be a person who has devoted much study to the question, and who has passed the examinations required. This officer must know everything about drains and drainage, and must be able not only to point out defects, but to suggest remedies. Of course a woman can pass such an examination as well as a man, and her knowledge of drainage and cognate subjects may be just as full. In several cases, indeed, a woman inspector might do better work than a man inspector could do. … A woman keenly bent on discharging her duty might find out defects which had escaped the notice of a man inspector …. A man inspector, assured by the house- mistress that everything was all right, might be inclined to take things for granted and to report favourably on the house in question. A woman inspector who knew her business would insist on verifying the statement…" 

THE WAR / LORD ROBERTS’ SWIFT ADVANCE / HIS STRATEGY AND STRENGTH / OVERWHELMING THE BOERS / CROSSING RHENOSTER RIVER / STOUTLY DISPUTED / CO-OPERATION OF COLUMNS DEFEATS THE ENEMY / MARCH OF THE COLONIAL DIVISION / ON THE ARMY'S RIGHT FLANK / RELIEF OF MAFEKING / QUEENSLANDERS' BRAVERY / AMBUSCADE NEAR VRYHEID / LONDON, May 23.

QUEENSLANDEES' MAGNIFICENT RECKLESSNESS / LONDON, May 24. The men of the Queensland Bushmen’s Contingent, which accompanied Colonel Plumer's relieving column in the fight before Mafeking behaved with magnificent recklessness. They escaped scathless.

BUBONIC PLAGUE
 / FURTHER RELEASE OF PATIENTS 
With the apparent abatement of energy of the infection there also appears to be a falling off in the applicants for inoculation. Ever since the latest supply of prophylactic serum arrived there has been nothing approaching a rush, and the number of persons who presented themselves yesterday was less than on any day since operations commenced at the Town Hall. Drs. Shells and Doyle had only 22 persons on whom to operate, though 94 tickets were issued for that day.

A LOST TRIBE OF ESQUIMAUS
 / THEY BUILD THEIR HOMES OF WHALES' SKULLS 

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR, THURSDAY, MAY 24TH, 1900

2020: DAY 61

SMH, p4

Wexford St, Sydney, 1900 - Source: State Library of NSW

(P 3 )THE COMMONWEALTH BILL IN ENGLAND / “A GREAT FAMILY SETTLEMENT"/ " INSUPERABLE OBJECTIONS."/ MR HALDANE'S SOLUTION /OPPOSITION TO PRIVY COUNCIL CLAUSE. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, April 20.

THE SANITATION OF SYDNEY GARBAGE REMOVAL AND STREET CLEANING 
- things have improved but: "...Still in the early morning the open cart laden with rubbish drags along in its moody perambulations through the streets, heedlessly shedding as it goes part of its store, and always psreading in its tracks noisome odours." 
Council has 75 garbage removers who each supply their own horse and cart for £3/3/- per week. Drivers are assisted by labourers. Begin at 5 am. Sweep streets. Full carts to Moore Park. Service costs £250 per week. Revenue from sale of manure (horseshit) and special fees - £2500 pa.


(P4) EVENING EDITION – Australian federal delegates congratulated ‘upon the realisation of their national aspirations. Hope expressed that ‘new Commonwealth will have a long and glorious career.’ Premier of New South Wales (Mr. W. J. Lyne) has been created a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George.

Her Majesty celebrates her entry on the eighty-second year of her age to-day. As the years go on the Royal anniversary is hailed with ever-increasing enthusiasm. … It is no mere form of conventional eulogy to say that the sagacity and prudence of Queen Victoria have made her a model to constitutional sovereigns and rulers, or to claim for her personal influence a large share of the national fruits which have been harvested under her benign rule. It is not only as a model to sovereigns, but as a model to women that the Queen is conspicuous in her kingdom. In all the domestic and personal relations of life which a woman is called upon to fill, and markedly in the capacities of wife and mother, she has offered an example of all the virtues that hold the family and society together. It is those truly womanly types that sweeten life and civilise it, and not the least of the Queen's claims on the admiration of her people is the high ideal of womanhood which she has consistently presented. … The world has not before seen such a dominion as ours, or such a rapid process of empire-building. It dazzles the imagination merely to think of the extent of territory and the vast population made up of so many races so curiously differing in all the customs and modes of speech that belong to humankind. India, the Dominion of Canada, our possessions in Nigeria and along the Nile, in the African sub-continent, and not least in the soon to be realised Commonwealth of Australia, make up with the United Kingdom such an empire as the world only holds room for once or twice in history. … 

Sir William Lyne knighted: “We may presume that the main actuating cause with the Imperial Government in advising the new knighthood was a desire to recognise the Australian offer of assistance to the mother-country in the South African campaign and the prompt despatch of an exceptionally useful body of troops. Of course, all the Australian colonies took part in that demonstration of loyal service; but the mother-colony was first, and ours was the largest reinforcement.  

(P5) THE SITUATION. NEARING THE END.

(P6)  MAFEKING DAY /CITY CELEBRATIONS POSTPONED / CONTINUOUS HEAVY RAIN /DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.

BUBONIC PLAGUE
 / RELEASING OF DARLING HARBOUR WHARFS
 - 1 case, no deaths
702 rats
Works held up by rain.


THE WEATHER 
HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE CITY 
PARTS OF THE SUBURBS FLOODED 
A Downpour at the rate of nearly 4"/hr
- will bring rainfall up to average of 21" for this time of yr.

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR, WEDNESDAY MAY 23RD, 1900

2020: DAY 60

SMH

Stables in Stephen St, rear of 26 Wexford St, Sydney, 1900 - Source: State Library of NSW

NB Trove is offline this weekend so checking page numbers and adding material is temporarily unavailable.. All I have is a note fragment. But here’s a little grab from British Hansard: from the first Reading of the Commonwealth Bill, introduced on May 14th, 1900; Second reading, May 21st, 1900. [Looks like the very possibility of Australia was treated by the British for a long time in the way the current Australian Government is treating climate change: indefinite deferral of action.]

In the reign of William IV. an Act was passed for the reform of this Court, and it was provided that certain colonial as well as Indian judges should sit upon the Bench. But no colonial judge was appointed till five years ago. Ten years ago he himself pressed the necessity for further reform, with all the power a private Member possessed, upon the Government of Lord Salisbury, and he was told the matter should receive consideration; but that Government went out of power, and no consideration was given to the matter. Five years later he pressed the same consideration on the Government of Lord Rosebery, and no doubt, so far as the Colonial Office was concerned, would have received the same attention as before; but fortunately the matter was taken up by Lord Rosebery personally, who brought in a Bill limited in extent, but adding three judges from the colonies to the Judicial Committee. He agreed with the hon. Member for Haddington that if this matter had been dealt with five, or even two years previously, Clause 74 would not have appeared in this Bill. The people of Australia were to be congratulated upon having brought this matter to the attention of the Government. The Government would have allowed the matter to drag on till the Day of Judgment had not pressure been put upon them, but now there was some hope that a new, permanent, and effective colonial representation would be placed upon the Privy Council, and that we should really have a Court of Appeal for the whole Empire. For this we thank the Australian people.

The Royal Commission of Assent to the Bill was presented by Queen Victoria to Australia on July 9th, 1900. Meanwhile, we’re still back in May …

BUBONIC PLAGUE

FURTHER RELEASE FROM QUARANTINE

FALLING OFF IN INOCULATIONS
- cases in Manly traceable to one spot
 (the Camera Obscura at the pier) 776 rats
 caught. Ashburton-Thompson justifies inoculation. In only 10 cases inoculation had taken place; outbreak mild. In one case, man died, but doubt that he'd been inoculated anyway.

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR, TUESDAY, MAY 22ND, 1900

2020: DAY 59

SMH p6

Exeter Place, Sydney, 1900 - Source: State Library of NSW

(P5) – LATE EDITION. HERALD OFFICE, 6.45 a.m. THE WAR / RELIEF OF MAFEKING OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED. BOERS OBJECTING TO SACRIFICE OF LIFE. LORD ROBERTS AWAITING SUPPLIES. LONDON, May 21.

 4.30 a.m. THE RELIEF OF MAFEKING. OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. LONDON, May 21. Major-General G. Barton, commanding a brigade in Lieutenant-General Sir A.Hunter's Division, has wired to Sir Alfred Milner from Taungs, on the railway line south of Kimberley reporting that Mafeking was relieved on Thursday.

SURRENDER OF PRISONERS AND OF ARMS, LONDON May 21

THE USE OF EXPANSIVE BULLETS. LONDON, May 21. Mr Smith, an engineer has informed Lord Roberts that while the Boers were besieging Ladysmith Commandant Erasmus, who was in charge of a Transvaal laager outside the town, sent to the Free State burghers who were aiding in the siege 12,000 soft-nosed bullets to be used in the Maxims.

DEMONSTRATIONS IN ADELAIDE. / A GROCER'S SHOP ATTACKED. ADELAIDE, Monday.“To-day the demonstration in honour of the relief of Mafeking was continued with unabated vigor, and gradually gathered in strength until towards evening the whole of Adelaide's residents appeared to be in the streets singing, shouting, or industriously waving Union Jacks and banners bearing patriotic mottoes and devices. “ Mid afternoon ‘a dense and thoroughly excited crowd discovered that a leading firm of grocers was not closed’ – the shop was attacked, all its glass broken. 

FEDERATION./ DELEGATES ENTERTAINED BY LIBERALS AT CAMBRIDGE /.LONDON. May 21.

THANKSGIVING AND CELEBRATIONS LONDON May 20 Lord Mayor London attends Te Deum in St Pauls; members of the Stock Exchange sing “God save the Queen”. Inviting members of the Paris Bourse to listen to it through the telephone.

THE QUEEN SERENADED In honour of the relief of Mafeking, the Queen was serenaded at Windsor Castle by the boys from Eton

THE PUBLIC HOLIDAY / ARRANGEMENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT

HOLIDAY TRAIN ARRANGEMENTS

(p6) – REJOICINGS AT NEWCASTLE/ REJOICINGS IN QUEENSLAND / HEAVY REJOICINGS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA /CELEBRATIONS IN TASMANIA / INTENSE JOY AT LAUNCESTON / ENTHUSIASM IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA / MELBOURNE CELEBRATIONS, CONGRATULATORY CABLES

BUBONIC PLAGUE / 
INSPECTIONS IN THE GLEBE AREA – 
2 cases
 863 rats
. City Garbage Carts
 - Mayor held competition to design a cart. Can't be used because existing contract requires another cart.


(P7) – THE FEDERAL BILL / TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD “ … Let the leaders be up and doing and quit themselves like men at this great crisis in Australian history. Let them hold meetings throughout the country, at which the electors may express their protests against any alteration of the bill, and let these protests be cabled to England, thus strengthening the spirited appeal of our bravely-fighting federal delegates. Now is the time for a true display of patriotism….”

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR, MONDAY MAY 21ST, 1900

2020: DAY 58

SMH, p5

Rear, 16 Wexford St, Sydney, 1900 - Source: State Library of NSW

p5 BUBONIC PLAGUE / 
INSPECTION OF CHINESE QUARTERS
 / THE WEEKLY RETURN 
- To-day a house to house inspection will be made of the houses in the Chinese quarters of Sydney, and Dr Ashburton Thompson, speaking on the matter last night, pointed out that cases of plague amongst Chinese were discovered on April 9, 10, 23, and 26, and on May 8, 9, 15, and 17. It is just possible , he says, that the later cases show an inclination on the part of the disease to fix itself on the Chinese… [Unproven assumption]

WHARF RESUMPTION
 / THE INSANITARY CONDITION OF DARLING HARBOUR / 
PREVIOUS ACTION IN THE MATTER
 April 1875, Commodore Goodenough complained of poor sewearge system (into the harbour)
 Nov 1875: Works Dept calling for fresh tenders to dredge harbour. Only one tender received and considered too dear.
 1877: Dredging in operation …

Letter to Editor calling for rebuilding of wharves / Letter to Editor from London Missionary Society Agent complaining that presence of plague in Sydney is affecting their work in the South Seas (Landing refused at Raratonga)


p7: LATE EDITION HERALD OFFICE, 6.30 am THE WAR / BOERS REPORTED TO BE ASKING FOR PEACE. LONDON, May 20. The correspondent of the " New York Herald " at Delagoa Bay announces that the Transvaal has asked Lord Roberts to agree to a cessation of hostilities.

SCENES AT THE PARIS EXHIBITION, LONDON, May 20. The English people at the Paris Exhibition assembled and sang “ God save the Queen” when the news of the relief of Mafeking was announced. The French then applauded the Boers and the police silenced both parties

p8: P8 MILITARY DEMONSTRATIONS / BANDS, AND REGIMENTS PARADE THE CITY. The news of the relief of Mafeking aroused the greatest enthusiasm amongst military people, and during the afternoon and evening many corps and bands paraded the principal city streets in celebration of the event.

ON THE HARBOUR / AN ANIMATED SCENE Songs of triumph and shouts of joy could be heard in every part of the harbour, equally from the 6000 tons steamer as from the tiny sailing craft that skimmed the surface under the veriest “parish rig”. And the variety in the mode of decorations could scarcely be excelled …

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR, SUNDAY MAY 20TH, 1900

2020: DAY 57

WEEKLY REPORT OF BUREAUCRATIC ENDEAVOURS,
MAY 13th – MAY 19th

383 Kent St, Sydney, Rear, 1900 - Source: State Library of NSW

Register of Letters to the Colonial Secretary:* Main content - Admissions to asylums, allowances to asylums, rail passes to state employees and worthy cases, volunteers etc for South Africa
May 15th, From A Ross, MP sending thanks for the printing of a paper on public health. From the Commandant re typhoid in army camps. 
May 16th From Chief Medical Officer re Sale of old clothes wringer at Coast Hospital; May 17th, from Ah Hong re compensation; May 18th, From B.Bogan, re compensation; May 19th, From Secretary of the Board of Health re danger run in contracting plague by fire companies from country districts camped in Sydney.

Extracts from the Minutes of the Board of Health
May 15th: Mayor undertook to give instances where premises declared clean which hadn' t been entered by his inspectors.
May 17th: Letter from Dr Richard Arthur forwarded by Treasurer, suggesting that Prof. Simpson should be invited to colony in connection with plague outbreak. "Resolved, as defects in regard to sanitary conditions of Sydney are thoroughly well-known and understood and can be remedied by strict administration of existing laws, Board sees no reason for securing services of Professor Simpson at this juncture."

NSW Govt. Gazette, 1900, Vol 2, Govt. Printer, 1900
Further extensions of scheduled areas – and release and rescision of earlier scheduled areas.

Register of Deaths
Between May 13th & May 192th, there are 10 deaths from Bubonic Plague – 6 men (John Isaac Nutt, 25, Bow You, 28, Ah Hern (age unknown), Ah Chong 38, James Doherty, 70 and Joseph Sudbury Redman, 45), 3 youths (Henry Milne McDonough, 20, Bernard Sullivan, 19, David Oatzeus, 20) and an 11 year old girl (Stella Patmore) - the same number of deaths as the two previous weeks.

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR, SATUDAY MAY 19TH, 1900

2020: DAY 56

SMH, p10

27 Sussex, Sydney, after demolition, 1900 - Source: State Library of NSW

P4 QUEEN OR PRESIDENT "British hands… have made two blades of grass grow in South Africa where only one grew previously; British enterprise developed its resources, and British statesmen delivered the native tribes from slavery. We found the Transvaal poor ; we made it rich. We protected the Boers and fought their battles to maintain the supremacy of white over black. We gave the Boers their internal independence under conditions which they have never respected-conditions which were so moderate and fair that the Boer failure to fulfil them stamps the Boer Executive as a treacherous and dishonourable body. In return for our generous treatment these simple farmer soldiers have compelled us to take up arms against them in order to avert such a catastrophe as the formation of South Africa into a Dutch Republic under a Dutch standard."

P5 TELEPHONE INQUIRY BOARD. / REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS. / THE METALLIC CIRCUIT SUGGESTED. As a great many of the present troubles having been attributed to the working of the new switchboard, the inquiry board took this as a starting point for investigation. …Recommendation that ‘complete metallic circuits be adopted throughout the whole service.’

P9: THE SITUATION. MAFEKING. So far as reliable information is concerned we are no nearer to Mafeking than, according to a Boer announcement, we were yesterday. We may entertain opinions that a relief column is already in the town, but we have no reliable authority for declaring that this is the case. However ardently we may long to tell the public that Mafeking has been relieved, we are unable to positively do so, although a careful study of all the cablegraphic intelligence forces one to the conclusion that if the relief has not already been effected a British column is fighting at some point between Kralipan and Mafeking. .. We may be certain that if Mafeking is relieved telegraphic communication with Pretoria is cut off. …

P10 FEDERATION. THE COMMONWEALTH BILL. / THE APPEAL TO THE PPIVY COUNCIL. / CLAUSE 74 EXPUNGED. / LOCAL FEELING ON THE QUESTION. – a series of views expressed

BUBONIC PLAGUE 
/ WAGES IN THE QUARANTINED AREAS 
- Inspectors 15s per day; men with horses and drays 10s; and labourers, 7s. 3 cases, 1 death
811 rats
204 inoculations


HAFFKINE SERUM – 20,000 doses coming from Mauritius by British India Company steamer leaving on or about May 18, via Ceylon.

MOORE PARK TIP / 
INSPECTION BY THE PREMIER
- 1/2 dozen women just leaving with rags and rubbish. "Mr Lyne did not notice any bad smells"