NINE DEATHS!

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3393, 8 December 1911, Page 3

NINE DEATHS!

CONDITIONS ON AN IMMIGRANT SHIP. AFTERMATH OF SCURVY AND TYPHOID. Revelations of an awful nature concerning the treatment of immigrants on board the steamer Torilka, which arrived in Brisbane on October 9. have just been made, owing to an outbreak of typhoid fever and scurvy among the members of a family recently landed from tho Torilla and the deatli of a young girl from the disease. They were apparently numerous complaints of bad food, over-crowding, and sickness during tho voyage. The Commissioner for Public Health when seen, stated that on the arrival of the Torilla in Brisbane the vessel was examined by the Health Officer, and given a clean bill. More than that lie declined to say. The Under-Secretary to The Premier denied any knowledge of an inquiry into the matter by the Premier, hut promised to consult Mr Denham after tho morning's Cabinet meeting. Inquiries in other directions, however, elicited the fact that ‘after the Torilla arrived in Brisbane, and: the passengers had gone to their destination, a girl passenger died in Ipswich from typhoid, and an outbreak of typhoid. occurred among the meanbors of the Brampton family, who number eleven (father, mother, and nine children). Into these cases tho Federal Government officials have been inquiring, and tracing the movements of passengers. in order to ascertain what further cases may have occurred.

THE DEATH SHIP.. The Torilla left London with 1610 immigrants, and l arrived in Brisbane on October 9, making the voyage via Torres Straits. While the ship was on the high seas, nine deaths occurred, including seven infants, chiefly., it is said, from diarrhoea, there being a severe outbreak of tho complaint on board. Complaints of overcrowding and insufficient food were made by some of the immigrants at Brisbane; but the Chief Secretary’s Department, after making inquiries of the Immigration Department officers at northern ports, where the Torilla first touched, decided that a formal inquiry was not warranted ; previous inquiries into complaints regarding tho immigrant vessels Dturn an and Oswestry Grange having disclosed largely unfounded stories. It is understood l that the Federal Quarantine officers’ theory is that tho Torilla caiiredi a typhoid contract on hoard. Such sufferers do not reveal tho fact that they carry the disease; but nevertheless they communicated it to others. SCANDALOUS TREATMENT.

Inquiries at Texas (Q.) show that when the Frampton family arrived at that town the whole lot, with the exception of the father, wore suffering from scurvy and typhoid. One of the little girls died a few days after arrival. The mother, worn out with the disease, also collapsed and died. Tho eldest boy is not expected t-o live, and the rest of the children are in a critical condition.

From inquiries that have been made it is evident that this unfortunate family met with scandalous treatment whilst on board the Torilla. Mr. Frampton says that they had practically no green vegetables or lime during the whole voyage, and the sanitary arrangements were filthy. The Premier was written to regarding the matter, and he sent down a h< a,lth officer to examine some of the passengers, and to ascertain some of the facts. There were a number of deaths on the voyage, and the health official has stated that a number of typhoid cases had been reported since flic passengers landed from the Torilla.