ISOLATED!

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9092, 10 July 1915, Page 7

ISOLATED!

NO ADMITTANCE TO THE CAMP. VISITORS’ EXPERIENCES. “A blunt intimation that I oould not go on tho ground unless I was prepared to ho isolated for a month met ,vno When. I went out to Trentham camp on on important business mattoy to-day.” Tho speaker was a Wellington business man, a member of a woU-known -city firm which has a contract in connection with tho camp hospital, and ho was tolling a “New Zealand Times” representative of a sinister experience ho has just come through. He went to Trentham to inspect the work being done by his men, who have been living out there while engaged on the contract. When ho approached the camp, he found his way barred by a guard, which convoyed to him tho intimation already quoted. His business pressed, for ho had to sea his workmen, but there was no entry, save on the one condition. With some difficulty he got a message through to one of his employees. Tho business transacted, ho turned to go away, but not alone. In the meantime, word had gone round that tho workmen engaged at tho camp were all to be isolated, and ho found that his employees wore determined to stay there no longer. But it was one thing to say they would leave, and quite another to got away. They wore told they must stay whore they were. This they refused to do. If they could not pass out in a body they would leave singly. So one by one the ten men in this particular firm’s employ slipped out of tho camp—an easy enough thing to. do ►—joined their employer, and came hack to town with him in the train. “In consequence of this,’’ explained tho “Times” informant, “work on tho hospital building is now at. a standstill.' I was informed that alt the carpenters at the camp were also going to got away as soon as they could. It was impossible to find out why the isolation order was issued, hut I was given to understand that some exceptionally contagious disease had broken out.” A BLANK WALL OF REFUSAL. Disquieting though the experience just recorded is, it Is not the only one which came under the notice of the “Time's” last night. Another prominent business man who went to Trentha.ni on a similar errand yesterday found that ho was denied entrance to tho camp for any purpose whatever. Re also had workmen there (they were engaged in putting up a shelter round a pavilion in which invalids were lying), and it was imperative that ho should see-how the work was progressing. Once, twice, ho tried to gain admission at different points, only to bo met by the same blank wall of refusal on tho part, of tho guards. It was quite impossible to find anyone in authority about, or even to send a message to an officer, so he simply went straight in whore he saw an opening, determined to press on until challenged. “However, I got to my men without mishap, inspected the work, and saw what remained to he done,” he said. “I found that they

ha 'i heard thev were all to be isolated, and had devised a way to dodge tho guard and leave tho camp unseen. We finished our work as far as wo coulVl go with the material at hand; 1 ci i wo all slipjicd out of the camp, cauji -Jit tho train, and returned to Wcl-lingU-m. , “A ly work there is not finished, but f con id got it done by Saturday evening, and I regard it as essential to the comfort of ■ the invalids that it should' bo put through. But 1 am certainly not going to jeopardise my men by sending them out there it the rumour ts. I hear are true. This afternoon I Rent a telegram to the medical officer, Epkinsr him straight-out if the camp is - - quarantined, and, if not, whether uiy men can go out. So far, I have riK'civnd no reply. “This nfternoon I was informed that a responsible Government official, who had gone to the camp to inspect some work iu progress, had to return to town, having been unable to do anything. My impression is that things lire not going at all well out there, but I cou! i not ascertain what the trouble readly was. I was, however, assured tha t the camp was isolated, and that thi rp;s were very serious.” STRINGENT’ MEASURES ADOPTED That tho authorities are taking stringent mi is surcs to prevent the spread of disease has already been impressed on a number of other people. For instance, on Thursday a lady went ou t to Heretaunga to visit a friend who is. helping to nurse the sick soldiers wh o are in the golf pavilion. On arrival, she was told that she would have to remain in quarantine for a month.

Besides' tho golif pavilion, Mr Tolhurst’s and Mr I’earce’s residences are being used as h ospitals, and these three places have been isolated. Further colour is lent to the rumour that a serioiA disease h. is made itself manifest at the Trent.'lam camp by the fact that early on Thursday afternoon it was stated by a -prominent medical gentleman that tho Trenthara camp was perfectly health y, and within an hour or two he had, through observation, to change his views.

Private A. Clarke ('Wellington) and Private E. Smith (Christchurch) are reported to have died at Trentham hospital from complica tvons following on an attack of measlna, but the nature of; the complications were nob made known by the authorities.