On July 17, 1879, the Puget Sound Weekly Argus in Port Townsend, Washington Territory published a telegraph report that originated from Memphis, Tennessee on July 10. The telegraph was presented in a slough of other news from the Eastern States, on page 2. All of the telegraph reports were presented in the order received, so additional info on the same story would sometimes come after other news from other places.
Four small reports told the story that day:
- The board of health announced to Memphis residents to "quietly remove your families to a place of safety,"[1] while they investigated the first few reports of the fever. Of these cases was the local Judge E. R. Ray, and his two sons.
- Later that day it was found there were only two confirmed cases: Judge Ray and his older son. Two deaths were announced, the younger son of Judge Ray, and a man named Frank Mulbrandon.
- Washington, D. C. issued a statement from Dr. Hamilton, the supervising surgeon general of marine service, saying he doesn't suspect the fever would be as bad as the year before.
- By that night, New Orleans announced that it "was never healthier, being entirely free from yellow fever."[1]
This marks the beginning of a ravaging fever season that would last 116 days.
The board of health stationed on boats to stay away from the infected city.[a]
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