A photograph of an emergency hospital set up in a public building to care for persons who had contracted influenza in October 1918.
Joseph H. Zerbey, in 1933, reflected on the influenza epidemic which had taken place fifteen years earlier. The article first appeared in the Pottsville Republican, November 27, 1933, and then became part of Joseph H. Zerbey, History of Pottsville and Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, published in 1936, available as a free download.
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INFLUENZA TOOK HEAVY TOLL IN COUNTY
While perusing the files, a small reference to the payment of the bills contracted during the influenza epidemic of 1918 recalled to mind that troublous time, which, while it may not be an actual historical [ in 1933] happening, left its imprint of the county to such an extent that it is worthy of mention in passing.
Schuylkill County will long have occasion to remember the epidemic which in the space of a few weeks during October 1918 wiped out hundreds of her citizens, leaving many children orphans and many parents bereft of their loved ones.
There had been reports of the influenza playing havoc in various parts of the country and it was known that there were close to 2000 cases of what was believed to be LaGrippe or heavy colds, which had been reported by the county physician upon inquiry of the County Medical Inspector J. B. Rogers, but it was not until about October 4th of that year that the situation began to cause alarm.
On that date, an order was issued by the Commissioner of Health that all theaters, motion picture houses, saloons, dance halls, schools and churches should be closed down, that funerals should be strictly private and that all gatherings in crowds or visiting of the sick should be forbidden.
A survey by the Republican [newspaper] of the situation in the county showed that Minersville had already closed the schools because of the many cases of what they believed to be LaGrippe,; that Tamaqua reported close to 400 cases; Frackville, 300; and Cressona and Schuylkill Haven had about 600 between them and were asking to have the schools closed to prevent further spread; Pottsville and Shenandoah and St. Clair seemed to be practically free of the influenza. But within the next 36 hours, over 500 cases of influenza were reported in the city of Pottsville alone.
Over the week-end, the disease spread like wildfire and on Monday the health authorities found that there were about 7500 cases, and that many deaths had been reported in the county. Minersville alone had 1750 cases and 47 deaths up to that time. State doctors and nurses had been rushed to Minersville on Sunday and two emergency hospitals were opened up with county equipment.
Frackville reported 480 cases and an emergency hospital was opened in the Hose House. In Pottsville, the Milliken Home, on Greenwood Hill, and the State Armory were fitted out at once as hospitals. Dr. M. C. Householder took charge at the Armory and Dr. G. H. Boone at the Milliken Home. Reports from the West End said that Pine Grove and Tower City were severely affected and form the Schuylkill Valley came the report that there were 500 cases, with Maryd being the worst, there being a case in almost every household. Industries were hampered by lack of workers and the mines were working shorthanded everywhere.
Although Pottsville was about the least affected of the county towns, all the relief measures were centered here. The hospital and colliery ambulances were kept constantly making trips and the physicians were taxed to the limit to keep up with the patients. By noon of October 7th [1918], Minersville had reported 56 deaths and Frackville, 11, with many more momentarily expected.
The streets of the towns were deserted. The health authorities had impressed upon everyone the wisdom of not congregating in crowds and the only places where there was a number of people at one time were the drug stores where people by the scores were clamoring for their prescriptions to be filled. With the arrival of the state reserve militia and a hospital unit of 12 men with ambulance, patients were brought to the Armory from Minersville and Frackville and Arnout’s Addition where a serious outbreak had been reported. Red Cross workers assisted the militia and trained nurses. The Boy Scouts supplied messenger service between the drug stores and physicians.
Then the doctors began to feel the strain. One death was reported among them and ten doctors and two nurses were reported seriously ill in the hospitals. Dr. Rogers himself was directing the work from a sickbed. The American Rescue Workers, who had been helping, were stricken, and Capt. Hainly and eight of his force were taken sick. The ministers of the town responded nobly and gave aid to the nurses and doctors.
By October 9th, it seemed as if the situation were well in hand as far as Pottsville was concerned, there being few new cases here while Shenandoah, St. Clair and the Mahanoy Valley gave little cause for alarm, but Minersville, Frackville, Schuylkill Haven, and Cressona had a grave situation on their hands. The chief work was concentrated on keeping down the pneumonia cases which were the ones resulting in fatality.
The shortage of supplies was relieved when the state sent in blankets, sheets and pillow cases and a consignment of 500 cots. October 10th, twenty advanced medical students from the University of Pittsburgh were sent into the region, over a score of the county doctors, being serious ill from overwork. However, although there was an increase in cases, Landingville and Hegins being added to the infected area, yet the mortality rate was lower in every town except Minersville. The less serious cases were being treated at home and those with pneumonia tendencies were rushed to the hospitals. Dr. Thorne was in charge at Buck Run; Dr. O’Donnell at Heckscherville; Dr. Ryland was handling the section from Oak Hill to the Gap and the New York physicians which had been sent in were in charage at Llewellyn, Seltzer City and Mar-Lin; Dr. Hogan was a t Maryd; and Dr. J. P. Morris and Dr. R. F. Weaver supervised the St. Clair region until themselves stricken.
With 20 medical students and surgeons from the Allentown Army Camp and 25 professional nurses from Elmira and Rochester, the situation was improved by October 11, although it was known that the mortality list would not be at the greatest pinnacle until about a week later, and that Minersville would have an appalling list.
It was decided to suspend all business at noon on Saturday, October 12th, so that there would be no gathering of shoppers. The report of the week’s work showed that eighteen emergency hospitals had been established; three each at Minersville and Pottsville; and one each at Girardville, Gilberton, Frackville, Port Carbon, Maryd, Tamaqua, Schuylkill Haven, Tremont and Mahanoy City, By Monday, October 14, the the number of cases had reached 17,000 in the county. Many of the mines in the county were forced to suspend operations and the trolleys were operating very infrequently because of a shortage of crews; the telephone companies were also beginning to show the effects of their heavy load of calls.
The county undertakers were unable to handle the many cases and undertakers from Reading were called to help out.
With the arrival of more army doctors, the county was practically under military rule. The strict quarantine measures were beginning to bear fruit and the instructions to those who had been in homes where there had already been cases of the disease were given so plainly that the cases showed a decrease daily. The high mark in the mortality rate was reached in Pottsville on October 15th when 25 deaths were reported within 24 hours. A convalescent hospital was opened at the Pottsville Mission to which children were taken after being treated at the Armory. The problem of caring for the children when they were ready to return home was a serious one for, in many cases, the parents had died of the influenza.
Over the week end of October 19th, a decided improvement was noticeable throughout the county. The Tower City situation was not encouraging, however, as 65 deaths had been reported in that area and in Pottsville, one of the doctors went from New York by the government had died as had also one of the trained nurses.
By October 24th, the epidemic had abated sufficiently to allow the army doctors to leave, some of them going overseas for duty and others to army camps in this country. Over a hundred had been in service in the county during the epidemic. While there were still a great many deaths among the patients who had contracted pneumonia, new cases were not developing and in Pottsville alone, the cases dropped a thousand in a week.
On October 30, the Board of Health removed all restrictions, and the following Sunday, the churches resumed their services and the school children returned to their studies on Monday.
The influenza had taken a fearful toll in the county. St. Clair had 121 deaths; Pottsville had 229 resident deaths and 178 non-resident ; and Minersville over 400. The foreign born population suffered most severely, for in many cases they did not seek medical aid until they were too seriously ill to be saved and by that time, many in the family had also contracted the disease. 3000 children were left orphans, 500 of that number being left without anyone to take care of them.
The cost of the epidemic bills was $49,818.64. The grand total of the bills, $91,000, was cut down to the net amount given, by the payment of $15,181.36 by the state and $26,000 by corporations.
The list of liabilities follows:
- Pottsville, $11,108.51.
- Girardville, $1,146.29.
- Coaldale, $5,978.09.
- St. Clair, $$655.49.
- Blackwood, $72.47.
- New Philadelphia, $81.71.
- Tower City, $3,021.30.
- Hegins, $9.07.
- Branchdale, $130.46.
- Maryd, $488.33.
- Tremont, $1,153.06.
- Mahanoy City, $5,493.55.
- Port Carbon, two hospitals, $5,548.90.
- Tamaqua, $4,837.15.
- Minersville, $5,787.51.
- Frackville, $2,527.43.
- Gilberton, $985.15.
- Buck Run, $426.55.
- Shenandoah, $5,514.03.
- Shenandoah Orphanage, $162.61;
Total, $49,818.64.
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From: Joseph H. Zerbey, History of Pottsville and Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, published in 1936, available as a free download.
Photo from Library of Congress.
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