Spanish Flu Epidemic Hitting Northeast, 1918

“105 More Die From Grip in 46 Cities,” from The Sun, New York City, Sept. 29, 1918

3,132 New Cases in Massachusetts. . .  Boston Gets Help

Boston continues to suffer from the Spanish influenza epidemic with no abatement, but conditions in nthe nearby military camps are improving. Canada, the Red Cross, and nearby States, including New York, have rushed aid to Boston and to other localities in Massachusetts. There were 105 deaths resulting from the disease and 3,132 new cases reported from 46 cities, excluding those of Boston, up to noon yesterday, the end of the 24-hour period.

Reports from Camp Dix last night showed that 69 soldiers died there from influenza and pneumonia yesterday, increasing the total to 325 deaths. There are 5,950 cases now in camp and 899 new cases were reported yesterday. Only a small percentage of the new cases appear to be serious, which is a hopeful indication to the medical authorities that the diseases are subsiding.

Camden, N.J., apparently is in a most alarming condition. One physician said, “More than 300 cases of Spanish influenza have developed in Camden in the past 24 hours. Entire families of eight, 10 and 12 persons are confined to bed. Twenty deaths were reported to-day.

Dr, Walter Bray of Camden said if physicians would make frank reports Camden would be seen to have the greatest number of cases in the country. Every physician, he asserted, has more cases than he can attend. One physician, a health commissioner, said he had 66 cases in is private practice.

J.L. Leavitt, health officer of Camden, said influenza is not a reportable disease in his city, but that he does know it is spreading.

Five hundred ship workers are said to have stopped work at Camden and gone home for treatment. State Senator Joshua C. Haines is seriously ill there.

A hospital train with 40 beds, six doctors and 10 trained nurses left Washington yesterday for Quincy, Mass., according to telegraphic advice from Surgeon-General Blue’s office. Sixty-five volunteers already have been listed and they will be sent to Massachusetts as soon as practicable Others will follow, the wire added.

Meagre reports throughout Massachusetts show that conditions are improving and that the epidemic is gradually subsiding except in a few cities like Boston and Quincy, where the disease got a strong foothold and rapidly grew beyond control.

Brown University Is Closed

Sixty-five out-of-town students at Brown University in Providence, R.I., were sent home yesterday because of the spread of influenza in the university and in the city.

Newport, R.I., showed a material increase in the number of new cases, 250 in the last 24 hours. Soda fountains were closed and most of the churches will be closed to-day. The situation among army and navy men there shows continued improvement.

Forty-eight new cases were reported in Yonkers yesterday, 21 of them among soldiers.

Camp Upton reported 196 new influenza and 33 new pneumonia cases yesterday. Five deaths occurred.

New York city is holding her own. There were only 352 new cases reported for the 24-hour period ending at 10 o’clock yesterday morning. This was a gain of only 28 cases in a population of 7,000,000. There were 32 deaths from pneumonia and 15 from influenza-pneumonia.