Officials Hope Forbidding All Public Meetings Will Slow Spread of Flu in Robeson County, 1918

“Public Meetings Stopped,” from The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C., Oct. 7, 1918

County Health Board Closes Schools and Prohibits Public Gatherings of Any Kind. . . Flu Spreading Rapidly in County. . . Many New Cases in Lumberton but Situation Is Better and Spread Has Slowed Down in Mill Villages

According to information received from the various doctors by Dr. W.A. McPhaul, county health officer, the influenza conditions are better in Lumberton and the spread at the cotton mill villages has slowed down. However the disease is spreading rapidly in the rural districts, having made its appearance in practically every section of the county. While a number of cases of pneumonia have developed, but few deaths have been reported and many of the first victims are back at work again today.

Dr. McPhaul reported 425 new cases in Lumberton and vicinity since Thursday. But few of these have been reported today. To date around 725 cases have been reported by Lumberton physicians. This includes the territory which they have been able to cover.

Doctors outside of Lumberton have reported 185 new cases since Thursday.

The county board of health met here today and passed an ordinance closing all the private and public schools of the county, all kinds of shows, forbidding the holding of Sunday school and church services, lodge meetings or any other public meeting in the county until further notice from the board.

The board resorted to this measure with the hope that the spread of the disease might be held in chick as much as possible.