Thread by @Seattle2019nCov

🗞️📰🗞️📰
"Churches, Schools, Shows Closed"

This is what the front page of the Seattle Daily Times read on Oct 5th, 1918 during the Spanish Flu.

Let's take a journey back.

On the day this paper was published, you could purchase a copy at a newsstand in Pike Place for 3 cents.

Ten days earlier on Tuesday, October 8th, 1918 the Seattle PI ran a small blurb: "City Hastens to Curb Influenza", adding "Cooperation is Keynote"

On Wednesday, October 9th, the PI reported three deaths from the disease.

The evening edition on Saturday, October 18th reported that Seattle ordered the closure of churches, schools and shows, banning all public assemblies.

The Mayor and City Health Officer banned all indoor gatherings, permitting "none but gatherings in open air."

The State Health Commission Dr. J. D. Tuttle advised residents: "Don't get into crowds, don't cough or sneeze without using a handkerchief, get plenty of fresh air, and when the symptoms of a cold appear isolate yourself as far as possible from others."

And the Surgeon General, Rupert Blue?

"First there is a chill, then fever, then headache, backache, reddening of the eyes, aches all over the body and general prostration. Persons so attached should go to bed at once and call a physician."

The Chief of Police, J. F. Warren posted an order at the police station earlier that afternoon:

"General Order No. 91 - On account of reports of many cases of Spanish influenza coming in, all theaters, churches, schools and places of public assembly will be closed until further notice. By order of the Board of Health and the Mayor."

The article proceeded to read as follows. I've done my best to squint-read the image:

"Every place of indoor public assemblies in Seattle, including schools, theaters, motion picture houses, churches and dance halls at noon today were ordered closed immediately by Mayor Hanson.

"The order to the school board resulted in an immediate clash, Supt. Frank R Cooper declaring the action of the mayor was hysterical and a '[illegible] thing to do.'

"If the order is from the health department, Superintendent Cooper said, it would have to be obeyed, not by him, the superintendent, however, but by the order of the school board.

"Drug Stores to Stay Open.

Mayor Hanson also requested the King County Council of Defense to call on all drug stores to remain open tonight and all day tomorrow.

"Reports to the health department this morning indicate that influenza is getting a foothold in Seattle, mayor Hanson said.

" 'We don't know how many cases there are here because many of them are diagnosed as grip [an old-fashioned word for the flu] and are not reported,' said the mayor. 'Enough cases have been reported, however, to justify this action.'

"A previous order issued by the Chief of Police Warren at the request of Mayor Hanson closed all dance halls and ordered streetcars ventilated. All police officers were instructed to see that the dance halls are closed and that windows in street cars are open.

"Officers were given instructions today to arrest every person violating the anti-spitting ordinance in any streetcar or public place.

"City Health commissioner McBride at noon roughly estimated the number of influenza cases mild and otherwise in Seattle as between 100 and 200.

"This estimate, he said, was based on the number of cases already reported and from conversations with physicians of the city this morning.

" 'Prevention of the spread of the epidemic is imperative,' said Dr. McBride, 'especially in Seattle. We must at all cost protect not only the general public, but the army of men working in the shipyards and other war work.

" 'The order issued this morning is drastic, but I am sure that every man and woman in Seattle will regard it as a patriotic duty to obey the instructions issued in an effort to check the spread of the disease.

" 'There is no other way to guard against the epidemic. In the east similar action has been taken in [Boston?] and Washington DC and other,... (continued on page 3)' "

That's the end of the front page article. I couldn't immediately find the rest of the archive.

By late spring, roughly six months after this issue ran, the Spanish flu had already killed 1,513 in Seattle and 6,571 across Washington state.

In the process of this rabbit hole, I also came across this picture of the Providence Hospital in Everett, which opened in 1905.

From the @EverettHerald: "The Spanish flu sickened all 17 Providence nurses, and two nurses died."

Social-distancing and health care capacity are issues we've faced before.

It'll be painful, but we can do it if we stick together.

#WeGotThisSeattle

*Continuation*

How did this play out after Seattle adopted strict social distancing measures in 1918, similar to what we've heard this weekend?

Let's go a little deeper.

#COVID19 #Coronavirus

The same day the ban was announced, on October 18th, the Seattle Daily Times reported that the influenza was driving a new fashion trend - "Influenza Veils" with a "fine mesh" that "ward[ed] off malady"

The next day, on October 19th, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reported that Churches were reluctantly obeying the ban.

"Perishers cast aside ideas of sect and work for great cause"

On October 20th, the Seattle Daily Times reported 203 new cases and twenty deaths

On October 21st, the PI reported 224 new cases and twenty-six deaths, adding "People too careless".

On the same page, they provided charts of daily counts for cases and deaths.

On October 23rd, the Seattle Daily Times ran "An Urgent Appeal To the Public" by the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company to not use the phone unless it was absolutely necessary

On October 25th, the PI reported that the influenza threat may close many businesses, except drug and food stores, "if violations of rules continue"

On October 29th, the city announced that "Seized whiskey would be used to fight [the] epidemic."

On November 3rd, City Health Officials exhibited optimism, stating that they expected the city to be free of the epidemic soon

On November 11th, Dr. McBride removed all regulations except the "mask" rules

However, on December 1st, the PI reported that cases were on the rise again

On December 3rd, the Mayor and Health Officer reported they "may quarantine influenza cases"

On December 7th, the quarantines began when 100 placards were placed on homes by City Health Department Officials

Within two days, on December 9th, that number reached 300, and the Daily Times added that citizens were "voluntarily" reporting new cases

More to come.

The main source is the University of Michigan's "Influenza Encyclopedia", which can be found here: quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/idx…