On December
2, Iowa City reported it was seeing an average of forty new cases every
day…many of them being school children. The Board of Health
issued its second Quarantine order immediately. It also opened a new
emergency hospital to help with isolation. A plea was put out for
volunteer nurses…experienced or not.
IOWA CITY
CLAMPS DOWN LID ON GRIPPE
WHOLE TOWN IS CLOSED UP
Average of Forty New Cases Daily Reported; Open Emergency Hospital
Quarantine
No. 2 has been ordered by the Iowa City Board of Health. The board met
Saturday night and decided that the tremendous rate of increase in
Spanish influenza cases, and the numerous deaths necessitated a
shutting down of public activities again. Accordingly, the authorities
voted to impose the quarantine beginning at 9 a.m. today. The ban falls
on schools – public, private, and parochial (not touching the
university, which is still under Uncle Slam’s guidance) opera houses,
moving picture shows, pool halls, dance halls, and other public places
of amusement. Soft drink parlors were not ordered closed but
proprietors must provide individual sanitary cups for their patrons and
must not use any other type of drinking receptacle.
The board
authorized the establishment of a new emergency hospital for isolation
purposes – largely to be devoted to people who could not be treated
otherwise, at their homes, or – because of lack of finances – or for
other reasons – could not go to more expensive hospitals. Mayor Frank
K. Stebbins and Dr. W. M. Rohrbacher, health officer, are empowered to
rent the needed institution.
The daily total of new cases is now
running as high as 40 and there are several hundred cases, in total,
many of the newest ones being school children. More “kiddies” by far
than at the time of the first epidemic, are now in the doctor’s hands.
(Source: The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA 2 Dec 1918) |
The rural communities closed schools and quarantines were put back in
place. Solon was hit particularly hard with over 50 cases being
reported the first few days of December.
Iowa City officials stood ready to crack down on violations of the
city’s new order. Rev. Father William Koerner was one of the
first to be held liable for holding church service contrary to the
order.
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HOLDS CHURCH SERVICE CONTRARY TO ORDER
Rev. Father William Koerner of St. Wenceslaus’ church appeared before
Mayor Stebbins this morning in answer to information charging violation
of the closing order of the board of health. Father Koerner stated that
he had conducted services at the church yesterday and Mayor Stebbins
assessed a fine of $50 which was paid.
(9 Dec 1918)
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Iowa City, for the most part, remained locked down throughout the first half of December
but surprisingly the Board of Health allowed pool halls to open back up
on December 10.
Six days later, the Board of Health loosened their regulations again
but not without qualifying restrictions.
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BOARD OF HEALTH REGULATION
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF HEALTH OF IOWA CITY, IOWA, that the
order heretofore made, by this Board, closing Theatre and Moving
Picture Shows, be so modified as to permit Theatres and Moving Picture
Shows to open, provided the patrons be allowed to occupy only alternate
seats; no person under sixteen years of age be permitted to attend and
that no person coughing and sneezing be permitted to remain, provided
further that each Theatres and Moving Picture Shows shall employ a
competent person, to attend all shows, empowered to enforce this order.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the churches be permitted to have their
regular church services, but that no Sunday schools, young people’s
meetings or social gatherings be permitted.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that clubs and lodges, be permitted to hold
their regular meetings, but they shall not hold any social gatherings,
that the library be permitted to open.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the order of this Board Made November 30,
1918, except as herein or heretofore modified, be and remain in full
force and effect.
BE IT RESOLVED, that this order shall take effect on December 18, 1918
Passed this 16th day of December 1918.
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The
loosening of the public health restrictions put joy back in the
community. The Christmas holiday was upon them and people had much to
be thankful for. They could move about again. Their young soldiers were
coming home. Holiday family reunions and Christmas programs were back
in everyone's plans.
In mid December, Iowa City merchants
started decorating their stores for the holidays. Every show
window was dressed for Christmas with bright decorations and
lights. Coasts’ Clothing store had twin Christmas trees
adorned with different colored lights placed in front of the
store. The colorful trees could be seen for blocks on Clinton street.
Bremer's Golden Eagle Outfitters Store for Men and Boys was
proudly displaying a large golden eagle perched on top of the building
and holding an American flag in its claw. Colored lights shined
on the bird. Confection store windows were displayed with holly
and bells, their Christmas candles and sweets. Smith and Cilek
adorned one of their windows with novel gift ideas. Their other
window was entiredly filled with toys, sleds and dolls.
Wallick
and Flater, the gift shop, displayed their prettiest works of art
including beautiful embroideries and crocheting. The First National Bank
was decorated brilliantly with fir trees and lights. The Aldous Flower
Shop displayed flowers, holly, mistletoe and evergreen wreaths.
Woolworth’s Five and Ten Cent store was decorated with
Christmas bells, candies, toys and other gifts. Yetters’ Dry Goods
Store was advertising a large Christmas sale. Harvat & Stach Woman’s Shop had just opened in a new location at 10 South Dubuque and were ready for Christmas trade.
The modified health regulations gave people hope the evil Spanish Influenza had left their community. They
looked forward to much brighter and healthier days ahead. The
Influenza, however, knew no boundaries and continued to lurk on the
streets. People continued to fall ill with the disease.
Influenza continued to develop into pneumonia. People continued
to die. My research found nearly 100 deaths took place during the month
of December.
Mrs. Sadie Beatty contracted Influenza in December, while nursing her flu-stricken daughter and son-in-law, Mr. & Mrs. Paul McGinnis.
Her attack of influenza quickly turned into pneumonia and she died on
December 8. A few hours later, in the wee hours of December 9, her son-in-law, who had been taken to a
local hospital, also died of pneumonia following influenza. Mrs.
McGinnis remained dangerously ill during this time.
It's no wonder Sadie put her daughter and son-in-law's health ahead of her own. It
was her calling to be there for others in the time of need.
She was always ready to do what loving hands could do. In 1911, she
spent 11 weeks by her mother's bedside, caring for her during her final
days.
Sadie
was born as Sarah Jane Dowling in 1866 in Connecticut, the daughter of
Henry and Flora (Dean) Dowling. In 1876 she came with her family to
Nichols, Iowa. She married Robert J. Beatty in 1888 and they created a
family of five girls and two boys. The family moved to Fremont Township
in Johnson County where they engaged in farming and raised their
family.
Sadie's
daughter and Paul's wife, Verna Ethel, escaped the killer hands of
Influenza and went on to lead a long life. In 1922, she married Robert
G. Ziegler and they started a family. Verna passed away in Lone Tree
in 1971. |
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The
Spanish Influenza had no respect for a day that is
traditionally reserved for joy and happiness...Christmas eve. Mrs. Emma
Pfeiffer, died at her home at 19 East Court Street late Christmas
eve after a battle with influenza which was followed by pneumonia.
Her death took place ten days after the death of her daughter, Mrs. Nellie Louisa Blowers who had also succumbed to influenza.
Emma
was a good woman who had long been a resident of Iowa City. Her neighbors and friends knew her for her many
fine qualities and charming personality. Emma
Merrifield was born November of 1856 in New York. She was the daughter
of James Henry and Clarinda Miles Merrifield. Her father and mother
moved with her and her four siblings to Iowa City sometime between
1865 and 1870. She married John Pfeiffer, a painter, on April 28,
1875 in Iowa City. The 1880 Federal Census showed John and
Emma living in Iowa City with their two young girls, Clara and
Nellie. In 1892, they had a third child, Leroy. Emma's son, "Roy", as he became known as, was a
member of the 61st Engineers and was in France at the time of his mother's
death. |
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On December 31, 1918, the State Board of Health reported Spanish
influenza cases throughout the state during the last three months
totaled 92,829. According to the Board, there were more Flu cases in
December than in November. December showed an increase of 12,
378 cases over November.
It wasn’t until January of 1919 when the Iowa City Board of
Health was comfortable enough to relax their public health regulations
further. On January 3rd, the Board removed the restriction against
children attending the theatres and churches. Effective on
that day, children could attend Sunday school again. The final
restriction against public and private dances was lifted on January 10.
Because the scope of my work was intended to cover only the last
three months of 1918, I didn’t continue my research into 1919. I did,
however,do some random sampling of newspapers to see that the Spanish
Influenza still existed in the community. Regardless, it
appeared the worst was over and the county was back to business as
usual.
The 1918 Spanish Influenza killed more than 6000 Iowans in
1918. I don’t have an official count of the number of
Spanish Influenza cases and deaths in Johnson county. I hope that once
our current Influenza crisis is over, I’m able to get out to research
those numbers.
If you have 1918 Spanish Influenza stories, letters, photos or information for Johnson County, please send to
me. I’ll be happy to include it on these pages I’ve dedicated
to the epidemic.
Respectfully,
Cindy Booth Maher
| World War I claimed an
estimated 16 million lives. The influenza epidemic that swept the world
in 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people. One fifth of the world's
population was attacked by this deadly virus. Within months, it had
killed more people than any other illness in recorded history. |
The Spanish Influenza In Iowa
- From 1918 – 1919 -
more than 6,000 Iowans died and more than 93,000 were infected. |
Lasting
from January 1918 to December 1920, the Spanish Flu infected 500
million people—about a quarter of the world's population at the time.
The death toll is estimated to have been anywhere from 17 million to 50
million, and possibly as high as 100 million, making it one of the
deadliest epidemics in human history.
(source: Wikipedia)
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