Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-11
DOWN WITH THE GRIP.
Increase Of the Epidemic-The Doctors
Busy-lt Hits the Police Hard.

DOWN WITH THE GRIP.
Increase Of the Epidemic-The Doctors
Busy-lt Hits the Police Hard.
The prevailing epidemic has a firm grip, as
10 were, on the members of the Metropolitan
police force. Today the force is crippled worse
than any other police force in the country in
comparison to its size. There are about
seventy members down with the grip
and many more are detailed for various
duties other than regular police duty,
leaving a mere remnant to patrol tho District
Since the influenza has appeared among the
officers the platoons going out at night some
times are composed of only five or six men.
That explains the complaints being made that
a policeman has not been seen on a particular
square for some days.
MAJ. MOORE THREATENED WITH TYPHOID PNEU-
MONA.
Maj. Moore, who went home the other day
with the grip, is much sicker man than was
at first supposed He now exhibits symptoms
of typhoid pneumonia and will not, it is
thought, be able to resume his duties for some
time.
Capt. Austin and Inspector Swindells are
still unable to resume their duties. They are
both improving. however, and expect to return
to duty in few days. Detective Raft, who
went home yesterday, is very sick man. Clerk
German of the detective Office returned to duty
today, having fully recovered.
Lieut.. Kelly is still acting chief Of police and
Detective Mattingly has charge Of the detec-
tive Office.
The officers on the police boat Joe Blackburn
have done remarkably well thus far consider
ing the nature of their duty. Commander SUIT
ton had severe attack of the disease, as did
Officer Constantine. Pilot Dean and Deck Hand
Boyd have not even had a cold.
AMONG THE GOVERNMENT PRINTERS.
The grip has appeared among the employees
Of the government printing Office and at the
bureau of engraving and printing, and num-
Der of employees are absent from both
Offices. There are more than one
hundred absentees from the irst-named Office
and more than half that number from the
latter.
Some one started story to the eff ect that
break e ont here or next 'Dm fever and that
the grip would act as pre-
vontive to those diseases. The story, like
all others, was soon circulated from the bottom
of the government printing Office to the top,
and strange to say many Of the women believe
1t and are anxious for an attack or influenza
''GooD GRIP WEATHER"
There was nothing new at the health office
this morning concerning the grip. Chief
Clerk McGinn said he thought the condition of
it was three days ago. The good weather
Thursday and yesterday seemed to have a
good effect upon the victims and complaints
were fewer, but the weather this morning Is
good grip weather." and the complaints are
likely to outnumber those made earlier in the
week.
SIX DEATHS FROM PNEUMONIA.
The weekly reports of the physicians to the
poor will not be made until Monday, and until
then the extent of the disease cannot be ascer-
tanned, as no reports other than those are re-
ceived by the health officer.
or the deaths reported to the health Office
yesterday and this morning six resulted from
pneumonia.
THE DOCTORS HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL,
and many of them refuse to add any
more patients to their list. Many physi-
clans complain that they get only
three or four hours rest out of
twenty-four. One doctor yesterday had LOT
calls to make, but he only succeeded in visiting
about seventy of his patients.
MANY of the sick ones" said physician to
STAR reporter, 'are not really so sick,
ing ing; ' care Of themselves they could
get along without physician and give the
doctors more time to attend the patients who
are really ILL.,"
THE CITY POST OFFICE STILL CRIPPLED.
There is no great improvement in the condi-
ton of affairs at the city post Office as yet.
Every division is crippled by the number of its
clerks who are absent with the grip and a
dozen of the carriers failed to put in on appear
ance this morning. The mailing division is in
a particularly bad condition. A number of the
clerks are away and the quantity of mail to be
handled has been accommodating rapidly. The
outgoing mail for the last two weeks has been
unprecedentedly heavy. Beside the regular
heavy mail at the beginning Of the new year,
the Treasury bond payments and the tremend-
Gus mail from the census bureau getting
under way for its years work have
added so much that, the superin-
tendent of the mailing division expressed it,
1--WE are simply showed under. If it had
waited five years for a chance the grip could
not have chosen worse time to take US. 1t
was bad enough yesterday, but today we have
$50 more bags Of mail to handle than we have
had any this week.
GRIPLETs.
Mr.. T. A. Lambert and Mr.. A. P. Pardon
have been confined to their homes for two or
three days by the grip" They, with many
other members of the club and some of the
members of the District committees, were pre-
vented from attending the dinner of the Bust
ness mems club last evening by the prevailing
influenza.
Mr.. Charles King, the well-known attorney
and claim agent. Is seriously ill with pneu-
monia, a sequel to an attack Of grip he had sew
eral days since