The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-10-12
EPIDEMIC SPREADS,
BUT FEWER DEATHS
Continued from First Page)

ASOHllnuCu lIOHu tlESl IdBC.J
Commission shall confer with the
heads of the various Government de-
partments as soon as possible to agree
on the feasibility of the plan.
at is dangerous for war workers
to come to the city during the cpl
demic" said District Health officer
Fowler. in endorsing the plan. 1t
adds to congested conditions ana
should be stopped at once"
Officials in charge of the night
against the epidemic today took I'M
Ger consideration a number Of new
plans to check the spread OF the dis
Ease.
One of these plans is rearrange-
n.ent of the lunch hours for workers
in the Government departments to
prevent crowding lInchrooms and res
taurants. Officials believe that II
some workers are released at 1880 a.
m, others at noon, others at 1880 p.
M, and a fourth group at p. m, much
of the congestion in eating places will
be relieved.
Eight LunehrOOms Closed.
This new "stagger" plan of lunch
Tecesses, officials say. would have the
same beneficial effect in preventing
Tic VI AAAN NASGdSS III
places that the "stagger" plan of open
ing the Government departments in
the morning has had in relieving con-
gestion on street cars.
Officials today pointed out that the
"stagger" lunch hour may become a
necessity. Eight lunch rooms in the
downtown section, patronized almost
entirely by Government workers, were
Il -. Al.
ment last night because of alleged I'M
sanitary conditions. This greatly re-
duced the eating facilities for war
workers and naturally will increase
the crowds in those still open, prob
ably making the "stagger" lunch hour
a necessity to make it possible for all
war workers to find a place to eat.
IL for no other reason.
May Prohibit Closed TaxIeaBs.
Other plans under consideration in
clude the extension of the order to
keep street car windows open to
taxicabs and all other vehicles carry
ing passengers. Health officials say
a closed taxicab used by a person
suffering from influenza may spread
the disease almost as quickly as
closed street cars. Still another plan
proposes the ventilation of telephone
booths.
The attention of the Commission
ers has been called to the action of
other cities in issuing orders for all
dentists to wear gauze masks when
attending patients.
20 Doctors Detailed.
Seventy-siT physicians, thirty-six
from the army and forty from the
navy, have been detailed to the Pub
lie Health Service to assist in COM
batting the epidemic.
DIR. H. S. Mustard. of the Public
Health Service, says these physicians,
who begin work today. will answer
emergency calls for medical assistance
from the four health stations in the
city, and will be assisted by fifty or
more nurses
with this stan" DR.. Mustard said,
'T feel we soon can get the epidemic
under control"
Food will be furnished free at the
four health stations by the Red Cross
during the day and night.
The police today were Instructed to
enforce the Rew health regulation re-
curing landlords to furnish sufficient
heat for their tenants.
The sixty-nine complaints received
by the police will be acted upon imme-
diateIy Owners or agents were in
structed to furnish adequate heat to-
day or suffer the penalty of the law.
The instructions give to the police
say: "If there is not fire by the
morning of October u in any apart
ment house after owners. or agents.
have been notified. action should be
taken Immediately"
With one death and thirty me.
already in the hospital, the epidem!"
threatens to spread through the Stu
dent Army Training Corps at the
Catholic University, in Brookland.
Physicians at the hospital, however.
expect to have the disease under
control soon. The entire corps has
been Guaranteed.
GraVedIEEers Needed.
Health officials are worried over the
shortage OF gravediggers, and efforts
are being made to dispose OF the bod
les in vaults at grave yards as quick
ly as possible.
Health officer Fowler is endeavor-
ing to find some way to relieve the
situation. At present the grave yard
vaults are filled almost to capacity.
Owners of these places say that after
Sunday Il hardly will be possible to
admit more bodies to the grave yards.
DR.. Fowler will try to obtain men
from the Lorton Reformstory, at Oc-
coquan, Va. to dig graves.
"Tae condition is becoming so