Norwich bulletin., 1918-09-26
ALARMED BY DEATH
 TOLL IN NEW ENGLAND

Boston. Sept. 25.-Alarmed by the rapidly mounting death toll in New England from Spanish influenza, Massachusetts, the center of the epi- demic in the east, today began a con- certed effort to stamp out the disease. The executive council in special ses- sion set aside a fund of $100 900 and acting Governor Coolidge immediate ly created the emergency public health cimmittee.
 The first step taken by this commit tee was to call on the American Red Cross at Washington for physicians and nurses to take the places of those who have died or have become eX- hausted by their arduous work The committee then sent out a statewide request for the temporary closing of all theateTs, motion picture houses and other places of public gathering, except churches. Cancellation of all parades planned for the immediate future was included in the request.
 In this city all agencies available for preventing the spread of the dis ease and relieving sufferers were merged at a conference in the city hall, called by Mayor Andrew J. Peters. A special health committee of five was appointed to take full supervision of all preventive work. Henry B. Endi- colt chairman of the state emergency committee brought the committees request for the closing of places of public gathering At the suggestion of the city committee, Mayor Peters issued a call to all theater and motion picture house proprietors and mana l gers here to meet the committee at 1 City Hall tomorrow morning when a decision regarding the closing of their places will be made. Meanwhile, Health Commissioner W. c. Wood ward, a member of the city committee, l sent out a squadron of inspectors to 1 ascertain conditions among the audi l ences.
 A suggestion that met with con- i siderable favor by the city health committee was that the 5000 school l teachers in this city be asked to vol unteer as assistant nurses. The wom- | ems health committee of the council of national defense offered to enroll all teachers who were willing to un- dertake this service.
 | The state health committee tonight recommended that specialists who could temporarily give up their prac- l tice should register with the state health commissioner for service against the influenza epidemic. Warn ing to jroprietors of eating places against careless handling of food also 1 was sent out by the committee.
 Action designed to assist in stamp | ing out the disease was taken tonight by James J. Storrow, New England with the request of Dr. Eugene R. Kelley, state commissioner of health 1 MT. Storrow advised all local fuel
 committees and householders through
 out the state that on account of the
 prevailing epidemic the moderate use of coal for heating dwelling houses apartment houses and office buildings
 was permissible.
 It was estimated today that there were between 50 GOO and 75,O00 cases
 of influenza and pneumonia in New
 England,s There have been more than
 one thousand deaths in the New Eng
 land cases in ten days.
 There weree- 107 deaths from in-
 fuenza and pneumonia in Boston fol
 the 24 hours ending at 10 o'clock to- I night decrease of two from yester4
 day.
 Deaths from the disease in this cit1
 since September 14 have. totalled 697
 Schools theaters and other place.
 of public assembly were closed today
 in many New England cities anC towns. In some cities public funer.
 als have been forbidden.
 Telephone exchanges in Create, Boston have lost the services of 7ot