The sun., 1918-10-06
GRIP REACHES
MILD STAGE In
EPIDEMIC HERE
Health Commissioner Ad-
mits Spread of Influenza,
. but Says 1t Is Not Serious.
RAGING IN OTHER CITIES
Places of Public Assembly
Closed While Appeal Is
Sent Out for Aid.

The greater city's attack Of influenza
10 now described by Or. Royal 9. Cope
land. Health Commissioner, as IAN cpl
demic, but q far from serious one"
Every agency Of his department In APP
plying all possible methods In an effort
to bring health to the stricken and to
prevent healthy ones from contracting
the disease.
A total OF 1910 new cases OF influenza
and 2ss new cases OF pneumonia were
reported by the Department for the
twenty-four hour period ended at 10
A. NJ. yesterday. This is an increase Of
37B influenza cases and 81 OF pneumonia
over the preceding twenty-four hours.
During the same period deaths from
influenza were reported as 81. as COM
pared with ~ the previous day, and
deaths from pneumonia were 90. as
against - for the previous official re-
porting period.
No school OF Theatre Closing.
Or. Copeland said last night there Ia
no thought at the present Of closing
a splendid spirit on the part Of the EN-
ploying public, he added, to cooperate
with the Health Department in the new
city time table designed to stop the grip
peril In the subway rush. Several modi-
ications in the schedules were announced
last evening In order to make the time
table more workable.
There Is q great shortage In nurses
required to handle the large number OF
cases In the overcrowded hospitals and
DR. Copeland made a very earnest plea
for women with nursing experience to
volunteer for service at this crisis. Such
volunteers are requested to report at the
Department OF Health Building between
IL o'clock and IL noon to-day.
Reports to the Offices OF the Surgeon
General of the army showed 17.303 new
cases In army camps within twenty
four hours ending at noon. The new
cases represented an increase of 4.40S
in comparison with the total reported
during the preceding twenty-four hour
period. A total Of 2,214 new pneumonia
cases were reported. an increase Of 2s7.
Tho deaths at camps totaiIed $50, an in
crease OF $40. Influenza increased more
rapidly In the camps for the period than
in any similar period since the disease
became epidemic.
More Serious in Other Cities.
In Cincinnati all schools moving pic.
ture houses. theatres. churches. Sunday
schools, the University of Cincinnati
and all other indoor places OF assembly
were ordered closed The city has 5000
cases OF influenza Similar action wa,
taken In Seattle, Wash.
The City Commission of Trenton. N. ].
ordered the closing of churches, theatres
schools and liquor saloons as long as the
epidemic Is on. Trenton has Is. 900 case,
out Of q population of 10000.
The State Of Ohio reports between
$4,000 and 10000 cases and the disease
is spreading rapidly. Four thousand
cases. with at least 100 deaths. have beer
reported from Camp Sherman.
In Chicago 1,e53 cases OF influenza and
23s of pneumonia were reported during
twenty-four hour period. Influenza re
suited In 81 deaths and pneumonia in 81
Twenty-Five deaths occurred at CAM
Zachary Taylor, Louisville. Ky. durint
Friday night, bringing the total numbe
OF fatalities up to 70 In thirteen days
Eleven hundred new cases were ad
mitted during the same period. making
base hospital cases 5000.
Philadelphia was hit particularly hard
the twenty-four hour period ending a
noon showing 245 deaths and 1,450 new
cases. an increase OF 742 over the repor
OF the day before.
Spreads in Massachusetts.
Noon reports from eighty-one town
and cities in Massa chusetts outside o
Boston showed $50 new cases OF in
huenza in the last twenty-four hours
Lowell reported s64 new cases and 2
deaths: New Bedford 626 new cases an,
IS deaths. and Peabody GIG new cases
r
lied for the construction of temporar.
buildings In various parts of Massachu
sets to house influenza patients.
I'VE need nurses" Health Commits
sioner Copeland said last evening. "W
need graduate nurses, practical nurses
nurses aids sensible women who kno,
how to nurse the sick We need Their
very badly. There are 100 nurses in tn
three city hospitals who are down wit
the disease and we md II very hard I
fill their places.
I'VE will he glad to have any woma
with any experience inl nursing call a
this place (the Department Of Health
Sunday morning between. IL and 1
o'clock II will not be volunteer service
as they are 10 he paid. But II will be
patriotic service TO volunteer at thi
time when their services are so urgentl
needed.
Warming for Sunday schools.
1--WE will be glad TO have all Sun
day school superntendents make tn
announcement about sneezlng an
coughing at the beginning of tn
service and TO send home any child ar
parently afflicted with colds or influenza
I'VE had a little increase In the mum
Der. OF new cases to-day over yesterday
but the increase was much smaller tina
thought we would have at least 800
cases. However there were but 1910.
DIR. Copeland said that one-haf of I'll
cases thus far reported have come fror
500 families. which. he added, show
that influenza is pretty we'll localized
Is 10000 the number of cases thu
far reported, he said, Is but a sma
fraction OF I per cent.
New Facilities Pressed In.
Many hours were spent by the healt
authorities yesterday in finding hospti
beds and hospital facilities for stricke
people The city's hospital ship Rive
side was towed to the Seventeenth sire,
slip to be used In connection with n
work OF the Willard Parker Hospital
East Sixteenth street The Municip,
Lodging House has been turned over
the Department Of Health by Bird
Coler, Commissioner of Public Charlie
On Staten Island the department hs
taken over St Johns Guild at Sout
Beach for similar purposes Additions
wards for influenza patients are to I
established at the Metropolitan ar
bellevue hospitals