Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-16
HOW P, < J. PLANT
FOUGHT EPIDEMIC
Sixtv Per Cent of Men Off at One
Time or Another, But Battle
Went On.

Quick to heed the warning when inc
hrsf outbreak of influenza gave. anu
moving rapidly under an efhclcnt organ
1ation. the Pusey & Jones Company,
without trumpet flourish. indeed niue
credit from the public for It's efforts, has
been putting up n hard tight against
the epidemic which has swept through
the ward, crippling the force ana causing
no less than fOrty-hvc dathS
Sixty per cent of the workers have been
forced to- leave their duties, either being
victims themselves of the disease or forced
10 remain at home to nurse their wives
and little ones. This high tide at ah-
sentces held daily for long period.
though vesterday'a report showing ! ,luu
men out indicates drop 10 about thirty
per cent
The organization 10 battle against
tho influenza among the shlpworkers
is headed bv Thomas :. Lee liorSey.
safety engineer of the plant. and IS com
posed chiefly. in addition. by A. G. Speigel-
halter. plant manager; Ii. q. NceSe'
employment manager, and G. L. 1op-
mage production manager. Finn Han
neyip. vice president and general man
aper. DR. Harold Springer and DR.. Davies
have vaIiantlv put their shoulders To the
wheel as have a score of employees OF
the plant whose names have been placed
on a special honor roll by the company
IN THE FIGHT EARLY.
As esrly as September 20 following
= meeting in Philadelphia called by
Colonel Doane. Director Of Health and
Sanitation, Of the Shipping Board MIR.
HoYsev. Mr. Coppage and other oftl-
ciaIs of the Pusey and Jones company
met in conference with officials Of
the Harlan plant and arranged
to take over the New Century CLUB aN an
emergency hospital the two plants 10
.hare the expense OF equipment on a
pco rata per patient basis
After fifty beds had been bought and
furnished with necessary clothing, the
P,1sev 4 Jones representatives, IN order
TO avoid any possible delay through
friction which might attend having two
heads TO the project, turned over the
ranarement of the hospital to the Harlan
officials. The former concern, however,
maintained man at the hospital 70
rerort the condition of patients and
thr condition Of needed supplies.
Meanwhile steps were being rapidly
taken al the plant to combat the disease.
An emergency organization was quickly
rotten under way. and the fight was
wared efficiently on broad lines Nr.
Horsev was placed in charge Of patients
A. the hospital. the removal Of patients
10 the new institution and Of notifying
relatives of the victims.
SIX MACHINES KEPT RUsY.
A e.. Speigelhalter had the visitation
~ the sick IN charge aS we'll as looking
M absent men to learn whether Or not
they were of duty through illness SiX
autos and six men afoot were kept busy
,Iav and night on these crrands.
II. C. Neese undertook 20 compile .
full report Of all cases, arranging zone
system so that ahsenteeS could to visited
Systematically Mr.. Coppagc aided each
ono Of these men as the occasion presented
itself
In addition 10 these men. the company
al,o furnished trained nurse who CON
Stantly was kept busy mnistering 20
stricken families \ basket of fruit WIS
left AZ every door where sickness had
uttered Flowers were sent 70 hercaved
families. and Mr. Hannevlg personally
~cDf floral tributes to homes Of death.
Ivery manner ot friendly and has
been gwen it, employees hy hc company
Graves have been dug, burial expenses
paid household affairs sadly upset have
been Strengthened ou and hundreds
OF needed acts performed
THE SITUATION FoE wEEh.
10 show how hard the plant has becn
hit by he epidemic, he following report
for the week ending October i given.
Total men on payroll, 3,l11
Absent. .42S
Vistations made. 757
Influenza cases out OF the 151 ~
Died, s.
Serious eases. 81
Taken TO hospital Is
Convalescent, $40.
Out of 9Sl men absent for other causes,
slarge per cent were kept az home nursing
their SICK.
Following the receipt of bulletins
iron the e s Health Bureau. warnings
were Immediately posted throughout
the plant describing the influenza, ,lglving
the symptoms, cause, reason for spread
and how TO guard against H. About
5000 cards were handed to employees
TO be mailed to the company IN case
Of sickness.
THE ROLL OF HONOR.
Throughout the drive against Inc
epidemic employees have Loyalty given
aid and the company have placed d num-
Der of names on special roll of honor
as follows: 4 l. Lane, II Lane, Messrs
Murphey, Dolan, Spicer, Cobb, Curran
Scott r., Hughes, Sampson. Thlel.
Mufnell, Thomas. Foskey, Dolan, Bradley:
Volk, Chandler, Jackson, Allen Me
Gowan @. Barber. kuhns. Patterson
McNee, Howell Gray. Hart and Miss
Matte Sullivan. nurse
SOLDIERS HELPED TOO.
Full credit also Is given by the company
TO the soldiers on the ambulances at tbs
PENNSYLVANIA Railroad station AND from
Delaware College They have sped
night and day on errands of mercy
sleeping at the wheel as they could
Work on the 4,0OO-ton freight steam