The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-10-05
EPIDEMIC STILL
TAKING ITS TOLL
But the Sick Are Being Civ
en- More Care in
Barre
WITH ARRIVAL OF
MORE PHYSICIANS
Weeks Systematic Efforts
Are Proving More
Effective


which grip has rayaged to greater or
less extent in nearly every town in cen
tral Vermont, although Barre and Mont
pelier have felt most keenly the effects
of the most terrible pestilence within
memory. The malady manifested itself
in the latter part of September, and for
at least a week past Barre has been
plague ridden city, with doctors, nurses
and many volunteer workers ministering
day and night to the suffering. A de-
tailed story Of the week would read like
a chapter out of DeFoe's description of
the great plague in London. The end is
not in sight, although the most thorough
investigators believe that the results of
painstaking efforts TO check the epidemic
are becoming apparent.
Death may continue TO take heavy toll
until Monday or Tuesday, in the opinion
Of the doctors, but the death rate, which
has reached what is probably the highest
point in the history Of the city, will go
down appreeiably early in the coming
week. Thus far there have been II deaths,
most of them occurring in the present
week. In addition the bodies of no fewer
than II soldiers and sailors who died in
training camps and naval stations of the
Spanish influenza have been brought
home to rest in local cemeteries. Two
Barre people who moved to Quincy,
Mass, in recent weeks are dead.
Official cognizance Of the alarming
spread of influenza and pneumonia cases
was taken Sept. "A, when the health de-
.partment notified all doctors that cases
must be reported. Previously there had
been only few deaths A week ago to-
day the lid was placed on public meet
ings, and while the order came too late to
interfere with Sunday services the next
day, the prescription on Monday was
made to include the churches. Saloons
were next to receive the closing order,
and presently, with both the movies and
the schools closed the curtain was effee-
lively lowered on public activities of
nearly every kind. Later in the week the
health department issued an order for
bidding public funerals
Active steps toward coping with the
epidemic were noticeable Monday after
noon, when members Of the board of
health, the city council and the Board Of
Trade organized special relief commit
tee. Barre's corps Of physicians was
badly depleted at the outset by reason of
the fact that number of doctors had but
recently Joined the colors. Then came
the strenuous days and nights of service,
which taxed the available physicians to
the utmost, with the result that their
number was further decreased by illness.
In mid-week representatives of the state
board of health came to the relief Of the
city and at present. from five to eight out
of-town doctors and many additional
nurses are working. City hall is the
point where the systematic. distribution
of assistants eenters, and daily and by
night many cars available for the swift
transportation of doctors and helpers are
parked at the curbing A detailed census
Of the sick has aided materially in has
tening the decline Of the epidemic,
Yesterday the Barre physicians, aided
by Drs Dalton and Pache of the state
board of health, Drs. Jenne, DeCieco, AL
exander, Wyker, Beecher, Bombard Shea
and Pease of Burlington, endeayored to
visit every person who was reported to
be in the first stages Of the malady. Here
after the patients are to be visited regu-
larly, and in this manner it is believed
Iilub uhuNtt Viii bN accomplished III hAit
way Of checking the outbreak. Undouht-
edly the number of new cases is>decreas-
ing steadily. Doctors and nurses, along
with volunteer nurses, are using masks,
and other precautions are taken, all to
the end that the epidemic may be con
fined within present bounds.
Additional deaths reported to-day are
as follows: Mrs. George X. Carle of 43
John street; Thomas Mcdonald of the
Miles building; Ella Beltrami of s4 Smith
street; Arthur Lshaie of Kynoch avenue;
six year .old daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Harry f. Quinlan of 1888 South Main
street; Edward Venner of 81 South Main
street; John G. Wood, Al Currier street;
Giuseppe Brussetto, 90 Circle street; AL
phonse Vanetti of Central street; Balen-
tino Barquin of 81 Berlin street; George
Angelini of 27 Brook street; Giuseppi
----- (midentifedl Felix Marchesi of
Bolster place; Joseph Placement Of las
North Seminary street; Marziale Reffi of
IL Bcckley street Ricardo Heapla of 8
Harrington avenue