New Britain herald., 1929-02-05
EUROPE SWEPT BY
EPIDEMIC Of FLU.
Frigid Weather Adds to Slhd
Ing h Sticktn Countries

London, Feb. 5 N-ThouSan03 OF
persons were i'll in Europe today OF
influenza. Few localities had been
spared by the epidemic. In France
some of the most notable figures Of
public life were among those afflict-
ed.
In Paris the victims included
President Doumergue. Premier Ray
mond Poincare and his ministers.
Aristide BRAND and Georges Icy
CUES. Their cases we're mild. but
there was more serious aspect to
that OF Marshal Foch, where influ-
enza had complicated prior heart
and kidney ailment.
Others on the sick-list in Paris
were Marshal Henri Petain, and Sir
William G. Tyrrell British ambassa-
dor, S. Parker Gilbert, agent gen.
eral of reparations, was better after
an attack of the disease.
In England Dame Nellie Melba,
famous prima dona, was recovering
from the malady.
Hospitals Overflow
Hospitals In Paris we're taxed to
capacity with patients; Berlin's pub
lie works and department stores re-
ported heavy sick lists. This was
the case too, in London. In Prague,
Czechoslovakia the epidemic was on
the wane after striking low more
than one person in every five. AL
though there have been some deaths
most centers reported that mortality
had been comparatively low.
The epidemic was accompanied
today by continuation of the bitterly
cold weather that has gripped Eu-
rope and Asio from the Yellow sea
to the British Isles.
Some parts of central and south
eastern Europe particularly we're
suffering. Several deaths were re-
ported from the Balkans, Constan-
tinople and South Russia. At Bel
grade, Jugoslavia, the temperature
reached IS degrees below zero. and
a passenger train which left the city
Sunday for Zigazar was buried un-
der twenty feet Of snow. Another
avalanche buried a rescue train.
Two other trains we're unreported.
The Danube and Sava rivers were
frozen over so solidly that horses
and carts were crossing in safety.
At Prague, Czechoslovakia, the
lowest temperature in 1877 years was
recorded. The whole country was
covered with a blanket Of snow and
relief expeditions were organized
for a number of villages. Famished
wolves invaded other isolated towns.
Deep Snow In Turkey
In Constantinople the heavy snow
caused much suffering. Italy saw
considerable snow. and Rome re-
corded the lowest temperature since
1895, u degrees. France had clear
sunny weather, although 1t was BIT
terly cold; even the Riviera held no
charm for its winter visitors. Dem
mark was Ice bound, and tempera-
lures below freezing prevailed in
England and The British Isles.
Asia was not spared. Northern
Chinese ports reported unusual cold
with ice hinderirg shipping at
Tientsin and Chinwangtao. There
were . number of deaths at Shang-
hal.
Baluchistan and northern India
experienced very low temperatures
although few details were available
Even Bombay reported reading
of So degrees Fahrenheit. the lowest
in nearly a century. Cotton clad In
dams suffered greatly from what to
them is bitter cod.
ANONYMOUSLY the weather in
northern Europe was much milder.
Points in Siberia reported tempera-
ture of forty degrees Fahrenheit,
while In Spitzbergen the reading
was three degrees higher than In
London, where it was 81.
There was some speculation as to
the effect Of the cold weather on the
influenza epidemic. Some localities
believed the bitter cold helpful;
others that 1t was increasing the
number of cases.