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WATERBURY – Flames escaped from the parish house of the Trinitarian Church, illuminating Prospect Street in Waterbury early in the morning of November 8, 1918.
A police officer sprinted to the nearest alarm box to warn the fire department. A crowd had gathered. They all knew the horrible truth. They lived with death at a higher rate than any other municipality in Connecticut at the time.
Nearly 20 people were inside this burning two-story building, each helpless and unable to secure itself. Only a few spectators tried to help. Most were frozen with fear.
The fire was secondary to the terror of the deadly contagious disease inside the parish house, serving as a temporary hospital. Few dared to risk contracting the disease.
The building, ravaged by the flames, had been converted into a temporary hospital for patients at the height of the 1918 influenza pandemic.
The fire department reacted quickly enough to save everyone inside. When the flames were extinguished, the patients were transported to another temporary hospital located at Temple Hall, an auditorium located in the Masonic Temple at Park Place.
The horrible events of the pandemic had become commonplace in Waterbury since the first case of influenza was reported on September 25, 1918.
Unlike other influenza illnesses – which usually have dramatic effects on children and the elderly – this particular strain was fatal for healthy young adults, typically 20 to 40 years old.
On November 1, 1918, Waterbury, with a population of about 90,000, had 6,182 cases of influenza and 673 cases of pneumonia. Although 95 flu-related deaths were initially reported, later reports indicate that there were more than 750.
In the month of October alone, Bergin Funeral Home, located at 242 East Main St., served 117 families.
In order to keep the residents calm, many burials took place at dusk so as not to attract attention. However, death was so widespread in the city that the graves could not be prepared quickly enough. The situation became so serious that Reverend Eugene Cryne, Assistant Pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, appealed to Mayor William H. Sandland for more ditches.
City workers joined the church badtons to meet the high demand.
As the epidemic spread, Saint Mary's and Waterbury Hospitals were overwhelmed. Administrators feared accepting large numbers of people infected with the flu. These patients would expose and endanger other people treated in the hospital.
Temporary hospitals for influenza patients have been established in places such as the Waterbury Country Club, Chase Park House and Watertown Avenue Insulation Hospital. At the time, there was no vaccine or effective medication to treat the flu.
Nurses played a crucial role in fighting the spread of the disease and some died in the service of others. Their services were particularly vital because the pandemic occurred during the First World War.
"Many nurses were overseas at the time in the US Expeditionary Forces," said Heather Evans, PhD, badistant professor in the Department of Nursing at St. Joseph University in West Hartford . "This has left a gap in the skilled nursing staff available in the United States at the forefront of care for those with the disease."
The desperate need for nurses was evident in Waterbury.
Mayor Sandland telegraphed the US Surgeon General in Washington, DC, requesting that nurses be sent to Waterbury. In addition, the Red Cross and the Visiting Nurses Association have advocated for nurses and volunteer helpers throughout the city.
Mary Gormley was one of the first nurses to answer the call for help.
Gormley, who lived at 38 Spencer Ave., was a nurse at the Red Cross and head of the League Against Tuberculosis in Waterbury. In the autumn of 1918, she had been ordered to serve abroad during the war. Orders changed as the need for nurses in Waterbury became urgent. Gormley received a telegram from the Red Cross headquarters in Washington asking him to stay in the city to help fight the pandemic. She was badigned to the isolation hospital and began working there on October 5, 1918.
After five days, she was hit by the flu.
Gormley died of pneumonia on October 11, 1918. His coffin was covered with an American flag and escorted by the state guard of Connecticut. She was buried in the new St. Joseph Cemetery with all the military honors.
In mid-October, the city of Waterbury banned public meetings in the city. This would eventually lead to the temporary closure of theaters, churches, salons, schools and other public places.
This year's flu season: relatively mild, doctors say
Isolation was of the utmost importance to prevent the spread of the flu. People were invited to stay at home and limit their exposure to other people. The ban was lifted only on November 7, a few days before the Armistice ending the First World War.
In the last four months of 1918, 60% of all deaths in Connecticut were due to influenza and pneumonia.
As the pandemic continued in 1919, the number of new cases of influenza and influenza-related deaths declined rapidly and eventually declined in the spring.
Between October 1918 and March 1919, there were more than 1,000 influenza-related deaths in Waterbury. At the state level, an estimated 8,500 people have died from the flu pandemic.
Got the flu? Try not to catch him? Some tips for you:
Stay home for at least 24 hours after leaving your fever, except for medical attention or other necessities.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Wash your hands often with soap and water.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as germs spread this way.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated.
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