The Spanish Influenza was the first of two pandemics caused by the H1N1 influenza virus (the second was the swine flu in 2009). Lasting from January 1918 to December 1920, it infected 500 million people, about a quarter of the world’s population at the time.
The pandemic affected everyone, killing over 675,000 Americans. The impact on the population was so severe that in 1918, American life expectancy was reduced by twelve years. The virus killed almost 200,000 in October 1918 alone.
The end of the war on November 11 enabled a resurgence. As people celebrated the end of the war with parades and large parties, a rebirth of the epidemic spread throughout the United States for a second time.
The following entries from two months of 1918 have been copied from the New Paltz Independent and Times.
October 1918
The Spanish Influenza has been spreading rapidly over the country. The disease appears, at first, simply as an ordinary cold, with coughing and sneezing. In quite a number of cases pneumonia results, and sometimes with fatal results. Anyone, subjected to infection from the breath, or expectoration or sneezing of a victim is likely to take the disease. The only thing to be done is to avoid a cold or if one is contracted, take instant care of it.
The State Board of Health Council has adopted a rule making it a criminal offense for any person to sneeze or cough in a public place without covering the nose or mouth.
There are 2000 cases of Spanish Influenza reported in Kingston. The schools, churches and Sunday schools are ordered closed. Public funerals are forbidden. The armory at Kingston has been turned into an emergency hospital. In Poughkeepsie, the hospital takes no more cases. On Sunday, The Courier contained the obituaries of 31 persons of Poughkeepsie who had died the past week of influenza and pneumonia.
Maybrook has been the hardest hit of any community by the Spanish Influenza. The place was put under quarantine some time ago.
Manager Bruyn Hasbrouck has announced that the New Paltz Opera House will be closed until further notice on account of the influenza epidemic. There will be no motion pictures there next Saturday night, nor any other evening until the danger from the epidemic is past.
The Normal School has not closed. A number of pupils in the grades are absent on account of the prevailing sickness. The Highland authorities have ordered the schools, churches, theatre and public gathering places closed. There were over 200 cases of illness in Highland last week. The Presbyterian Church at Highland has been turned into a temporary hospital.
The Highland Post last week contained 19 obituaries of residents and former residents of Highland and vicinity who had died the past week of influenza. There were 36 cases of influenza and five pneumonia cases at the Raymond Riordon School, Chodikee Lake, last week. Fourteen employees of the Schule grape juice factory were ill, and only six trolley employees were at work, the rest being ill.
Owing to the illness of the prospective bridegroom, Leon Chambers, who is confined to his home in Kingston with the influenza, his marriage to Miss Clover Tschirky has been postponed to October 23, when it will be held at the Waldorf Astoria, New York City. Miss Ruth Cahill, who is to be the maid of honor, is also ill at her home in New Paltz, and Miss Tschirky herself is just recovering from a severe attack of grip.
The trolley was unable to run on its regular schedule for a short time on account of sickness among the employees. But the regular running of the cars was resumed on Tuesday.
Rev. Paul Price, pastor of the M.E. churches at Modena and Clintondale, died on Tuesday night of the prevailing epidemic He was a young man, unmarried and about 25 years of age.
The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Pallus, who conduct the fruit business at the foot of Main Street near the Wallkill bridge, died this week of influenza. The funeral was held this Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock.
The barber shop of Frank Vasquez has been closed for a short time past on account of sickness in the family. James R. Doyle is back on the job at J. J. Hasbrouck & Company’s store after a week’s illness.
Miss Gertrude Deyo, Miss Hazel Deyo, Miss Elsie Hayden, Miss Maud Constable and Miss Gertrude Sutton are at their homes in New Paltz because the various schools in which they are teaching are closed on account of the epidemic.
November 1918
Following the death of Ruly Enderly last week, two of his brothers died one week later. On Wednesday morning Arthur Enderly died at the home of his mother and in the afternoon of the same day Samuel Enderly passed away at his home just south of Gardiner village. Both were victims of the Spanish Influenza and they had been sick only a few days. Arthur came home sick only a few days ago from Minnewaska, where he was employed. Samuel’s wife and two small children, a boy and a girl, survive him. Another brother, Reuben, some time ago entered the service of the country. Two of their sisters died last night of the same disease, one of them being Mrs. Emil Gierisch.
Frank Donaldson and wife, who lived north of Plutarch on what was formerly the James Quick place, both died recently. They were buried in one grave in the Lloyd Cemetery. They left several small children, who were taken to the Industrial Home at Kingston.
The number of cases of Spanish Influenza decreased very rapidly in the early part of the week. It has not been nearly as bad at New Paltz as at certain other neighboring villages. But on the mountain side and at Ohioville there were a number of cases.
There have been about 8000 cases of the Spanish Influenza at Kingston; that is about one-fourth of the population of the place. The average number of interments a year in the Highland cemetery is 50, but in the past month there have been 28, an unusually large number.
A number of farm cadets, who have been working on farms, are in the Normal again this week. A number of students, who have stayed at home on account of the influenza, are also back in the Normal this week.
The autobus between New Paltz and Kingston, which did not run on schedule time during the epidemic, is now making regular trips.
Dr. Myron E. Stephens dies of pneumonia
Seldom has a community been so appalled as was the Town of Gardiner last Friday morning when the announcement of the death of Dr. M. E. Stephens was made. The deaths during the past few weeks were indeed many, and had the effect of sobering the minds of everybody. This news, however, was indeed, awful.
Dr. Stephens had been ill only a few days. He was taken down with the influenza. For a time he seemed to be on the way to recovery, but a sudden change took place and pneumonia set in and he rapidly grew worse. Every possible thing that could be done to save his life was done. He was attended by Drs. Tiernan of New Paltz and Sadelier of Poughkeepsie and Mrs. Anna Neandes, a very able and efficient nurse.
Dr. Stephens was born at Frankfort, NY, the son of Stewart and Margaret Stephens. His early education was received in the schools of Frankfort and in the Whitestone Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1880. For a short time afterwards he taught school. It was his ambition, however, to become a physician. He gave up teaching, entered the Albany Medical College and graduated from this in 1885. Then having interned in the Albany Hospital for 18 months he located in the Village of Gardiner, which has been his home ever since.
January 18, 1893, he married Miss Mary LeFevre of Gardiner. Mrs. Stephens died suddenly about six months ago.
Dr. Stephens literally sacrificed his life for the people of the community in which he lived. The task he was called upon to perform was stupendous. It was enough to tax the strength of one in the very prime of life and in the fullest of health. During the past three weeks he attended over 400 patients. He was kept going night and day and yet he was never known to turn a patient away or to refuse to respond to a call.
He was a big man physically and he was great of heart. He always had a smile and kind word for everybody. By all the children he was loved and by all adults honored.
Outside his professional life he was very active. All public affairs interested him and in the work of the church he always occupied a foremost place. He was one of the organizers of the Gardiner Reformed Church and for many years served in the consistory.
He held the position of Public Health Officer for many years, he was the attending physician at the County Alms House, he had been the postmaster and always was at the head of local committees. He, too, was a member of the County and State Medical Society and of several fraternal organizations.
The Doctor is survived by three brothers, Rozelle Stephens of Frankfort, Dr. John H Stephens of West Winfield, and Frank Stephens of Utica and one sister, Miss Mary Deliah Stephens at present living at Gardiner, and two children, Homer L. at present studying medicine at the Albany Medical College, and Lucille, who is teaching in the High School at Newton, NJ.
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