October 30th, 1918 Rochester and the Influenza pandemic

On the National Front, a purported vaccine was being given to members of the US military.

Lillian Russell of the U.S. Marines and a noted stage actress and Singer was nominated to the rank of a Sergent becoming the highest-ranked Woman in the American Armed Forces.

In Geneva, the American Can Opening was adding a new shift and was hiring women on the day forces.

In Rochester, there were 602 new cases and a total of 10,519 cases. There were 22 deaths from influenza, with a total of 319 deaths in the City. There were 2 deaths from lobar pneumonia, and 3 from bronchial pneumonia contributing to a total of 95 persons dying from pneumonia. There was 1 death from bronchial pneumonia. The youngest were: 7-month old, Dominick Corrado, 8-month-old, Floro Ferlissi, and 9-month-old Taddeus Adamski, and 1-year-old Michael Obbi, and Ducia Morelli.

A new convalescent hospital was opened up at the New York State Armory where accommodations for more than one hundred were now available.

In general, the feeling at the hospitals was that the city was turning the corner on the disease. However, there was still much tragedy.

“One man had three children all carried out of the hospital dead. He was almost insane. Another many has lost his wife in the epidemic. Their little girl was ill in this hospital at the time, and he comes to see her with a self-possession that is remarkable. Although broken-hearted, he goes to the little girl’s bedside and tells her some pretty story to make her happy, that the news of her mother’s death may not be broken to her until she has recovered. He comes down from the children’s ward, leaving her as happy as he finds her. Among those passing out yesterday was a mother who already had lost her husband and youngest child in the epidemic. While she fell into her last sleep her little girl was playing in the cot next to her.”

The Commissioner of Public Safety, R. Andrew Hamilton, and Dr. Joseph Roby, acting health officer, indicated that they would not be lifting the orders to close businesses until “a continued improvement in the situation warranted the belief that the epidemic has “burned out” in this city.”

Military honors were given to the first of the NY Guard men who gave his life in the fight against influenza in the City.