1918-10-21ao HSR and the Flu'

The influenza epidemic had reached a very difficult level by the midpoint of October, 1918 was reached.

The Hamilton Board of Health had decided its power under the applicable provincial law could mean some drastic measures needed to be taken to help combat the spread of the disease, notably the closing of schools, churches, theaters, and the manner in which the Hamilton Street Railway allowed its streetcars to be operated regarding windows.

 On October 21, 1918, new regulations issued by the Hamilton Board of Health were legally put into effect. One of the new regulations proved to be much more problematic than the others. That was the order that all windows of all street cars had to remain open at all times:

“The greatest discomfort has been experienced on the street cars through the board of health’s order that all windows shall be thrown open. If the city is visited by wet weather, either the order will have to be relaxed or the situation will become intolerable. In the meantime, the crews of the cars are protesting vigorously, and Ald. Hodgson stated this morning that he had learned that a big crop of retirements from the staff of the street railway company was about due. Several of the men are reported to have taken cold and now confined to their beds.” ¹

¹ “12 Deaths and 80 New Cases Since Saturday – Hospital at Jockey Club Opened”

Hamilton Spectator.    October 21, 1918.

After a full day’s experience with the matter of keeping all windows in the cars open, no matter how old or wet the weather might be. The Spectator sent out a reporter who examined the whole matter carefully, interviewed several key people and finally presented his article as follows:

“That the board of health is so busy combatting the influenza that it had no time to look to the enforcement of its own order, that all windows on street cars should be opened wide, was the assessment of Dr. Roberts, M.H.O., this morning, when it was brought to his attention that the order was practically ignored today.

“ ‘The order is there, and so it stands,’ said Dr. Roberts, ‘but we are so busy attending to the sick that we haven’t time to look after matters of secondary importance.’

“ ‘But do you regard the enforcement of this order as of secondary importance?’ Dr. Roberts was asked.

‘ ‘No, I don’t; but we are so rushed that there is no time to enforce anything now,’ was the reply.

“The street railway employees held a meeting to decide whether they would take out the cars at all, and they finally decided to take them out of the barns, only on agreeing to keep all windows closed at 6.

“This was pointed out to Dr. Roberts.

‘ ‘Are the street railway employees to openly defy the board of health’s order, or will the order be relaxed?’ he was asked.

“Dr. Roberts replied that the order would not be relaxed, but at present, the matter would stand. The whole staff was so busy that nothing else could be attended to just now.

“ ‘The weather is such that nobody will get any harm through the windows being left open, and, anyway, in other cities there are no street cars at all,’ said the health officer said. ‘The conductors tell me that they can’t keep the windows open. The passengers simply walk in and put them up again. What are we to do?’

“So the order remains at present partly ignored. The conductors and motormen are bitter in their complaints against the regulations, and it is forecasted that if it is rigidly enforced, scores of resignations are due. Already a large number of employees are off, having either quit or taken cold. There is a general disposition to defy the order. Most of the cars this morning had from three to six windows partly opened, while in some the windows were closed tight, the ventilators only being used. The discomforts attending the open cars were becoming unbearable, the men stated. Seven cars were out of commission on Sunday, and a large number yesterday, owing to the shortage of men. The company is paying men 55 cents per hour to work overtime.”²

²“Car Crews Opposed to the M.H.O.’s Order : Can’t Stand the Windows Open in Cold Weather : Twelve More Deaths Here Due to Influenza : Quantity of Vaccine Received from Toronto”

Hamilton Spectator.    October 22, 1918

(To Be Continued)