The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918 / An Account of Its Ravages in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and the Efforts Made to Combat and Subdue It

by Oscar Jewell Harvey

It was then resolved, upon motion of Mr. Brown, that a committee, representative of the entire County, should be appointed:

“To devise plans for the permanent relief of all influenza orphans needing the same; and that prior to a meeting of this General Committee to be held on January 20, 1919, the Secretary should communicate with the various cities in Pennsylvania and other States, in which the epidemic had been serious, for the purpose of securing information regarding permanent relief plans adopted in those cities.”

In pursuance of this resolve it was decided that the following-named persons should be invited to come together at the Chamber of Commerce on January 20, 1919, at 3 o’clock p.m., for the purpose of effecting a “permanent organization for the relief of influenza orphans in Luzerne County.” William C. Shepherd, Percy A. Brown, C. F. Brisbin, William H. Conyngham, John N. Conyngham, John D. Farnham, Hon. S. J. Strauss, Hon. J. V. Kosek, Miss Anna Koons, Charles F. Huber, Miss Mary Brady, Miss Rose O’Hara, Dr. Charles H. Miner, Dr. S. P. Mengel, Eugene W. Mulligan, Anthony C. Campbell, Mrs. George Galland, Mrs. Francis A. Phelps, Mrs. Andrew F. Derr, Miss Hobart, Miss Nellie Ritchie, Mrs. J. D. Davenport, Victor Lee Dodson, Frederick J. Weckesser and Harold N. Rust of Wilkes-Barré; Michael Lonski, F. H. Kohlbraker, Mrs. George G. Brader and Mrs. Oliver Bell of Nanticoke; Fuller R. Hendershot, Dr. H. L. Whitney, H. L. Freeman, Michael Maras and the Hon. Asa K. De Witt of Plymouth; Mayor Henry W. Heidenreich and Harry A. Schmoll of Hazleton; William Bray of Freeland; D. A. Mulherin of Glen Lyon; the Rev. M. A. Dauber of Pike’s Creek; Robert Mulhall, William Joseph Peck, M. N. Donnelly, Mayor James Kennedy, M. W. O’Boyle, W. L. Watson, W. J. Kilgallen and Mrs. Joseph Peck of Pittston; Samuel M. Parke of West Pittston; Mrs. E. E. Buckman, Mrs. Laurance M. Thompson and Harry W. Ruggles of Dorranceton; the Rev. F. Kasaczun of Sugar Notch; V. B. Sheeder and the Rev. Mr. Gillespie of Wanamie; the Rev. Selden L. Haynes, the Rev. J. F. Jedlicka and Hubbard B. Payne of Kingston; the Rev. J. E. Gryczka of Edwardsville; James L. Reilly, Secretary of the Poor Board of the Central District of Luzerne County.

In response to notices sent out to the aforementioned persons, about thirty-five of them assembled in the auditorium of the Wilkes-Barré Chamber of Commerce in the afternoon of January 20, 1919. At the request of Chairman Shepherd Mr. John N. Conyngham acted as Chairman pro tem. Mr. Shepherd then explained the purpose of the meeting, and the necessity for providing some satisfactory method of taking care of the children throughout the County who had been left in a destitute condition by the influenza pandemic.

The Chairman pro tem. asked whether or not a permanent organization should be formed. Mr. Mulhall thought that it would be wise to work through some organization already in existence and possessing power to enforce any law relating to the situation. He suggested the United Charities as such an organization, and supplementary to this suggestion Mr. Schmoll reported that in Hazleton forty-six influenza orphans were at that time being taken care of by the United Charities of that City.

Mrs. Galland, President of the Mothers’ Pension Fund, thought it would be the best plan to leave as many children as possible with their surviving parents, and that practically all cases could be handled by the Pension Fund—provided appropriations for it should be sufficiently increased.

On motion of the Rev. Mr. Haynes it was finally voted that a temporary organization be formed, to be known as the “Chamber of Commerce Coöperation Committee”, to coöperate with existing agencies in making investigations and providing relief for all deserving cases.

Mr. Brisbin, Chairman of the Civilian Relief Department of the Wyoming Valley Chapter of the Red Cross, stated that his department had begun investigations, regardless of any arrangements made, or to be made, by other committees or organizations. It had been stated that the Women’s Committee of the Council of National Defense was about to institute an investigation of the orphan problem along the same lines being followed by the Red Cross, and Mr. Brisbin called attention to the danger of serious confusion and complications as a result of this overlapping work.

Mrs. Phelps and Miss Brady (the latter an employé of the United Charities of Wilkes-Barré) spoke of conditions found by them in many homes where poverty reigned, and where it was necessary that something should be done immediately to save these families from being ejected from their homes by landlords because they could not pay their rents. Thereupon Mr. Mulhall inquired why the Poor Boards could not pay the rents of families in destitute circumstances. Mr. Dodson said that while the Poor Board of the Central District was publicly not in favor of paying rents, he believed it would take care of the rent question quietly by paying money for that purpose to the United Charities. Mr. Farnham stated that the Red Cross had some money which might be used for that purpose.

Upon motion of Mr. Hendershot it was then voted that a committee be appointed to work in conjunction with the State Department of Health in an attempt to secure from the State Legislature financial relief for all influenza orphans. As such committee the Chairman appointed Fuller R. Hendershot, John D. Farnham and Percy A. Brown.