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AS
SWINE
VARIETY
FEARED
TODAY
Fatal
flu:
how
it
hit
Vancouver
in
Autumn,
1918
IJy
NICK
HILLS,
Southam
News
Services
VANCOUVER
Spanish
influenza
struck
this
city
on
Oct.
S,
1918.
Five
days
later,
there
were
66
reported
cases
and
within
a
month
the
death
toll
had
climbed
to
400.
The
epidemic
raged
through
Vancouver
for
almost
six
months,
finally
burning
itself
out
in
the
spring
of
1919.
By
that
time
981
people
had
died,
one
per
cent
of
the
city's
population.
Today,
the
Spanish
flu
originally
named
because
the
king
of
Spain
was
one
of
its
first
victims
is
turning
up
again
as
swine
influenza.
Medical
experts
say
both
strains
have
the
same
virus
and
there
could
be
a
North
American
outbreak
this
fall.
The
flu
of
58
years
ago
produced
the
most
terrifying
effects,
It's
striking
force
was
so
deadly
that
a
healthy
person
could
be
helpless
with
fever,
delirium
and
chills
within
an
hour.
Men
would
set
out
for
work
healthy
and
collapse
enroute.
Within
a
month
of
it
striking
Vancouver,
there
were
literally
thousands
of
people
seriously
ill.
Schools,
public
halls
and
churches
had
to
be
closed.
Citizens
were
urged
to
wear
gauze
masks
in
a
vain
attempt
to
stop
the
spread
of
the
disease.
The
aches
and
pains
that
come
with
the
normal
flu
were
apparent
in
this
strain,
but
it
was
the
pneumonia
that
often
followed
which
turned
out
to
be
the
killer.
As
opposed
to
bacterial
pneumonia
which
of
ten
complicates
normal
flu,
this
was
believed
to
be
viral
pneumonia
which
would
not
respond
to
treatment
by
antibiotics.
It
killed
quickly
Autopsies
revealed
that
the
virus
attacked
lung
tissue
and
unlike
ordinary
flu
it
cut
down
the
young
and
healthy
as
well
as
the
old
and
infirm.
Two
thirds
of
Vancouver's
victims
were
between
the
ages
of
20
and
40.
Dr.
Harry
Milburn,
now
aged
90,
remembers
clearly
what
it
did
to
Vancouver.
"It
wasn't
long,"
he
recalls,
"before
the
hospitals
were
filled
up
to
the
neck
and
they
opened
up
King
,Edward
School
to
use
as
an
emergency
hospital.
"I
remember
those
big
rooms
with
those
windows
way
up
high
and
the
rows
of
cots,
and
the
nurses,
white
attired
with
white
masks,
tending
them.
They
looked
like
ghosts
walking
through
a
graveyard,"
Dr
Milburn,
who
still
carries
on
a
small
medical
practice,
treated
thousands
of
patients
during
the
1918
epidemic.
"It
started
very
quickly,
with
fever,
chills,
aching
from
head
to
foot;
it
was
almost
like
a
shock
when
it
first
hit.
"If
the
fever
didn't
break
in
the
first
few
days,
It
developed
into
pneumonia
we
lost
50
per
cent
of
the
pneumonias,
'
"My
first
case
was
a
man
in
his
30s.
It
didn't
appeaf
to
be
a
severe
case,
but
he
didn't
throw
it
off,
and
he
was
dead
in
a
week,
"Then,
it
seemed
to
swamp
the
whole
district,
You'd
go
into
a
home
and
the
whole
family
would
have
It.
You'd
have
to
find
out
which
one
was
the
least
sick
and
use
them
to
look
after
the
rest
of
the
family.
"A
lot
of
nurses
and
doctors
died,
They
were
coming
down
every
few
hours."
Dr.
Gerald
Bonham,
Vancouver's
present
medical
health
officer,
compares
the
virulence
of
swine
influenza
to
that
of
polio.
The
disease
can
affect
the
nervous
system
and
many
survivors
of
the
1918
epidemic
later
developed
Parkinson's
disease.
In
Vancouver,
the
epidemic
became
so
bad
that
by
November
of
that
year
stores
were
being
closed
early,
and
hundreds
of
volunteers
were
drafted
to
help
nurse
the
sick,
One
of
those
volunteers
was
Mrs.
Nota
Nordlund,
now
77.
"I
don't
think,"
she
recalls,
"anybody
sat
at
home.
It
was
Just
horrifying.
People
were
dying
and
because
Vancouver
was
small
then,
It
seemed
you
knew
everyone."
The
total
death
toll
from
the
epidemic
across
the
country
was
between
35,000
and
45,000,
while
worldwide
some
20
to
50
million
died.
'
Medical
detectives,
trying
to
track
down
how
it
started,
eventually
concluded
that
the
epidemic
was
born
when
107
flu
patients
were
admitted
to
hospital
on
March
11,
1918
at
Fort
Riley,
Kansas,
Fort
Riley
Is
a
U.S.
army
camp
similar
to
Fort
Dix,
N.J.,
where
autho
"ities
believe
the
new
swine
virus
has
been
found.
TRUDEAU
SAYS
PROGRAM
WORKING
8
percent
inflation
predicted
RESERVES
DWINDLE
Pound
slips
again
LONDON
(CP)
Britain's
official
reserves
backing
the
pound
fell
by
a(record
$1.1
billion
U.S.
during
March,
the
treasury
announced
today.
No
official
explanation
was
given,
but
financial
sources
here
blamed
the
drop
primarily
on
efforts
by
the
Bank
of
England
to
halt
the
steady
slide
of
the
pound
on
European
foreign
exchange
markets.
The
pound
declined
further
against
the
dollar
today
and
by
noon
had
sunk
to
$1.8692
U.S.
a
drop
of
4.68
cents
in
value
in
two
days
of
trading.
The
pound
closed
at
$2.02
March
1
and
at
$1.91
March
31,
a
drop
of
11
cents
during
the
month.
Hospital
eyes
$16
million
expansion
plan
by
TOM
NIXON
Citizen
Staff
Reporter
A
novel
three-stage,
$16-million
expansion
program
which
would
impose
five
years
of
construction
chaos
on
Prince
George
Regional
Hospital,
was
approved
in
princi-&le
Thursday
by
the
hospital
sard
of
trustees.
The
proposal,
unveiled
by
hospital
planning
co-ordinator
Derek
Beckley
and
architect
Des
Parker,
has
been
reviewed
by
B.C.
Hospital
Program
officials,
the
board
was
told,
and
while
not
approved
officially,
was
not
rejected
out
of
hand.
Air
safety
inspectors
start
strike
OTTAWA
(CP)
-
About
200
aviation
safety
inspectors
across
the
country
were
on
strike
Thursday
after
a
breakdown
in
mediation
talks
between
the
federal
government
and
the
Professional
Institute
of
the
Public
Service
of
Canada.
"Although
there
are
no
immediate
safety
hazards,
the
government
must
move
to
halt
all
civil
air
traffic
as
soon
as
possible,"
the
union
said
in
a
statement.
'PUBLIC
AGAINST
GUN
LAW
OTTAWA
(CP)
-
The
Commons
opposition
contended
Thursday
night
that
the
government
is
turning
off
debate
on
the
peace
and
security
bill
deliberately
to
stem
a
flood
of
complaints
from
alarmed
gun
owners.
During
a
rowdy
two-hour
debate
on
a'
government
motion
to
send
the
bill
to
committee
after
four
more
days
In
second
reading,
Progressive
Conservatives
said
the
cut-off
was
d
ictated
by
growing
public
opposition.
The
motion
passed
US
to
81.
Conservatives,
New
Democrats
and
Social
Credit
MPt
voted
against
it.
The
first
stage
of
the
proposal,
which
is
the
second
phase
of
three
building
phases
of
the
hospital
master
construction
plan,
would
see
a
$2
million
75-bed
extended
care
wing
built
on
the
south
end
of
the
present
building.
The
two-storey
addition
would
include
space
on
he
ground
floor
for.adironistr1
tion
offices
and.q'.ut-fatieit
psychiatry
facilities,
.which
would
not
be
completed
until
the
second
stage
construction.
Also
included
in
the
first-stage
construction,
total
cost
of
whiiJi
would
be
$10
million,
would
be
first,
second
and
third
floor
renovations
and
additions
to
the
main
building
acute
care
facilities.
Service
departments
such
as
bulk
storage,
laundry,
food
service
and
such,
surgical
and
obstetrical
departments,
radiology
and
emergency
departments
would
be
involved.
The
hospital
boiler
room
would
also
be
demolished
and
an
addition
built
on
the
powerhouse
building
to
replace
it.
Even
before
first-stage
construction
would
be
completed,
a
$2.8
million
second
stage
program
would
begin
further
additions
and
renovations
to
the
main
hospital
building.
Departments
included
in
the
second-stage
would
be
food
services,
engineering,
medical
records,
physiotherapy
and
occupational
therapy
and
completion
of
the
ground
floor
adminstration-psychiatry
section
of
the
extended
care
wing.
Further
expansion
of
the
powerhouse
is
also
included.
Stage
three
construction,
which
hopefully
would
be
completed
by
1982,
would
cost
$2.7
million
and
upgrade
a
large
number
of
second-level
facilities
including
the
emergency-ambulatory
section,
nuclear
medicine,
special
services,
social
services
and
admitting.
Bottom
level
laboratory,
housekeeping
and
engineering
sections
would
also
receive
attention.
The
staging
is
designed
for
flexibility
and
for
an
almost
constant
cash
flow
as
construction
progresses.
The
program
would
cost
between
$300,000
and
$1
million
every
three
months
and
yet
the
actual
construction
details
would
remain
flexible.
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CitlM
photo
b)
Dv
MUm
Swinging
through
spring
break
are
Connaught
Elemen-
,
,
,
tary
School
Grade
6
students
Tanya
Dyre,
12,
left,
and
Spring
break
Vera
Pankonin,
11.
The
girls
are
two
of
the
21,000
students
in
school
district
57
enjoying
a
week's
holiday,
They're
back
to
the
books
on
Monday.
BUT
NOT
FOR
ESCAPERS
PoW
pensions
raised
OTTAWA
(CP)-The
Commons
veterans
affairs
committee
gave
quick
approval
today
to
legislation
providing
special
veterans
benefits
to
an
estimated
7,000
or
8,000
former
prisoners
of
war.
It
had
recommended
such
action
nine
months
ago.
Opposition
MPs
commended
Veterans
Affairs
Minister
Daniel
MacDonald
for
the
longawaited
bill
but
said
they
regret
that
prison-camo
escapers
and
evaders
are
not
included
in
the
bill,
Angus
Maclean
(PC
Mai-peque),
who
evaded
capture
behind
enemy
lines
as
an
airman
in
the
Second
World
War,
said
it
was
the
duty
of
captured
servicemen
to
escape.
"To
penalize
those
who
did
make
a
successful
escape
in
my
judgment
is
morally
wrong,"
Under
the
bill,
most
of
the
1,130
former
prisoners
of
the
Japanese
in
the
Second
World
War
who
are
married
will
be
entitled
to
an
extra
$320.33
a
month
in
benefits.
Married
veterans
who
were
prisoners
in
Europe
during
the
war
will
be
entitled
to
as
much
as
$128.13
more
a
month.
These
prisoners,
many
of
whom
were
captured
after
the
Dieppe
raid
in
1942,
now
number
8,000.
TORONTO
(CP)
-
The
federal
government
figures
the
Canadian
rate
of
inflation
will
be
brought
down
to
eight
per
cent
by
the
end
of
this
year
from
the
10.6
per
cent
of
1975
through
its
price
and
wage
control
program,
Prime
Minister
Pierre
Trudeau
said
today,
Mr.
Trudeau,
answering
listeners'
questions
on
an
open-line
program
on
radio
station
CHUM,
said
the
current
rate
of
inflation
is
about
nitper
cent.
He
said
the
government
probably
could
bring
inflation
down
to
six
per
cent
in
one
to
Wt
years
rather
than
the
three
years
allotted
to
the
anti-inflation
legislation,
but
this
might
cause
disruptions.
"To
do
this,
you'd
have
to
slow
down
the
economy
so
quickly
that
we
felt
there
would
be
adverse
effects
on
the
creation
of
jobs
and
so
on.
We'd
rather
phase
it
down
over
three
years."
If
the
government
Were
to
aim
for
only
six-per-cent
inflation
in
the
shorter
period,
and
possibly
end
with
four
per
cent,
"it
would
really
mean
tightening
the
screws
on
everybody
and
on
the
economy,
and
we
don't
want
to
do
that."
Later
he
told
program
host
John
Gilbert
that
the
government
is
thinking,
talking
and
acting
on
the
basis
of
a
threeyear
program.
A
woman
wanted
to
know
why
the
Liberal
administration
had
adopted
the
price-wage
control
method
advocated
by
the
Progressive
Conservatives
in
the
last
federal
general
election,
but
without
the
preliminary
three-month
freeze
proposed
by
the
Opposition
party.
Mr.
Trudeau
said
a
freeze
had
certain
advantages
in
shock
value
but
"we
didn't
want
to
shock
or
frighten
the
people,"
especially
as
there
had
been
a
long
educational
period
preceding
the
controls
when
the
government
was
trying
to
institute
voluntary
controls.
Provincial
income
tax
hikes
feared
OTTAWA
(CP)
Ontario
Treasurer
Darcy
McKeough
warned
Thursday
that
the
provinces
will
have
to
increase
their
income
tax
rates
in
future
years
unless
the
federal
government
replaces
an
expiring
revenue
guarantee
program.
Following
the
first
day
of
a
two-day
federal-provincial
finance
ministers
conference,
Mr.
McKeough
told
reporters
the
federal
minister,
Donald
Macdonald,
stuck
to
his
position
that
the
revenue
guarantee
program
will
not
be
replaced
when
it
expires
after
the
1976
tax
year.
Mr.
McKeough
said
the
provinces
intend
to
continue
their
fight
for
replacement
of
the
five-year
program,
under
which
Ottawa
has
transferred
several
hundred
million
dollars
a
year
to
the
provinces
to
replace
revenue
losses
resulting
from
1972
tax
reforms.
The
meeting
turned
today
to
a
review
of
the
federal
wage
and
price
controls
program
and
discussion
of
high
electricity
rates
in
Nova
Scotia
and
Prince
Edward
Island,
The
two
Atlantic
provinces
are
seeking
subsidies
for
high
oil
and
coal
prices,
their
two
main
fuels
for
power
generation.
TODAY
CARnage
in
the
Prince
George
Killed
this
week:
O
Killed
this
year:
3
To
same
date,
1975:
5
Injured
this
week:
3
Injured
this
year:
84
To
same
date,
1975:
142
(featured
inside)
Prince
George's
top
two
hockey
teams
are
both
trying
for
B.C.
championships
this
weekend.
Page
13.
Max
Ernst,
one
of
the
world's
great
surrealist
painters,
has
died
11
months
after
a
stroke
confined
him
to
his
Paris
apartment.
Page
5.
Tunnels,
trampolines
and
tots
like
Jonathan
Gibbons,
5,
all
get
into
the
act
Fridays
at
the
North
Nechako
Elementary
School..
Page
6.
JbK
s1BBBk
bbbT
bbV
i'
Bbb!
VflM'
'
"BBBI
Prime
Minister
Trudeau
has
promised
to
try
to
bend
Canada's
immigration
laws
for
Portuguese
fleeing
troubled
countries.
Page
2.
Business,
8,
9;
Classified,
26-37;
Comic,
21;
Editorial,
4;
Home
and
Family,
40-41;
Church,
38;
Horoscope,
22;
International,
5;
Local
and
Provincial,
3,
6,
7;
National,
2;
Entertainment,
17-23;
Sports
13-15;
Television,
18.
c
THE
WEATHER
A
ridge
of
high
pressure
forcing
a
Pacific
storm
to
the
north
and
south
of
Prince
George
was
expected
to
leave
this
area
in
sunshine
during
the
weekend.
Sunny
skies
were
expected
for
today
and
Saturday.
Clouds
should
move
into
the
Central
Interior
by
Sunday.
The
high
today,
6;
.the
low
tonight,
-10C.
Saturday's
high,
8C.
Thursday's
high
was
5C;
the
low
was
-8C.
The
high
for
April
2,
1975
was
4C;
the
low
was
-2C.
Temperatures
page
2
J
jSj
i
y
I
I
J
NOW
HEAR
THIS
)
Our
television
listings
have
been
altered
to
Include
the
latest
cablevision
addition,
KIRO-TV,
Seattle,
and
full
program
details
for
the
weekend,
We
regret
we
are
unable
to
carry
more
details
on
CKPG
shows,
but
the
information
is
not
supplied
by
the
station.
Modern
morality
affects
everything,
even
down
to
the
running
of
an
annual
meeting,
it
would
seem,
With
economy
in
mind,
a
Prince
George
Regional
Hospital
Board
trustee
suggested
membership
packages,
3,000
of
which
must
go
to
every
hospital
society
member
before
the
April
21
annual
meeting,
should
be
sent
one
to
a
household
where
husband
and
wife
are
both
members.
Aside
from
being
unconstitutional,
explained
hospital
administrator
Bert
Boyd,
such
a
plan
could
run
into
difficulties.
"It's
pretty
hard
nowadawys
to
find
out
just
who's
living
with
whom,"
he
said.