A Mild but Sickly Winter

The winter of the new year was proving milder than usual. With an average temperature of 40 degrees, January 1919 was the warmest on record at Purdue University's meteorological station — a great contrast to the previous January, with its blizzard and its 12 days of below-zero temperatures.

In mid-February, Indiana's fuel administrator sent word to all local fuel administrators (including William Killigrew in Hobart) that their positions were being terminated at the end of the month. They were directed to wrap up the affairs of their offices and make a final report by Washington. The Gazette commented, "This means that after the end of this month all dealers in fuel will be permitted to conduct their business as they please. You may look for cheaper coal."

As the fuel administrators closed down their offices, the mild weather continued.

Unfortunately, so did the Spanish influenza. It defied common wisdom. Back in December, the Gazette's editor had seen some local children, hatless and wearing thin coats, out playing in chilly weather, and chided his readers with an article titled, "No Wonder the 'Flu' Spreads"; but early February found him suggesting that a week of unseasonably warm weather might be responsible for a recent increase in flu cases.

Southeast of Hobart, flu invaded the family of Edward and Louise Schavey — their two little daughters fell ill, and so did the 30-year-old Ed. The girls recovered, but Ed, after some ten days of illness, died on February 13.

February's last Gazette reported that Charles Nitchman had been down for a week with influenza, and Professor Albert Wolkenhauer, the "German teacher," was finally able to leave his house after three weeks' illness and convalescence. On February 25, Mr. and Mrs. John Gray of Hobart lost their eldest son to pneumonia following influenza; the 29-year-old Jesse Gray, who had been farming in Winfield Township, left a widow and a three-year-old child, both sick with flu.

The March 7 Gazette noted that three-year-old Harriet Livingston had "been ill for over a week with peculiar symptoms, bordering on 'sleeping sickness', which is said to be prevalent in some cities following influenza," but she seemed to be improving. (The "sleeping sickness" referred to was encephalitis lethargica, and we still do not know whether it was caused by, or only happened to coincide with, the Spanish influenza.)


Sources:
♦ "Deaths for the Week." Hobart Gazette 21 Feb. 1919.
♦ "'Flu' Increases Death Rate 100 Per Cent in Indiana for Year 1918." Hobart News 6 Mar. 1919.
♦ "Fuel Administrators to Quit." Hobart Gazette 14 Feb. 1919.
♦ "Funeral of Ed Schavey Held Sunday." Hobart News 20 Feb. 1919.
♦ "January Mildest in History of Purdue Weather Bureau." Hobart News 6 Feb. 1919.
♦ "Local Drifts." Hobart Gazette 7 Feb. 1919; 14 Feb. 1919; 28 Feb. 1919; 7 Mar. 1919.
♦ "Mildest Winter in Thirty-nine Years, Says Forecaster." Hobart News 6 Mar. 1919.
♦ "No Wonder the 'Flu' Spreads." Hobart Gazette 6 Dec. 1918.