The "Spanish Flu" in Rossland
2276.0371: Mater Misericordiae Hospital c.1910
1918 in Rossland
In the spring and summer of 1918, while WWI raged overseas, an unseen threat was slowly spreading across the world. Our beloved city was soon to be thrown into the worst influenza pandemic the world had ever known. At the peak of its gold rush (1897), Rossland’s population was recorded at around 7000 people, but by 1918, the population had declined to around 2100. The residents who stayed were hearty. They established roots, started families, built businesses, schools, churches, opera halls, community centres and a grand hospital, the Mater Misericordiae, run by the Sisters of St. Joseph. These were people who were here to stay. They knew the great flu was coming their way. The Rossland Miner newspaper had predicted it. Seattle had closed its theatres on October 5, and it was only a matter of time before it reached Rossland.
The 1918 Influenza Pandemic, commonly called the “Spanish Flu,” swept across the world and stole up to 200,000 million lives. But it did not even start in Spain; it probably started in a small farming community in Kansas. The reason it is called the “Spanish Flu” is that Alfonso XIII, the King of Spain at that time, had contracted and survived this flu, and following WWI censors (to maintain morale) the news was focused in neutral countries - including Spain, and it would forever more be known as the ‘Spanish Flu.’
The Flu Hits Rossland
As summer turned to fall, measures were taken to curtail the rapidly spreading flu, but the Rossland Miner said “everyone had it.” On October 30th, an article in the Miner encouraged people to cough or sneeze into a handkerchief. People knew they should avoid crowds and get fresh air. They were told to walk to work, if possible. These rules applied to colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Movie theatres, schools, pool halls, and all public places were closed. Families employed numerous methods of at-home-prevention to ward off the flu, which included stewed tomatoes, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, and others.
Courtesy of “Defining Moments in Canada”
Besides the aforementioned strategies and home remedies, there was little that Rosslanders could do but wait. As war raged in Europe, the flu silently crept into Rossland. The hospital soon filled with influenza sufferers in addition to the people experiencing other maladies. Community members did what they always do: they stuck together and they looked after each other. Women were encouraged to volunteer for the cause, so they left their homes and often did not get back for days, often at the expense of their own families. The problem with this flu was that it took the young and healthy much more so than the aged. The influenza virus infected most of the people in town and took the lives of fifty Rosslanders, including Police Chief McLean. In some cases, entire families were devastated.
Treatments
Rosslanders’ used a variety of substances as treatment. Since they did not know the cause of the mysterious malady, they really had no idea what might work. It was not uncommon for people to use aspirin, alcohol, bloodletting, digitalis to stimulate the heart, bromide for sleep, opioids to decrease pain and calm patients down, and oxygen for cyanosis in hospital settings. The culprit, the virus, was not discovered until the 1930s, which is when a vaccine was developed. Years later, when the genome sequencing was completed, it was discovered to be the H1N1 virus, which is now commonly rolled into the yearly influenza vaccine.
2282.0071: Allan Hotel in Rossland, BC c.1909. On the southwest corner of Columbia Ave. and Washington Street.
The First Death in Rossland
The first person to die in Rossland was Minnie Sanderson on October 25th, 1918. She died at the Mater Misericordiae hospital and others soon followed. So many got sick that the Allan Hotel on Columbia Avenue was turned into a second hospital. Unemployed men were deputized; they transported patients, gathered hospital supplies, picked up equipment, and dropped off food.
Into 1919
With Germany’s surrender to the Allied Powers, World War I finally ended on November 11th, 1918, but the flu was just getting going in Rossland. From late October 1918 until February of 1919, nearly everyone got the flu. Almost 50 people died in five weeks - five weeks of absolute hell. Those that could continued to help, just as Rosslanders always do. From October 25th until the end of November, 47 people died. The last three people died in January and February. The oldest person to die was 50 years old, while the youngest was less than one. The majority of victims were in their prime, between 20-35 years of age. No one died in December, which raises the question: is that true or were they simply not recorded? Something must have happened in December. Everyone who had it either recovered completely, experienced cognitive/respiritory effects, or died, but ultimately herd immunity was probably achieved in February 1919 when the virus appears to have dissipated.
There were three kinds of horse-drawn hearse in Rossland in 1918: black for men, grey for women, and white for the children. One thing is for sure, too many souls were transported in those hearses during the deadly winter of 1918-1919. On a positive note, Rosslanders can be proud of the legacy of support and love that our community members showed each other then, and carry on to this day.
-Researched & Written by RMDC volunteer and retired nurse/nurse educator - Linda Gomez
Additional Resources:
Defining Moments in Canada - The Spanish Flu
Canadian War Museum - Influenza, 1918-1919