Epidemic Closes Public Places in City and State

From The Indianapolis Star, Monday, October 7: As a preventative measure, the city board of health yesterday afternoon ordered all Indianapolis schools, churches, theaters, and motion picture houses closed for an indefinite time in order to control the influenza epidemic. Public gatherings, except for small committee meetings, are also banned. There are 200 reported cases of influenza in the city and four reported deaths from the disease. Dr. Herman G. Morgan, secretary of the board of health, said, “There may be many unreported cases where the diagnosis is not clear cut.” Influenza among soldiers at Ft. Harrison, with 1,653 cases and 41 deaths, and at Training Detachment No. 2 stationed at the Deaf School, with 900 cases and 13 deaths, is epidemic. While factories and business houses remain open, employees with colds should not be permitted to work.

“Epidemic Closes Public Places in City and State,” The Indianapolis Star, 7 October 1918, p. 1:4

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Permits Issued for Barracks

From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, September 30: Permits were taken out yesterday for the construction of four buildings to house the Student Army Training Corps at Butler College in Irvington. The new structures, designed by Butler alumnus Lee Burns, will be erected on college ground, south of University Avenue between Ohmer and Butler Avenues, at a total cost of $20,000 (2017: $331,842). The main buildings will be two barracks, each 42 x 172 feet in size, of northern construction, heated and double-lined with double floors, costing $7,000 (2017: $116,145) each. A mess hall, equipped with a complete kitchen, will accommodate 300 men. There also will be a fully equipped bathhouse. Army officials have approved the plans and material needed for the construction has been ordered. The project will be under the supervision of the Burns Realty Company.

“Permits Issued for Barracks,” The Indianapolis Star, 30 September 1918, p. 13:8

“To Start at Once on Barracks at Butler,” The Indianapolis News, 25 September 1918, p. 10:7

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Phone Merger Undetermined

From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, September 29: Negotiations toward unifying the two Indianapolis telephone companies have begun in response to the order from the director of telegraph and telephones, U. S. Postmaster General Albert Burleson. The Central Union Telephone Co has made a formal proposal to purchase the Indianapolis Telephone Co. In a merger, the automatic system of the Indianapolis company will be favored over the type now being used by the Central Union company. “Inasmuch as an automatic system is about to be adopted in Washington, it is safe to say that the United States government in its management of the telephones will take no backward step in its determination of the kind of service. There is no indication that the authorities at Washington will favor a return to obsolete telephone service,” observed William Fortune, Indianapolis Telephone Co president.

“Phone Merger Undetermined,” The Indianapolis Star, 29 September 1918, p. 10:4

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