spanish flu – The Coal Speaker

August 2, 2020 THE COAL SPEAKER

The Bloomsburg Non Fair in 2020 vs the Big Bloomsburg Fair in 1918

Did the October 1918 Bloomsburg Spanish Flu surge get affected by the Big Bloomsburg Fair the same month?

Yes, people grew sick and tired of being sick and tired then as well.. And with the discomfort of a global pandemic, people still got sick of masks in 1919 too.

In the coal region area, 3,273 residents of Schuylkill County would be counted among the dead.. In just a 2 day period, it was reported that 41 residents of Minersville died.. Gilberton had 51 die in just one set of row homes.. Schools, theaters, and businesses closed then as well .. They slowly began to reopen after this initial shock..

And all the while, masks were being pushed as mandatory apparel to continue life in the then ‘new normal’ of the post Spanish Flu pandemic..

April 4, 2020 THE COAL SPEAKER

Life during pandemic: We have been here before!

A fascinating day of news was reported in the MOUNT CARMEL ITEM on October 7, 1918: Among the news, Minersville was reported to be the worst stricken city in the area… According to the dispatch, Mount Carmel doctors hurried to the town… Kulpmont had 200 cases and four deaths.. Shamokin had 20 deaths..