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In 1918-19, a terrible outbreak of influenza occurred, which traversed the
globe and killed between 50 and 100 million people worldwide. The
Great Influenza of 1918 or Great Pandemic began its extremely
lethal Second Wave from the Port of Boston.
The United States mobilized for World War I during 1917. Encampments were
quickly set up throughout the country, supported by a limited
number of hospitals, doctors, and nurses. Fighting men from east and
west, north and south, farm and city with varying immunity to diseases were
placed together in tight quarters in these training camps. A wave of
influenza had occurred in early 1918, which became more virulent on a trip
from the United States to France and then back to the United States.
It started on August 27th 1918 at Commonwealth Pier. Sailors fell ill
and were sent to the local Chelsea Naval Hospital. At about the same
time, ships departed for Philadelphia and New Orleans, transmitting the
deadly virus. The flu also quickly spread to nearby Camp Devens in
central Massachusetts, devastating the population of soldiers there. At the height of the epidemic at Devens, about 100 soldiers were dying per
day.
In September 1918, the constant transfer of troops spread the deadly disease
throughout the United States, and then to many parts of the globe. The
civilian population was also quickly infected with the flu because of large
public mobilization parades, and then later victory parades.
In greater Boston, about 1,000 people died during the pandemic. In
October 1918 alone, about 195,000 Americans died of influenza and its
complications. Tens of millions were struck down worldwide.
Great lessons were learned by public health officials--from
not mixing diverse populations to effective quarantine procedures--which
have greatly reduced the likelihood of a flu outbreak of this scale ever
again.
Drafted Men at Camp Devens
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