APPALLING SCENESI

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 88, 8 January 1919, Page 6

APPALLING SCENESI

: —♦ • INFLUENZA AT THE ISLANDS NATIVES' TERRIBLE SUFFERING FINE WORK BY THE GARRISON By Telegraph—Press Aeeociation. , ' Auckland, January 7. Further particulars of tho ravages of influenza at the Islands were brought by the steamer Talune, which arrived early this morning. With the arrivnl of the Tnhme at Samoa came tidings of the ravages of the epidemic in New Zealand' and elsewhere. Immediately after the vessel's departuro for Auckland the pestilence broke out in the group and spread with alarming rapidity, and in a very short space of time it had Epreaj. throughout the whole of the Islands. One of the places where lavages of tho epidemic were early, apparent was the populous village of Vaimoso. On' inspection at this village an appalling! . state of affairs was disclosed. Every | house was closed up with mats, and iu- ' side, in gloom, the suffering of the in- ! mates was pitiable to behold.' Some lay writhing on the ground' Some were : found covered 'with mats, sweltering in agony beneath the covering, while others lay in silence. Here nnd there a sheet or tapa cloth covered a form recumbent and still indicating only too well that the fell disease had finished its work. From then on the epidemic spread like ■ wildfire, the natives being struck with the disease and retiring to. their homes to die. If was no uncommon sight, a passenger stated, to enter a house which was closed down all round and find the whole of the inhabitants lying dead. In some cases several of the occupants had died some days previously, and those ' who survived were found clustered round the dead occupants, taking what they could find; In many a house entered the j occuipants were past all help, arid the walls were closed to await the arrival of the dead cart, which passed through the streets, stopping at the huts to pick up. tho dead. Bad as conditions were, they were woree in other places, and it was. at euch places that medical attention wns most • urgently required. Owing' to the fact that only four doctors were in attendance i in the whole group, it was found utterly impossible to adequately cope with the epidemic, which had by now gained, a . strong hold throughout tho Islands. Al- , though .plenty pf drugs were available, great difficulty was experienced in dispensing them, and in the majority, of i cases it was found that they would not . be required, , the. sufferers then being • past all medical aid. Dr. Appleby paid a go;eat tribute to . the work of the garrison, who,, although i suffering severely' from the epidemic themselves, rendered heroic service in tending the sick and assisting with the ' burials. At first the greater part of the garrison (ten of whom succumbed) wore ; incapacitated through illness, but all ■ who,were able, came forward us volun--1 trors, and one and t>ll (officers and men ' alike), inspired-by the splendid example of the officer commanding (Captain Richardson) worked with a will which is beyond all praise. In a situation where practically every native in the locality Wns" sick nnd helpless jt was found necessary, not only to provide the more necessitous with food, but to take it to their homes. Every morning large quantities of rice were boiled and soup prepared at the 'bar-, racks, and then distributed by motor-car or other conveyance, where most need--1 ed. Besides this relief ,\i\ tho immediate neighbourhood, boat loads of food--1 stuffs wore sent around the coast and across the straits to. Manono, Apolima, and Savavaii. Had it not been for this ' relief work it is certain that large num--1 bere of the afflicted would..have perish- ■ ed from sheer, starvation. - '■ A more gruesome, .but pnunlly important tnsk. devolving upon the staff work--1 ing nt the bßirrncks,.- was the collection. 1 of thedead, for in circumstances where ! nearly nil the natives were helpless-it. ' was found impossible for them to do , what was needed' themselves From first ! to lust interments, at Vaimen totalled WO, the heaviest total for any single day--1 being. on November 23, when ■ over 70 burinls took place. In\tho Tonijan group alone the denth- ■ roll is' stnre/rnt between 1500 nnd 3000. At Samon. the death-roll was stated to ' be 80nO. It was at the la.tter place that ' the death of the Downeer Queen took '■ place, while Governor Mniaknfa also fell ' a victim. ' . • When the Talune loft. Suva wns practically a , clean port, while over tllo. sur-. rounding islands the epidemic lisyl sub- ■ sided and conditions were, rapidly be--1 coming normal. 1 A sad feature of the visitation is Ihe 1 larcp number of orphaned and homeless children. '. ■