“At the recommendation of a gathering of the churches, the school board and others held in the mayor’s office, October 4, 1918, and in compliance with the directions of B. Franklin Royer, acting commissioner of health for the state of Pennsylvania, it is hereby ordered, that until further notice from this board that public gatherings within the city of Williamsport be prohibited forthwith. This order covers theaters, moving picture establishments, all clubs and club houses, the public library, saloons, dance halls, the public schools, bowling alleys, pool rooms, indoor and outdoor Liberty Loan rallies, parades and meetings of every description.

“If necessary the health officer will placard all doors leading to all places enumerated: “Closed by order of the State Commissioner of Health.”

The above order was issued yesterday afternoon by members of city council sitting as the city health board and was made effective at once.

When the order of the state commissioner of health, published in yesterday’s “Gazette and Bulletin”, was read to the city authorities a meeting of the city health board was called and representatives of all the religious denominations and the public schools were invited to attend.

Dr. Charles Youngman, city health officer, was asked to explain the situation.The present epidemic of grip, or so-called Spanish influenza, will trail all over the United States. This time it has assumed a pneumonic type, attacking the lungs more than any other organ, so that it is now particularly dangerous. There is great danger of the spread of the disease. Quarantine has little effect and it is almost impossible to control it, still there seems to be no other means of combating the disease.

Youngman said there are now more than 1,000 cases of the disease in the city and as many more in the county, and the way to fight it is to ban all public gatherings.

Compiled by Lou Hunsinger Jr.