A New Matron
It seems as if tuauy of the import
ant events effecting our life at the
Orphanage are in some way connect
ed with either the arrival or depart
ure of the Admiral Farragut.
Her arrival Oct. 30 was no excep
tion, for she brought our long-look
ed for kitchen matron, Mrs. Gregory
of Portland, Ore. We were very glad
to welcome this new worker, and she
was glad to be welcomed after her
most disagreeable voyage in getting
here.
She «u obliged to sail from Seattle
on the Str. Alameda as far as Anchor
age, and there wait 6 days for the
Farragut, which had brought explos
ives to that port and therefore could
not carry passengers. The trip ou
both steamers was rough, and Mrs
Gregory was ill most of the way.
Much to her disappointment and dis
comfort her truuk was not put off
and it will be two months at least be
fore another steamer arrives.
The Epidemic
Not only did the Farrago t bring
Mm. Gregory, but algo some very un
welcome passengers— Spanish Influ
enza germs.
Three days after the steamer left,
Philip, one of our older boys, took
siclt. The next day John Perrin,
then John Lowell.
The four older boys sleep in a room
on the third floor, which we have no
way of heating. Having a premoni
tion of what was about to happen
Supt. Learn removed the furniture
from the parlor adjoining his room
and moved in the beds of the older
boys The hospital was not used be
cause the stove in it was needed in
the large dormitory where the small
boys sleep.
The change proved wise as a few
days later all four of the big boys
were in t*ed and it would have been
impossible to have given them proper
care in a cold room.
School was closed as Mr, Folsoiu,
the principal, also was very ill w ith
the “flu.”
The boys who were not. ill were
kept busy all the time cutting a big
supply of wood for both the Winch
Dormitory and the Mission. By the
middle of the second week all the
boys were in bed, and a few days lat
er, all but three of the girls.
We were fortunate in being able to
get Xicholai Karlao, a former Mig-don
boy, to care for the stock and do ‘he
milking. But there oame a time
when he could not be depended upon,
for there were only two other avail
able men on the island who were not
ill. These three had to carry water,
get wood, wait on the sick, and worst
of all bury the dead. That was the
most terrible part. It was impossible
to get those who were sick to stay in
the house aud in bed. As soon ag they
began to feel the least bit better they
would get tip and go out. One man
was found dead on the street. With
in two weeks 14 men, 6 women and
6 children died. Some days four
or five would be found dead.
It only tne doctors and nurses who
came after the epidemic was past
could hare been in time, many lives
could hare been saved. In Kodiak
village 11 died.
Probably some of our readers do
not know there isno undertaker here,
no place where ooffins can be bought.
They must be made, and usually it is
of rough lumber covered with cotton
goods perhaps white or black or any
color that may be fancied.
When so many were dying hers, it