15. The Parade That Killed Thousands
The Spanish Flu was first reported in a US Army training camp in Kansas in the spring of 1918. The virus raced across the country to reach New York City within days, and within a month, it was a pandemic that raged across the world. The virus was deadly, but compared to what followed, the initial outbreak was relatively mild. It was not until the summer of 1918 that a second and far deadlier wave struck, and death rates spiked. Philadelphia’s public health director, Wilmer Kursen, protested that it was a bad time for a parade, but was ignored. 200,000 spectators jammed Broad Street on September 28th, 1918, to watch a miles-long procession. They cheered as bands blared brassy tunes and floats passed by, showcasing the latest additions to America’s arsenal, such as Philadelphia-built airplanes.
The Spanish Flu’s virus could not have asked for a more hospitable environment in which to spread than the hundreds of thousands of spectators jammed together like sardines in a can. Cheers turned to trepidation within days, as Kursen announced that the pandemic had firmly gripped the City of Brotherly Love. Philadelphia was unprepared for the deluge of death that descended upon it. Every single bed in the city’s 31 hospitals was filled with three days, as the Spanish Flu raged. It was only then that the authorities tried to curb the pandemic, and shut down all public spaces. It was too late. 2600 Philadelphians perished from the flu within a week of the parade, and within two weeks, fatalities had surpassed 4500. It was Philly’s deadliest, and most misguided parade, ever.
