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Tuesday, August 3, 1976
THE MIC;HIUAN DAILY
voge seven
Mysterious 'flu' kills 15
at Philadelphia convention
HARRISBURG, Pa. .1P)-An unknown disease with symptoms
resmebling flu has killed at least 15 persons who attended a
state American Legion convention in Philadelphia late last month,
state and legion officials said yesterday.
At least 50 other persons were hospitalized, some in serious
condition. All had similar symptoms-chills, fever and chest
ailments.
OFFICIALS IN Philadelphia, where one million Catholics have
gathered from around the world for a week-long conference, called
a news conference. They said they had found no evidence of an
epidemic, and state Health Secretary Leonard Bachman agreed,
saying, "There's no cause for any panic."
Bachman said the deaths apparently were caused by a virus.
Asked if it could be swine flu, he said, "that's a possibility."
"I don't think we can take any precautions until we find out
what we're dealing with. That's the important priority at this
moment. It's like a detective investigation," Bachman said.
A SPECIAL team of investigators flew to Harrisburg from the
federal Communicable Disease Center in Atlanta to try to identify
the disease. State health officials predicted it would take at least
three days.
Joseph Adams, commander of the state American legion,
said persons who attended the convention and who feel ill should
contact health officials.
"We're worried right now-really worried--about the people
who may be carrying around this disease and not know it," said
Adams.
Adams said he was especially concerned "about the people
who have a temperature or a headache and just take a couple of
aspirin and don't do anything about it. Those are the people we
want to get to the hospital."
THE DEAD were among 10,000 legionnaires who attended the
convention July 21 to 24.
Philadelphia's Bellevue Stratford Hotel was the headquarters
for the convention, but legionnaires stayed at numerous hotels
in the city.
Initially, there were fears of food poisoning, but that was all
but ruled out.
"It doesn't seem to be related to food poisoning ...They
have flu symptoms. It looks like flu," said Bob Costello, a spokes-
man for Bachman.
Many of the victims became ill within a day or two after
returning home from the convention. Several died late last week
and some died as late as yesterday.
FRANK AVENI, 60, of Clearfield died Iriday. He had gone to
work July 26, the Monday following the convention.
"Frank came in and said he was cold. Ile had chills. So he
went home," said Dave Campolong, manager of the plant where
Aveni worked.
Aveni's physician, Dr. Roger Hughes, said the case appeared
to he flu.
"le vhad several influenza deaths over the last 30 years and
there are some influenza symptoms here," Hughes said.
"First you get a cold, and the next thing you know you're
sicker than hell and the next thing you're dead," Hughes said. He
said he was also treating another legionnaire with the same
symptoms.
James Dolan, 39, of Williamstown died Sunday. "Jimmy was
sick down there," Dolan's brother Richard said of the convention.
"He coughed around and complained the whole three days.
And each day it seemed to get worse.
- -----------
TONIGHT AT 8 P.M.
IN POWER CENTER
Flood victims evacuated
(Continued from Page1)
Watson said.
Two of those rescued were a
five-year-old boy and his 14-
month-old sister. Rescue work-
ers said the unidentified boy
told them he was watching the
baby to make certain she
didn't fall into the swirling
waters. He did not say what
happened to the rest of his
family.
Medical personnal at a vacant
hospital hastily converted into
a morgue struggled to identify
the dead. The process was dif-
ficult because most had been
stripped of their clothes by the
rampaging water, and doctors
were fingerprinting the corpses
for positive identification.
ONLY A few were identified.
One was Sgt. Hugh Purdy,
53, a 26-year veteran of the
Colorado State Patrol. The pa-
trol said it was uncertain how
Purdy died after he went into
the canyon Saturday night to
investigate reports of the flood.
Others included four mem-
hers of a national Campus Cru-
sade for Christ retreat at Estes
Park. They were Carol Louise
Rhoad, 23, Grantsville, Pa.;
Rae Ann Johnston, 28, Crystal,
N. 1.; Cathie Melissa Loomis,
29, Seattle, Wash.; and Pressy
STU DENT
Your attention is called to
the following rules passed by
the Regents at their meeting
on February 28, 1936: "Stu-
dents shall pay all accounts
due the University not later
than the lost day of classes
of each semester or summer
session. Student loans which
are not paid or renewed are
subject to this regulation;
however, student loans not
yet due are exempt. Any
unpaid accounts at the close
of business on the last day
of classes will be reported to
the Cashier of the University
and
"(a) A l academic credits
will be withheld, the grades
for the semester or summer
session just completed will
not he released, and no
transcript at credits witt be
issued.
"s b)All students owing
such accounts will not he
allowed to register in any
subseauent semester or sum-
mer session until payment
has been made.'
Manongdo, about 25, of The
Philippines.
THE 37-MEMBER group had
been at a training conference
at Colorado State University in
Fort Collins. Thirty of them
were rescued but three were
still missing, a spokeksman
said.
Sheriff Watson expressed con-
fidence that the people still
stranded were mostly in good
shape.
"There're possibly some in-
jured we haven't walked to
yet," Watson said. The rest of
those trapped were expected to
fend for themselves after being
organized into survival groups
by 40 National Guardsmen who
flew into the area Sunday aft-
ernoon.
He said guardsmen were un-
able to bring food or medical
supplies with them.
With virtually all the known
injured believed rescued, Capt.
Rich Hovey of the sheriff's de-
partment said rescuers were
now an "equal - opportunity
agency." ,
"Everybody is going to suf-
fer his own hell up there," Ho-
vey said. "At this stage, ex-
cept for three coronaries we
have up there, everybody's the
same."
SPECIAL DAILY MATINEES
at 1-3-5-7-9:00
OPEN at 12:45
A 24 CaRROT SaLUT5
TO THE RESTOF LOOQEY TUES
ntroduced b OORSON WELLES
TONIGHT at 7 & 9
OPEN 6:45
Yvette inieux
Finds the best screen
.ole to dote. Sensatiinal."
L.A. Times
Is excellent." N.Y.
"The best actinq of her co-
'er. Chica o Di y News
-
PREPARE TO BUST A GUT!
1TONIGHT at 7:00 & 9:00
TE COMEDY SMASHHI OPEN 6:45
TH E COMEDY SMASH H IT OF 1976!
VI ' II-
r-
:3
ENDS TODAY-
"GUS"&"BAMBI"
SHOWS AT 1:00-4:00-7:00-
8:30 OPEN 12:45
STARTS TOMORROW
G il551Techoicolor
R R
-PLUS-
"The Apple Dumpling Gang"
C TY NOTCE
Attention Voters from
Ward 1, Precinct 2, South Quad
Your POLLING PLACE for the August 3, 1976, primary
election has been moved from South Quad to
WEST QUAD, 541 THOMPSON ST.
a'
Hedda Gabler (Carol Ann Skimin) spends a moment with
her childhood rival Thea (Sally Bublitz) and Lovborg
(John Wojda) in the Michigan Repertory's production of
Ibsen's masterpiece, "HEDDA GABLER." Tickets are
available through the Power Center Box Office, M-F
12:30-5 p.m. For more information call (313) 763-3333.