A deadly virus was approaching St. Petersburg in 1918. Mayor Al Lang* (see below) made plans to close down movie theaters, schools and all other indoor public gatherings. The newspaper reported that the "gist of all advice on preventative measures is to
avoid crowds, sneezers and spitters," which is still good advice a century later.
See full article below.
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| Al Lang (center) with Babe Ruth and Yankee manager Miller Huggins (colorized). |
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| St. Petersburg Daily Times, October 9, 1918 |
* Beloved mayor and city advocate Al Lang was a Jungle resident when he was elected mayor of St. Petersburg in 1916. His home was barely outside the city limits so he moved downtown, but he remained active in
the Jungle for many years. When the
golf course opened on January 1, 1916, he was the president of the country club and he drove the honorary first ball onto the Jungle course. Lang was considered Babe Ruth's friend and he is pictured in this blog at
Babe Ruth birthday parties at the Jungle Hotel.
