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negligence that the ship which conveyed the disease from Sierra Leone was not quarantined
until the details on board her were able to present a clean bill of health.

The whole organization of society in these parts is paralysed and it beggars description to see
natives and coloured persons being picked up dead or in a dying condition in the streets, roads,
trains etc. The remarkable part about the calamity is that the coloureds and natives are in such
mortal dread of the plague and are not prepared to help each other, which stupidity and want
of courage accounted for more than one death. All schools, bioscopes and public meetings have
been closed down for the present – undoubtedly the right thing to do.

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Hogarth O J (1927) Holy Trinity Church Kalk Bay: An Historical Sketch (p. 6)

In 1918 Kalk Bay shared in the suffering caused by the plague. Archdeacon Brooke rose to
the occasion. ‘As things grew worse his strength seemed to increase and, aided by a car, he
was able to get through that very strenuous time when many stronger men were helpless.’

Brooke was vicar at Kalk Bay from 1901 – 22, and archdeacon of the Cape from 1905 – 26.

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The Corporation of the City of Cape Town.
Minute of His Worship the Mayor for the Mayoral Year ending 4 September, 1919.
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APPENDIX No. 8

INFLUENZA

A special report was presented to you on November 18, 1918, of the epidemic of
influenza which prevailed with great virulence during October, but as this was not printed and
to ensure a permanent record I include a short account of the epidemic in this report especially
the statistics thereof as far as I can give them.
Unfortunately the disease was not notifiable and there was no official knowledge of the
prevalence of a virulent form of the disease until deaths began to occur, certified as due to
Influenza in the beginning of October. Further there was no marked increase in deaths from
respiratory diseases in September. In the first of week of October in consequence of hearing
that Influenza was prevalent I recommended on October 3 ., that the schools which were in
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vacation should remain closed. On October 5 , the police reported cases of coloured people
either found dying or dead in the streets, and the Small Pox Hospital was at once opened for
coloured males, and the City Hospital for European males and females and coloured females.
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On October 7 , a special Epidemic Committee was appointed, and this Committee sat
practically in continuous session. A Ladies Committee was constituted on the same day under