ORDERS Conceived and Publiſhed by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, concerning the Infection of the Plague, 1665.

'WHEREAS in the Reign of our late Sovereign King James, of happy Memory, an Act was made for the charitable Relief and ordering of Perſons infected with the Plague; whereby Authority was given to Juſtices of the Peace, Mayors, Bayliffs and other head Officers, to appoint within their ſeveral Limits, Examiners, Searchers, Watchmen, Keepers, and Buriers for the Perſons and Places infected, and to miniſter unto them Oaths for the Performance of their Offices. And the ſame Statute did alſo authorize the giving of other Directions, as unto them for the preſent Neceſſity ſhould ſeem good in their Diſcretions. It is now upon ſpecial Conſideration, thought very expedient for preventing and avoiding of Infection of Sickneſs (if it ſhall ſo pleaſe Almighty God) that theſe Officers following be appointed, and theſe Orders hereafter duly obſerved.

Examiners to be appointed in every Pariſh.

'FIRST, It is thought requiſite, and ſo ordered, that in every Pariſh there be one, two, or more Perſons of good Sort and Credit, choſen and appointed by the Alderman, his Deputy, and common-Council of every Ward, by the Name of Examiners, to continue in that Office the Space of two Months at leaſt: And if any fit Perſon ſo appointed, ſhall refuſe to undertake the ſame, the ſaid parties ſo refuſing, to he committed to Priſon until they ſhall conform themſelves accordingly.

The Examiners Office.

'THAT theſe Examiners be ſworn by the Aldermen, to enquire and learn from time to time what Houſes in every Pariſh be Viſited, and what Perſons be Sick, and of what Diſeaſes, as near as they can inform themſelves; and upon doubt in that Caſe, to command Reſtraint of Acceſs, until it appear what the Diſeaſe ſhall prove: And if they find any Perſon ſick of the Infection, to give order to the Conſtable that the Houſe be ſhut up; and if the Conſtable ſhall be found Remiſs or Negligent, to give preſent Notice thereof to the Alderman of the Ward.

Watchmen.

'THAT to every infected Houſe there be appointed two Watchmen, one for every Day, and the other for the Night: And that theſe Watchmen have a ſpecial care that no Perſon go in or out of ſuch infected Houſes, whereof they have the Charge, upon pain of ſevere Puniſhment. And the ſaid Watchman to do ſuch further Offices as the ſick Houſe ſhall need and require: and if the Watchmen be ſent upon any Buſineſs, to lock up the Houſe, and take the Key with him: And the Watchman by Day to attend until ten of the Clock at Night: And the Watchman by Night untill ſix in the Morning.

Searchers.

'THAT there be a ſpecial care to appoint Women-Searchers in every Pariſh, ſuch as are of honeſt Reputation, and of the beſt Sort as can be got in this kind: And theſe to be ſworn to make due Search, and true Report to the utmoſt of their Knowledge, whether the Perſons whoſe Bodies they are appointed to Search, do die of the Infection, or of what other Diſeaſes, as near as they can. And that the Phyſicians who ſhall be appointed for Cure and Prevention of the Infection, do call before them the ſaid Searchers, who are, or ſhall be appointed for the ſeveral Pariſhes under their reſpective Cares; to the end they may conſider, whether they are fitly qualified for that Employment; and charge them from time to time as they ſhall ſee Cauſe, if they appear defective in their Duties.

That no Searcher during this time of Viſitation, be permitted to uſe any publick Work or Employment, or keep any Shop or Stall, or be employed as a Landreſs; or in any other common Employment whatſoever.

Chirurgeons.

'FOR better aſſiſtance of the Searchers, for as much as there hath been heretofore great abuſe in miſreporting the Diſeaſe, to the further ſpreading of the Infection: It is therefore ordered, that there be choſen and appointed able and diſcreet Chirurgeons, beſides thoſe that do already belong to the Peſt-Houſe: Amongſt whom the City and Liberties to be quartered as the places lie moſt apt and convenient; and every of theſe to have one Quarter for his Limit: and the ſaid Chirurgeons in every of their Limits to join with the Searchers for the View of the Body, to the end there may be a true Report made of the Diſeaſe.

And further, that the ſaid Chirurgeons ſhall viſit and ſearch ſuch like Perſons as ſhall either ſend for them, or be named and directed unto them, by the Examiners of every Pariſh, and inform themſelves of the Diſeaſe of the ſaid Parties.

And foraſmuch as the ſaid Chirurgeons are to be ſequeſtred from all other Cures, and kept only to this Diſeaſe of the Infection; It is order'd, That every of the ſaid Chirurgeons ſhall have Twelve-pence a Body ſearched by them, to be paid out of the Goods of the Party ſearched, if he be able, or otherwiſe by the Pariſh.

Nurſe-keepers.

'IF any Nurſe-keeper ſhall remove her ſelf out of any infected Houſe before twenty eight Days after the Deceaſe of any Perſon dying of the Infection, the Houſe to which the ſaid Nurſe-keeper doth ſo remove her ſelf, ſhall be ſhut up until the ſaid twenty eight Days be expired.

Orders concerning infected Houſes, and Perſons ſick of the Plague.

Notice to be given of the Sickneſs.

'THE Maſter of every Houſe, as ſoon as any one in his Houſe complaineth, either of Botch, or Purple, or Swelling in any part of his Body, or falleth otherwiſe dangerouſly Sick, without apparent Cauſe of ſome other Diſeaſe, ſhall give knowledge thereof to the Examiner of Health, within two Hours after the ſaid Sign ſhall appear.

Sequeſtration of the Sick.

'AS ſoon as any Man ſhall be found by this Examiner, Chirurgeon or Searcher to be ſick of the Plague, he ſhall the ſame Night be ſequeſtred in the ſame Houſe, and in caſe he be ſo ſequeſtred, then, though he afterwards die not, the Houſe wherein he ſickned, ſhould be ſhut up for a Month, after the uſe of the due Preſervatives taken by the reſt.

Airing the Stuff.

'FOR Sequeſtration of the Goods and Stuff of the Infection, their Bedding, and Apparel, and Hangings of Chambers, muſt be well aired with Fire, and ſuch Perſumes as are requiſite within the infected Houſe, before they be taken again to uſe: This to be done by the Appointment of the Examiner.

Shutting up of the Houſe.

'IF any Perſon ſhall have viſited any Man, known to be infected of the Plague, or entred willingly into any known infected Houſe, being not allowed: The Houſe wherein he inhabiteth, ſhall be ſhut up for certain Days by the Examiners Direction.

None to be removed out of infected Houſes, but, &c.

'ITEM, That none be remov'd out of the Houſe where he falleth ſick of the Infection, into any other Houſe in the City, (except it be to the Peſt-Houſe or a Tent, or unto ſome ſuch Houſe, which the Owner of the ſaid viſited Houſe holdeth in his own Hands, and occupieth by his own Servants) and ſo as Security be given to the Pariſh, whither ſuch Remove is made; that the Attendance and Charge about the ſaid viſited Perſons ſhall be obſerved and charged in all the Particularities before expreſſed, without any Coſt of that Pariſh, to which any ſuch Remove ſhall happen to be made, and this Remove to be done by Night: And it ſhall be lawful to any Perſon that hath two Houſes, to remove either his ſound or his infected People to his ſpare Houſe at his choice, ſo as if he ſend away firſt his Sound, he not after ſend thither the Sick, nor again unto the Sick the Sound. And that the ſame which he ſendeth, be for one Week at the leaſt ſhut up, and ſecluded from Company, for fear of ſome Infection, at the firſt not appearing.

Burial of the Dead.

'THAT the Burial of the Dead by this Viſitation, be at moſt convenient Hours, always either before Sun-riſing, or after Sun-ſetting, with the Privity of the Church-wardens or Conſtable; and not otherwiſe; and that no Neighbours not Friends be ſuffered to accompany the Corps to Church, or to enter the Houſe viſited, upon pain of having his Houſe ſhut up, or be impriſoned.

And that no Corps dying of Infection ſhall be buried, or remain in any Church in time of Common-Prayer, Sermon, or Lecture. And that no Children be ſuffered at time of burial of any Corps in any Church, Church-yard, or Burying-place to come near the Corps, Coffin, or Grave. And that all the Graves ſhall be at leaſt ſix Foot deep.

And further, all publick Aſſemblies at other Burials are to be forborn during the Continuance of this Viſitation.

No infected Stuff to be uttered.

'THAT no Clothes, Stuff, Bedding or Garments be ſuffered to be carried or conveyed out of any infectd Houſes, and that the Criers and Carriers abroad of Bedding or old Apparel to be ſold of pawned, be utterly prohibited and reſtrained, and no Brokers of Bedding or old Apparel be permitted to make any outward Shew, or hang forth on their Stalls, Shopboards or Windows towards any Street, Lane, Common-way or Paſſage, any old Bedding or Apparel to be ſold, upon pain of Impriſonment. And if any Broker or other Perſon that buy any Bedding, Apparel, or other Stuff out of any infected Houſe, within two Months after the Infection hath been there, his Houſe ſhall be ſhut up as Infected, and ſo ſhall continue ſhut up twenty Days at the leaſt.

No Perſon to be conveyed out of any infected Houſe.

'IF any Perſon viſited do fortune by negligent looking unto, or by any other Means, to come, or be conveyed from a Place infected, to any other Place, the Pariſh from whence ſuch Party hath come or been conveyed, upon notice thereof given, ſhall at their Charge cauſe the ſaid Party ſo viſited and eſcaped, to be carried and brought back again by Night, and the Parties in this caſe offending, to be puniſhed at the Direction of the Alderman of the Ward; and the Houſe of the Receiver of ſuch viſited Perſon, to be ſhut up for twenty Days.

Every viſited Houſe to be marked.

'THAT red Croſs of a Foot long, in the middle of the Door, evident to be ſeen, and with theſe uſual printed Words, that is to ſay, Lord have Mercy upon us, to be ſet cloſe over the ſame Croſs, there to continue until lawful opening of the ſame Houſe.

Every viſited Houſe to be watched.

'THAT the Conſtables ſee every Houſe ſhut up, and to be attended with Watchmen, which may keep them in, and miniſter Neceſſaries unto them at their own Charges (if they be able,) or at the common Charge, if they be unable: The ſhutting up to be for the ſpace of four Weeks after all be whole.

'That preciſe Order be taken that the Searchers, Chirurgeons, Keepers and Buriers are not to paſ the Streets without holding a red Rod or Wand of three Foot in Length in their Hands, open and evident to be ſeen, and are not to go into any other Houſe then into their own, or into that whereunto they are directed or ſent for; but to forbear and abſtain from Company, eſpecially when they have been lately uſed in any ſuch Buſineſs or Attendance.

Inmates.

'THAT where ſeveral Inmates are in one and the ſame Houſe, and any Perſon in that Houſe happens to be Infected; no other Perſon of Family of ſuch Houſe ſhall be ſuffered to remove him or themſelves without a Certificate from the Examiners of Health of that Pariſh; or in default thereof, the Houſe whither he or they ſo remove, ſhall be ſhut up as in caſe of Viſitation.

Hackney-Coaches.

'THAT care be taken of Hackney-Coach-men, that they may not (as ſome of them have been obſerved to do) after carrying of infected Perſons to the Peſt-Houſe, and other Places, be admitted to common uſe, till their Coaches be well aired, and have ſtood unemploy'd by the Space of five or ſix Days after ſuch Service.

Orders for cleanſing and keeping of the Streets Sweet.

The Streets to be kept clean.

'FIRST, it is thought neceſſary, and ſo ordered, that every Houſholder do cauſe the Street to be daily prepared before his Door, and ſo to keep it clean ſwept all the Week long.

That Rakers take it from out the Houſes.

'THAT the Sweeping and Filth of Houſes be daily carry'd away by the Rakers, and that the Raker ſhall give notice of his coming, by the the blowing of a Horn, as hitherto hath been done.

Layſtalls to be made far off from the City.

'THAT the Layſtalls be removed as far as may be out of the City, and common Paſſages, and that no Nightman or other be ſuffered to empty a Vault into any Garden near about the City.

Care to be had of unwholſome Fiſh or Fleſh, and of muſty Corn.

'THAT ſpecial care be taken, that no ſtinking Fiſh, or unwholeſome Fleſh, or muſty Corn, or other corrupt Fruits, of what Sort ſoever be ſuffered to be ſold about the City, or any part of the ſame.

'That the Brewers and Tippling-houſes be looked unto, for muſty and unwholſome Casks.

'That no Hogs, Dogs, or Cats, or tame Pigeons, or Conies, be ſuffered to be kept within any part of the City, or any Swine to be, or ſtray in the Streets or Lanes, but that ſuch Swine be impounded by the Beadle or any other Officer, and the Owner puniſhed according to Act of Common Council, and that the Dogs be killed by the Dog-killers appointed for that purpoſe.

ORDERS concerning looſe Perſons and idle Aſſemblies.

Beggers.

'FOr ras much as nothing is more complained of, than the Multitude of Rogues and wandring Beggars, that ſwarm in every place about the City, being a great cauſe of the ſpreading of the Infection, and will not be avoided, notwithſtanding any Order that have been given to the contrary: It is therefore now ordered, that ſuch Conſtables, and others, whom this Matter may any way concern, take ſpecial care that no wandring Begger be ſuffered in the Streets of this City, in any faſhion or manner, whatſoever, upon the Penalty provided by the Law to be duely and ſeverely executed upon them.

Plays.

'THAT all Plays, Bear-Baitings, Games, ſinging of Ballads, Buckler-play, or ſuch like Cauſes of Aſſemblies of People, be utterly prohibited, and the Parties offending ſeverely puniſhed by every Alderman in his Ward.

Feaſting Prohibited.

'THAT all publick Feaſting, and particularly by the Companies of this City, and Dinners at Taverns, Alehouſes, and other Places of common Entertainment be forborn till further Order and Allowance; and that the Money thereby ſpared, be preſerved and employed for the Benefit and Relief of the Poor viſited with the Infection.

Tipling-Houſes.

'THAT diſorderly Tipling in Taverns, Ale-houſes, Coffe-houſs, and Cellars be ſeverely looked unto, as the common Sin of this Time, and greateſt occaſion of diſperſing the Plague. And that no Company or Perſon be ſuffered to remain or come into any Tavern, Ale-houſe, or Coffe-houſe to drink after nine of the Clock in the Evening, according to the antient Law and Cuſtom of this City, upon the Penalties ordained in that Behalf.

'And for the better execution of theſe Orders, and ſuch other Rules and Directions as upon further conſideration ſhall be found needful; It is ordered and enjoined that the Aldermen, Deputies, and Common-Council-men ſhall meet together weekly, once, twice, thrice, or oftner, (as cauſe ſhall require) at ſome one general Place accuſtomed in their reſpective Wards (being clear from Infection of the Plague) to conſult how the ſaid Orders may be duly put in Execution; not intending that any, dwelling in or near Places infected, ſhall come to the ſaid Meeting whiles their coming may be doubtful. And the ſaid Aldermen, and Deputies, and Common-Councilmen in their ſeveral Wards may put in Execution any other good Orders that by them at their ſaid Meetings ſhall be conceived and deviſed, for Preſervation of His Majeſty's Subjects from the Infection,'

Sir John Lawrence

Lord Mayor

 

Sir George Waterman

Sir Charles Doe.

Sheriffs

From "A Journal of the Plague Year"

This is a fascinating look at some of the earliest public health regulations intended to deal with a major epidemic. 

Defoe wrote in a style that is suggestive of the transition from early modern English (Shakespearean) into the first stages of what we would recognize as modern English. Still we see elements including odd spellings, seemingly random capitalization of words in mid sentence and the use of the the "long s," an archaic form of lowercase 's' that fell into disuse around the turn of the 19th century. 

Prayers please...

There has been a catastrophic fire at an old local hotel used to house the poor and homeless. At least six people died. Many of the survivors are indigent and will have only the clothes on their backs. 

What Really Happened to the USS Maine?

The Baltimore Bridge Disaster: Who is going to pay?

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday after it was struck by a container ship could trigger a wide swath of insurance and reinsurance policies, and the loss is likely to run into billions of dollars, sources say.

Beyond marine hull, cargo and liability policies, the incident could trigger various coverages including auto, contingent business interruption, inland marine, property, trade credit and workers compensation...

...London-based marine mutual insurer The Britannia P&I Club confirmed that the Dali is insured by the club for protection and indemnity liabilities. The vessel will also have hull and cargo coverage in place, sources said.

All 22 crew members on board, including two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries among them, the owners and managers of the ship said.

In a statement, Synergy Marine Group, the vessel’s manager, said the owners and managers are fully cooperating with federal and state agencies. The exact cause of the incident has yet to be determined, they said, adding that there had been no pollution.

News reports said the ship may have lost steering after losing power before hitting the bridge. The bridge is valued upwards of $1.2 billion, though it is not known whether the insured limit on the property placement is that high, the Insurance Information Institute said. It is understood that Aon PLC handles the bridges and tunnels property placement for the state of Maryland.

Britannia Club is a member of the International Group of P&I clubs, an association of 12 P&I clubs that provides marine liability cover for 90% of the world’s ocean-going tonnage.

Individual clubs retain $10 million on any claim, and claims in excess of $10 million are shared between the group clubs. The group also buys group excess of loss reinsurance cover up to $3.1 billion in the open market. Axa XL leads the group excess of loss cover, according to information posted on the International Group’s site.

Excess of $30 million, the International Group pool is also reinsured by Bermuda-domiciled group captive Hydra Insurance Co. Ltd., an incorporated cell company. Each of the 12 Group clubs has its own segregated account or cell ringfencing its assets and liability from the other club cells.

The total cost of the bridge collapse and associated claims will not be clear for some time but is likely to run into billions of dollars and “well above the $100 million attachment point for the GXL contract,” rating agency A.M. Best Co. said Tuesday.

“The insurance issues due to the collapse of the bridge will take a long time to unravel and may involve several lines, such as property, cargo, liability, trade credit and contingent business interruption,” Best said.

“I would expect this event to exhaust limits, excess layers and reinsurance for most types of coverage carried by the ship’s operator,” Robert Hartwig, clinical associate professor and director, Risk and Uncertainty Management Center, at the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, said in an email.

Read the rest here.

Obviously the immediate concern is for those injured and the missing, who at this point are unlikely to be found alive. However, beyond the humanitarian concerns, a major component of transportation for Baltimore and the DC beltway region has been wrecked. One of the busiest harbors in the United States is now closed indefinitely with ships unable to enter and those already there, effectively trapped. President Biden has rightly promised emergency Federal aid to get the ball rolling on clearing the wreckage and at least beginning the construction of a new bridge. I don't think anyone needs an advanced degree in engineering to grasp that the current structure is a total loss and beyond repair. That said, the American taxpayer should not be on the hook for this. Marine insurance is a complicated business, but when the dust settles some very large checks are going to be expected. And while the economic damage is likely to run into the billions, I would hope that the first checks go to the families of those injured and killed. 

Prayers for all those affected. 

150 Years Ago: The wreck of the SS Atlantic

IAN: Update #3 or 4

I am still in Pensacola but am planning to leave tomorrow. I have gotten word that, miraculously, the house is still there with only very limited damage. The yard and roof are covered in debris and tree branches. The back of the house has a pine tree on it, but the roof held and there is no evidence of water damage or leakage. Part of the handrail by the front door is missing. Unfortunately, the surrounding area did not fare so well. I am sure everyone reading this has seen the devastation on the news. My community is tucked just north of Ft Myers and east of Cape Coral. And the entirety of the county looks like a war zone. The barrier islands look like Hiroshima after the bomb. I am told that huge numbers of people refused to evacuate. I expect that as they begin clearing the piles of debris that were once multi-story beach houses and businesses that they are going to start finding bodies. In some cases, the bodies will not be found as they were likely swept into the Gulf of Mexico. There is almost no power in Lee County not being supplied by emergency generators. Many roads are impassable due to debris and or flood waters. Gas is scarce to non-existent in the area and along much of the I 75 corridor. Given the current situation my plan is to head north and stay with family until it is safe to head back, which could be weeks. That said, I and all of my relatives are safe and nobody is homeless. Deo Gratias. I wish I could say the same for everybody else. 

Direct Hit

The eye of the hurricane just passed over where my house is (was?). Won't know the extent of the damage for a few days at the least. 

COVID-19: How bad could it get?

Very...

One of the agency’s top disease modelers, Matthew Biggerstaff, presented the group on the phone call with four possible scenarios — A, B, C and D — based on characteristics of the virus, including estimates of how transmissible it is and the severity of the illness it can cause. The assumptions, reviewed by The New York Times, were shared with about 50 expert teams to model how the virus could tear through the population — and what might stop it.

The C.D.C.’s scenarios were depicted in terms of percentages of the population. Translated into absolute numbers by independent experts using simple models of how viruses spread, the worst-case figures would be staggering if no actions were taken to slow transmission.

Between 160 million and 214 million people in the U.S. could be infected over the course of the epidemic, according to one projection. That could last months or even over a year, with infections concentrated in shorter periods, staggered across time in different communities, experts said. As many as 200,000 to 1.7 million people could die.

And, the calculations based on the C.D.C.’s scenarios suggested, 2.4 million to 21 million people in the U.S. could require hospitalization, potentially crushing the nation’s medical system, which has only about 925,000 staffed hospital beds. Fewer than a tenth of those are for people who are critically ill.

The assumptions fueling those scenarios are mitigated by the fact that cities, states, businesses and individuals are beginning to take steps to slow transmission, even if some are acting less aggressively than others. The C.D.C.-led effort is developing more sophisticated models showing how interventions might decrease the worst-case numbers, though their projections have not been made public.

Read the rest here. 

Court orders US Navy to release report on the loss of the USS Thresher (1963)

SAN DIEGO (Tribune News Service) — At 9:12 a.m. on April 12, 1963, the nuclear-powered submarine Thresher issued its final coherent message.

“Experiencing minor difficulties,” it began. “Have positive up angle. Am attempting to blow. Will keep you informed.”

The first and last sentences were unduly — and tragically — optimistic. After a garbled message from the boat at 9:17 a.m., none of the 129 aboard Thresher were ever heard from again. The difficulties had not been minor. They had been fatal, taking the vessel and her crew to a watery grave in the North Atlantic.

Almost 57 years later, this remains the U.S. Navy’s worst undersea disaster. It’s also one of the most mysterious. While there are numerous theories about what caused the Thresher’s sinking, the official story is still under wraps.

The Navy’s investigation resulted in a 1,700-page report. Only 19 pages have been publicly released.

Capt. Jim Bryant, a submarine skipper retired in Point Loma, wants the public to see the other 1,681 pages.

“I feel a responsibility to the men who were aboard,” he said, “and their families.”

Last year, Bryant went to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking to pry loose the report.

On Feb. 10, a federal judge ordered the Navy to release its report in monthly 300-page segments, beginning May 15 and continuing until Oct. 15. When the Navy requested more time to review documents and redact classified information, Bryant’s lawyer noted that the Navy already had promised to do this — 22 years ago. Then, in 2012, the Navy announced it had nearly completed its declassification review but wasn’t going to release anything.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden noted that history this month, while rejecting the Navy’s plea for more time. “Normally I defer to the government,” he said during a hearing, “but I can’t say I have a lot of confidence in how this looks now.”

Read the rest here.

Werner Doehner, last survivor of the Hindenburg disaster, dies at 90

For all those on that fateful journey... memory eternal.

Obituary.

Venice stricken with catastrophic flooding

The historic squares of Venice were left deep underwater on Wednesday after most of the tourist mecca was inundated by the second-highest levels of flooding ever recorded, sending water into the historic basilica as more bad weather is in the forecast.

The high tide peaked at 74 inches late Tuesday, just short of the 76 inches set during record flooding of 1966. That meant more than 85 percent of the city was flooded, with water overtaking the famed St. Mark's Basilica, raising new concerns over damage to the mosaics and other artworks.

 "Venice is on its knees," Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on Twitter. "St. Mark's Basilica has sustained serious damage like the entire city and its islands.

 Read the rest here.

Notre Dame and my fears

As anyone who has not just arrived from another planet will be aware, the great Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was severely damaged in a fire yesterday. It appears that the fire brigade heroically managed to save most of the great treasures of art and holy relics as well as significant parts of the cathedral itself. Notably, the iconic bell towers were still standing this morning.

France is, understandably, in deep shock and mourning as is much of the world. I visited the cathedral in the 1980's while in the Navy and yesterday's events were so disturbing I had to turn off the TV. The fire is being described by some as the worst cultural disaster to hit France since the Nazi occupation.

Now comes the hard task of sorting out the damage and planning the restoration and rebuilding. Yes, the cathedral will be restored. President Macron's declaration to that effect was almost unnecessary. There was never any doubt.

Which brings me to my great fear. How will it be done? I am not worried about the money. I am worried about what will emerge from the smoke and ashes. Notre Dame has been through rough times before. It was redecorated by Louis XIV. After being sacked by anti-clerical mobs during the French Revolution it was left as a near ruin until restoration work began in the 1830's. But in each case the building was redecorated/restored, at least in part, to the tastes of those in charge of the project.

In the present day and age that could be disastrous.

If the Society of St. Pius X were given charge of the project, I would not fear for the end result. But the French Catholic Church might as well be on the list of endangered species. And what is left of it has, with a few notable exceptions, fallen into the grip of the most odious modernists.

If the Cathedral is rebuilt in the spirit of Vatican II... I tremble at the thought.

Breaking News: The Cathedral of Notre Dame is On Fire

Catastrophic Flooding in Australia

Large tracts of rural Australia, primarily Queensland, have been stricken with flooding of biblical proportions after enduring a prolonged drought. There have been severe losses among wildlife and livestock.

Details.
Warning: The linked story has images that may be disturbing.

Worse than you thought: inside the secret Fitzgerald probe the Navy doesn’t want you to read

A scathing internal Navy probe into the 2017 collision that drowned seven sailors on the guided-missile destroyer Fitzgerald details a far longer list of problems plaguing the vessel, its crew and superior commands than the service has publicly admitted.

Obtained by Navy Times, the “dual-purpose investigation” was overseen by Rear Adm. Brian Fort and submitted 41 days after the June 17, 2017, tragedy.

It was kept secret from the public in part because it was designed to prep the Navy for potential lawsuits in the aftermath of the accident.

Unsparingly, Fort and his team of investigators outlined critical lapses by bridge watchstanders on the night of the collision with the Philippine-flagged container vessel ACX Crystal in a bustling maritime corridor off the coast of Japan.

Their report documents the routine, almost casual, violations of standing orders on a Fitz bridge that often lacked skippers and executive officers, even during potentially dangerous voyages at night through busy waterways.

The probe exposes how personal distrust led the officer of the deck, Lt. j.g. Sarah Coppock, to avoid communicating with the destroyer’s electronic nerve center — the combat information center, or CIC — while the Fitzgerald tried to cross a shipping superhighway.

When Fort walked into the trash-strewn CIC in the wake of the disaster, he was hit with the acrid smell of urine. He saw kettlebells on the floor and bottles filled with pee. Some radar controls didn’t work and he soon discovered crew members who didn’t know how to use them anyway.

Fort found a Voyage Management System that generated more “trouble calls” than any other key piece of electronic navigational equipment. Designed to help watchstanders navigate without paper charts, the VMS station in the skipper’s quarters was broken so sailors cannibalized it for parts to help keep the rickety system working.

Since 2015, the Fitz had lacked a quartermaster chief petty officer, a crucial leader who helps safely navigate a warship and trains its sailors — a shortcoming known to both the destroyer’s squadron and Navy officials in the United States, Fort wrote.

Fort determined that Fitz’s crew was plagued by low morale; overseen by a dysfunctional chiefs mess; and dogged by a bruising tempo of operations in the Japan-based 7th Fleet that left exhausted sailors with little time to train or complete critical certifications.

Read the rest here.

Photos of the Destruction Caused by Hurricane Michael

Unbelievable.

Spanish flu: the killer that still stalks us, 100 years on

One hundred years ago this month, just as the first world war was drawing to a fitful close, an influenza virus unlike any before or since swept across the British Isles, felling soldiers and civilians alike. One of the first casualties was the British prime minister and war leader, David Lloyd George.

On 11 September 1918, Lloyd George, riding high on news of recent Allied successes, arrived in Manchester to be presented with the keys to the city. Female munitions workers and soldiers home on furlough cheered his passage from Piccadilly train station to Albert Square. But later that evening, he developed a sore throat and fever and collapsed.

He spent the next 10 days confined to a sickbed in Manchester town hall, too ill to move and with a respirator to aid his breathing. Newspapers, including the Manchester Guardian, underplayed the severity of his condition for fear of presenting the Germans with a propaganda coup. But, according to his valet, it had been “touch and go”.

Lloyd George, then aged 55, survived, but others were not so lucky. In an era before antibiotics and vaccines, the “Spanish influenza” – so-called because neutral Spain was one of the few countries in 1918 where correspondents were free to report on the outbreak – claimed the lives of nearly 250,000 Britons. Cruelly for a nation that had seen the flower of British male youth mown down by German guns, the majority were adults aged 20 to 40. The mortality was the inverse of most flu seasons, when deaths fall most heavily on the elderly and the under-fives.

The global death toll was inconceivable: according to the most recent estimates, between 50 million and 100 million people worldwide perished in the three pandemic waves between the spring of 1918 and the winter of 1919. Adjusting for population growth, that is equivalent to between 200 million and 425 million today.

Read the rest here.

Catastrophe

Brazil's National Museum housed in the former imperial palace has been virtually destroyed by fire. The exact extent of the loss is not yet known but is likely to be of staggering proportions. The museum housed one of the most important collections in the Western Hemisphere. This is a cultural calamity likely to be felt around the world.

Irma (Updated)

I am still up north helping with mom's recovery, which is going extremely well, but I live in the southwest corner of Florida. As you can probably guess, I am keeping one eye on the Weather Channel almost continuously. Because I flew up even my car is in the potential line of fire. Of course a lot of other people are in the same boat and some have already lost everything in the Caribbean.

Kyrie eleison.

(Update: 09-11-2017 1425 EDT)
No specific word on the house yet, but everything I am reading from local news sources suggests that Fort Myers pretty much dodged a bullet. It sounds like the much feared storm surge was pretty much a no show and the wind damage locally sounds like your typical nuisance stuff... downed power lines, lots of tree limbs, some debris here and there etc.

Dodging a Bullet

So I'm sitting here in the southwest corner of the Sunshine State under overcast skies with a stiff breeze pondering what might have been, and how very lucky we have been (so far). My part of the state was never in the projected danger zone so the worst I have had to deal with has been a sharp uptick in traffic and large crowds of temporary evacuees from the other side of the state. To whom I say welcome and enjoy your stay.

But all of this brings to mind those who proudly declared they would not evacuate despite being told they were potentially in the path of a category 4 hurricane. I'm going to hazard an educated guess that most of these morons have never been in anything close to a major hurricane in their lives. No rational person with a clue about the real danger of something as powerful as Matthew was when I went to bed last night (sustained winds of 140 mph) would deliberately put themselves in front of one. It's rather akin to being told there is a Great White Shark swimming just off the beach and going in for a dip anyways. Maybe the hurricane will miss you. And maybe the shark has moved on or isn't hungry.

Okay, I will concede an exception for those seeking a novel method for self murder. Suicide by hurricane would provide an interesting topic for gossip among neighbors and relatives.

But I doubt that was the intent here. In many cases this was just for bragging rights.  My guess is that a lot of these folks will be found in their favorite watering hole this weekend telling everyone within earshot about how they rode out Hurricane Matthew and that it was no big deal.

Except they didn't.

That's because Hurricane Matthew has thus far not hit land in the United States (Deo gratias). If it had hit land as a cat 4, anyone in it's immediate path along the coast would would have been fortunate to survive. And if they did, my guess is that whatever tales they told would have begun with something along the lines of "what a  bleeping idiot I was!" (I don't think they would use the word bleeping.)

The worst thing is that this dodged bullet is likely to reinforce the bone crushing stupidity exhibited by these people and encourage others to do the same the next time we have a dangerous storm rolling in our direction. And there will be a next time. Florida is geographically pretty much a natural bulls-eye for hurricanes. That we have not had a big hit in more than a decade is a small miracle that I fear has also given a false sense of security to many. More than two million have moved here since the last hurricane (including yours truly) and most probably lack an appreciation for just how devastating a bad one can be. Last night Matthew was more or less the same size and power as the Great Hurricane of 1900.

There are times I think everyone who wants to live within ten miles of the Atlantic coast south of Cape Hatteras, or anywhere at all along the Gulf of Mexico should be required to watch this or something similar.