The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-17 00:00:00

MORTALITY AMONG QUAKERS.

There is published every year in the "Annual Monitor"
a register of the names and ages of the members of the
Society of Friends whose deaths have occurred during the
preceding year. That for )880 has just appeared, and from
the table it gives it seems that during the past year there
have occurred the deaths of 32L members of the society-137
males and 184 females.

This death-rate is, according to the number of mem-
bers in Great Britain and Ireland, very considerably
below the general average, and an analysis of the ages
of the deceased members shows that this result is very
largely contributed to by the small infantile mortality.
It appears that there were only 13 deaths out of the
321 which were- those of infants under one year;
while the total number of deaths of children under
the age of five years was only 27—a fact in
marked diff rence with the infantile mortality among
the general population. Between five and ten years
of age there were only two deaths of Quakers ;
from 10 to 20, 12 ; from 20 to 30 there were
nine; from 30 to 40 the number was 15. From 40 to
60 there were 22 deaths; from 50 to 60 the number
rose to 28; and again, frem 60 to 70, to 56; while be-
tween 70 and 80 the highest ratio ill any decade was
witnessed—the number being 82. Between 80 and 93,
out of the 321 deaths, there were no fewer than 63,
a very large proportion; while at and over 90 there
were five deaths recorded. The proportion of deaths
at advance 3 ages is in conformity with the general
experience shown by past issues of this record; but
the total number of deaths recorded is in exoess of
that for several recent years. It is doubtful as to the
exact causes of the low morality among Quakers but
the facts are sufficiently curious to deserve considers-
tion.— The Times.

A large order for steel plates required for the Forth
Bridge has been placed iu the hands of Krupp, of Essen,
and It would be Interesting to learn whether British makers
required, or whether it Is
cannot produce the quality
price that has sent the cont,raut abroad. Whichever is
the cornet moon, it la not flaturing tinfnational vanity.
p—Echo

ANOTHER GREAT FIRE IN BOSTON.

Particulars has just been received of the disastrous
conflagration in Boston, U.S., on the night of the
28th of December. The flames broke out very near
to the place where they originated In the great fire of
1872. At eleven o'clock at night the inside of a build.
ing in Federal•streat was seen to be on fire; an alarm
was given, and in an hour afterwards the
whlle of the fire department had to turn
out. The premises were occupied by a firm [of
wool brokers, and were directly over the paper
warehouse of Rice, Kendall, and Co. In a
very short time the fire extended to the buildings on
both sides, and soon the entire block was in flames,
and the fire threatened to cross Franklin-street and
destroy the large establishments on the north aide.
After several hours of hard and plucky work on the
part of the firemen, the flames were got under
control, but for a long time after wards they burnt
fiercely, and afforded a magnificent spectacle to
the thousands of startled inhabitants who gathered in
the vicinity. Amongst the principal
_premises de-
stroyed are those of the Ashton Valve Company, the
Notth National Bank, and the publishing house of
Messrs. Houghton, Osgood and Co., in which a valu-
able stock of books was stored. Their printing and
binding offices' however, being at some distance off,
escaped, and their business will not be materially
Interrupted. The loss by the ire is roughly estimated
at over five million dollars, which will fall very largely
upon Boston insurance companies.