The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-11
The CaIandar of Losses.

From the Tribune
During the quarter ending last December, the
losses IN ITO considerable fires throughout the
Couuttv are reckoned above 500, OOO,OO0, and
those for the whole year double the year pre-
Vtous and far exceeding many former years.
This is accounted for by extraordinary losses
in certain fires such as the burning of cotton,
and Government and city warehouses, and one
Or two extensive factories. 70 fires occurred
in New York State, with loss of nearly
IS, ,OOO 25 houses were destroyed IN a
SINGLE fire at Lima n. Y, and 100 in Belfast, Me-
The severest loss of life during fire occurred
Dt Charleston, where score of people were
Killed by falling walls Cotton burned in store
and on snipboard, 1000 bales In nine years the
total in fires OIL S2O,OOO ana upwards iaus
short OF S72,000,0 600.
We are here generally estimating only land
and house fires, ana perhaps not in all respects
from an insurance point OF view. Let us add
review of the recent quarter, ending with the
last of April In thrty-eght fires of 500, 900 loss
and upward, the total destruction amounted to
Sl0,670, 600. We compare this with the former
guarter in which thirty-elght fires of the same
degree occurred, with general reported loss of
more than $lS,00000O. the chief losers have
been the cities of New York, Cincinnati, Phila.
delrhia Buffalo, the Oil Regions, the Michigan
Central and Pennsylvania Railroads, and the
general Government. Cotton, amounting to
betW cen three and four millions of dollars, was
burned in Mobile. Pixies splendid opera house
was lately destroyed in Cincinnati and in the
last eight months, chiefly in the quarter just
past, a score OF fires dried as many wells in the
DIl regions. Fires on ship, steamboat, and rail-
road have not yet been reckoned, but make up
yarge supplemC Mt to the ether volume of losses
by fire. The amount of cotton thus destroyed in
3he last two quarters would easily reach 10000
bales-a fact OF further warning against careless
shipment and storage.
Statistics OF railroad disaster are still of pre-
Vailing interest, and full OF grave suggestion.
From September to January the number of accl-
x,if 1A.1 Of and
at least an average of two deaths to each occur
rence-were 76, OF which 20 we're outright col
1sions. In eight cases trains were precipitated;
eight more were explosions; in three bridges
broke down; in four, switches were misplaced;
and in one or two Instances the cars ran off
4restles. On several railroads as many as three
Or tour locomotives were destroyed in twenty
four hours. The railroads OF New York we're
debited with twenty accidents. On all the rail-
roads of the country, estimating from the quar-
1erly figures, the accidents were not far less
than 200 during the year 1865.
Contrasted with this statement, the quarter
gone by shows either Improvement or good for
5une in the management OF the roads. We
count only twenty-three accidents, the worst OF
9hem two collisions on railroads near New York,
and one case OF bridge-breaking; the whole with
"a loss OF between fifty and seventy lives. A
phenomenal crime, the attempt by one person
10 cause train to be thrown Off the track, was
7ately frustrated on the Shore-line Road. We see
2hat in eight months very nearly one hundred
railroad accidents take place, more than one
fourth oil tne NUMBER COLLISIONS ana az leaSt one
zenith explosions
here it is worth while making general count
of explosions. Out of 81 which occurred pe.
2ween September and January were on rail-
roads, 10 on steamboats,, in shops and factories /;
d were from gun powder,Iand from glinoine OIL
or nitro-glycerine. Between January and May
occurred 2S, some OF them of most terrible char
acter, and nearly all explosions of e1gine boilers
By the explosions of the steamers Missouri and
Miami, and the steamboat Carter, on the OHIO
and Mississippi rivers, more than 400 lives were
lost. The new explosive essence known as
nitro glyCerine has already cost three accidents,
and nearly 100 lives. By Sc EXPLOSIONS in the
last eight months, it is not improbable that 1000
persons have been killed. This dry statement is
7he index of most appalling catastrophies.
Steamboat accidents and losses have similar
painful variety Out of 20 boats lost or de-
stToy yed, principally on the Western rivers, l3
had collided, 10 exploded, were burned, and
place on the Lakes, Tor seven or eight on the
Mississpp; II steamboats, and barges were lost
by the ST. Louis ice-gorge. BY the explosions
and collisions probably 800 lives were lost. In
The succeeding quarter we reckon ty.two
steamers lost bur these include such fearful
disasters as the burnings and explosions OF the
steamers Missouri Miami, Garter, and Lock-
2COOd, with an aggregate loss OF about 500 lives
Altogether, III valuable steamers and their
more precious freight of human life and
wealth have been sunk OF destroyed in eight
mon hs Add to the calendar seventy.fve marine
disasters, tour of them collisions and eight
bunmgs, with loss of 2j9 lives, in the quarter
ending December; and 48 wrecks between Janu-
Sry and May with about l7O lives lost, most OF
Them in the steamers Constitution, NdrciSSuS,
and other vesses-an aggregate, for eight
months, of 1913 disasters, costing 429 lives. In
these eight months the earthquake showed
several alarming symptoms in California, and a
FtoIm on the Gull coast swept away a number
Ot villages. Recapitulating, we observe that IN
the Two last quarters occurred 2l7 accidents by
which railway cars and steamboats, were de-
stroy ed Sc severe explosions, and l23 shipwrecks
ON The American coast. 1t Is not a little re-
maj kable that disasters to inland travel have
been more frequent than upon the sea.