Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-07-04

O6O
nearly two: thirds, involving a loss of
713 lives, or nearly one-half the aggre-
gate, occurred on the Western and 9TH
Or rivers embraced under the general
designation of "waters flowing into the
Gulf Of Mexico" Italso appears that
there were lost in all, by boiler explo-
sions, 800 lives, of which 218, or more
than hall, were lost on the same waters.
But the most startling tact is the loss
of life by fire, as compared with other
casualties.
One hundred and fifty-one casualties,
or nearly three-tenths of the entire
number, are due to this destructive
agency. Out of 1,473 lives, $50, or
considerably more than one third, owe
their sudden termination to this fear
full cause. But the proportion, when
we compare localities, is yet more as
tonisling. No less than Ass deaths oc-
CURED from this cause in "waters flow
ing into the Gulf" while but 1O1 are
charged to the account of all the rest
of the country combined, including the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts, their tribu-
taries, and the lakes. In other words,
more than four-fifths of the entire loss
of life by fire on board steam vessels
during the last four years, occurred on
the Western, Southern, Ind South
western rivers.
It appears that in the space of two
years four vessels were burned by COM
bustion Of oil, and SO lives were lost
while, if we add two vessels fired by
the burning of hay and the 274 deaths,
and forty more from the upsetting of a
stove, we have an aggregate of 4O7 lives
lost in less than three years on the
waters in question, through the direct
agency of explosive or combustible
articles. The loss of property from
the same source foots up as follows:
Accompanied by loss of life. w 100000
Not accompanied by loss of life. 1S9: 900
Cases IN which the fire originated in
cotton, but without loss If life " 281 600
Total. ....... .............. 81 ,l0O, 900
Here we find upwards of a million of
property and more than 400 lives des-
trOyed on these waters in four years by
fire, the origin of which is traced d.
rectly to the carrying of combustible
articles.
This, however, gives but an inade-
quate idea of the vast amount of prop
erty destroyed by casualties Of all
kinds on these and other waters of the
United States during the four years
covered by the report from which the
following statement is condensed:
Destroyed on the Atlantic coast >. $5,911, $50
Destroyed on waters flowing into
the Gulf OF Mexico. -............. 6,O23, $50
Destroyed on the lakes. .. 1.246. $50
Destroyed OH the Pacific coast..... 19l, 500
To this must be added for casualties.
where no return of the amount of prop
erty destroyed has been made, and
which, taking the returns actually
made as a guide, are estimated at over
six millions in the aggregate, and we
have total of nearly twenty millions,
or about five millions annua ~.
! In transmitting the report from
which the foregoing results are de-
rived, the Secretary of the Treasury
expresses the opinion that, for various
reasons, the statistics thus furnished
are more likely to be defective through
under estimates than through exagger-
ated statements of the losses referred
to.
The report, rs showing the result of
four years experience, may be summed
up in brief, as follows:
Total number of casualties . 52G
Average per annum. ............. 1871
| Average per month. ............... 10
Total number Of lives lost. ....... 1,473
! Average per annum. ......... .. 1868
| Average per month. 80
Value Of property lost (estimatcd> 800, 900 900
Average per annum. ......... 49,. 5000 600
Average per month ............... 1855
! More than ten casualties, involv ing
| q loss of over S4(ln Ono every month