Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-09-13
The Death-Roll.

the earthquake in Ischia, saws the New York
Tribune, that the year 1883 had been full of
horrors, casualties and mortal visitations of
all kinds following one another IN quick sue
cesson, and resulting in a destruction of
human life whose sum total is fairly start
ling. Barely a month has passed since that
time, and the death-roll of the year, from
pestilence, earthquake, fire and accident, has
more than doubled in that brief time, bring
ing the grim totals far up above those of
previous years. A recapitulation of the
more important Of these events may not be
the pleasantest of tasks, but it may have its
lesson, after all.
In the opening month Of the year the
Cimbria sank, drowning 434 persons; 10 or
so lost their lives IN the hotel fire at Mil
waukee; 26S by the burning of circus in
Poland; I2 were drowned by the flooding
of mine in Australia; 2l were killed by a
railroad accident at Tehichipa, in California :;
Is convicts were drowned by the upsetting
of fat-bsat in North Carolina, and 10 per-
sons by the sinking Of the City of Brussels /;
and 10 were killed by the explosion of
mine in Illinois. In February there was the
the Fourth-st. school panic in this city,
which cost l6 children their lives. In the
Braidwood mine disaster - lives were lost
and BY floods IN various parts Of the country
56. In March, II persons were burned at
brownsville, Minnesota In April 200 lives
were lost by various tornadoes, and II per-
sons were killed by the fall of hotel in
Texas. In May, the Brooklyn Bridge panic
cost II lives. and tornadoes swallowed up
lis more. In June there was the terrible
panic of children in Sunderland, England
in which 202 were killed in this country
the total number of deaths reported from
floods and tornadoes was IS. In July there
was the launch disaster at Glasgow. where
the latest estimate of the loss put it at 80 :;
- persons were drowned by the falling of
the rotten pier at Baltimore Il were killed
by railroad accident at Carlyon, in this
State II were drowned by floods at London
Ontario; fire in Hungary burned 20. The
month closed with the earthquake in lschia
The latest estimates seemed to put the num-
her Of lives lost at between 1000 and ) 900
but The Cologne fazette, at the same time
declared that the number must have reached
5000.
Other casualties in the Old World not al
ready mentioned were the loss Of 1913 lives
from the fishing fleets off the coast OF England
during heavy storms; of 10 by floods in Ger
many and Hungary Of $50 by an avalanche
on Mount Ararat OF 230 by three powder
expiosons-in Holland and Italy, and at
Scutarl Of l62 by two mine EXPLOSIONS at
Ressleres, France, and in Sicily. \ panic
in a factory at Bombay. boiler explosion
in France, and a fire at Dervia. Italy, add
loi deaths to the list. During the month
of August the tornado at Rochester, Min
nesota, killed Is persons. a scatfolding on
the King of Bavaria's new palace at Lake
Chem fell and killed 20 workmcn, wound
ing /. others. Twelve men were hurled
down a mine shaft in Cornwall, and killed.
\ week ago the collision of the ST. Ger
main and Woodhurn off Eddystone Light
cost Is lives. y number of fishermen have
just been reported drowned in the storms
off Newfoundland, and the month closes
with the terrific climax of an estimated loss
Of 10000 liyes-perhaps more-by the
eruptlons IN Java.
There j. more yet. Cholera has been
raging both IN India and Egypt. and yellow
fever has been prevalent IN Cuba. At the
end Of july il was estimated that $1,000
persons had died Of cholera in India, and
the death rate has continued heavy. Is
Inmates a. 10 Egypt vary somewhat. At the
beginning Of August the general estimate
appeared to be about 1000, but The
London Daily Ne,rs, put il at 10000.
During the month Of August nearly 10000
deaths in all Egypt have been reported in
cable dispatches to this country, giving each
days death-rate. The yellow fever returns
are imperfect, but the victims can be num-
bered by hundreds.
This enumeration covers, Of course, only
the more striking Of these yisitations. Many
are omitted in which the loss Of life was less
severe. Very many, no doubt, never reach
the newspaper readers eye a, all. Com
plcte the system Of gathering the news
Of the world appears to be, much must
cape it, But here We have, merely in
summary Of notable events. necessarily i'm
perfect, and taking the lowest estimates in
each case, a record of the loss in eight
months by accident, fire and pestilence, Of
more than II 900 lives. How many more
complete enumeration would show, we can
only guess. What sermon upon the un-
certainty and the little worth Of human life