The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-24
ONLY A FEW OF US LEFT.
TIE WORLDS POPULATION EsTI-
MATED AT I,47e,72e, 400.

"Bevoelk Der Erde," Fublica-
ton of Which Is Now Resumed at the
Little City of Gotha in Germeny-The
Human Race increasing at the Rate
of 5,75o,OOo Year.
From the Chicago Tribune.
NEW YORK, Oct. lS.-An announcement
of interest to statisticians Of the world
comes from the little city of Gotha, in Cor
many. 1t is to the effect that the famous
publishing house of Justus Perthes, widely
known for its "Aimanach de Gotha" and
its numerous geographical publications, has
this year resumed the publication of the
"Bevoelkerung Der Erde.' This notable
work was first issued in 1872 under
the editorship of DR.. Ernest Benin.
now deceased. and Dr.. Hermann
Wagner, now professor of geography in the
University Of Gottingen. A new edition
was published about every two years until
the preparation Of the eighth was well
under way. Then DR.. Behm died and Prof.
Wagner abandoned the task, feeling unable
alone to carry it to successful com plesiup.
Thus this valuable work has for the last
nine years been allowed to lapse. It is now
resumed, with DIR. WaRner's name on the
title page as chief editor. and with that of
DR.. Supan as his ass ioiate.
The new eighth edition is a large octave
of 270 pages, carefully arranged. It is not
toe mere compilation Of statistics. indis-
criminately gathered and thrown together.
All the facts and figures given are SYSTEM
atically CLASSIFIED, according to the divisions
of the globe and the countries of which they
treat. Moreover, every figure given has
been critically examined. and II necessary
corrected. The authorities for all statistics
are given, and where there are varying
Statistics under any one head the figures of
both are given and their comparative
trustworthiness carefully discussed. The
work not only deals with the population OF
the globe, but with its area also, and Of
course with the density of population in
various countries. The pains exercised by
the editors and publishers may be estimated
from the fact that new measurements of
some considerable areas of tae earth's sur
face have been specially made for this work.
Moreover, for many countries which neg
lect to enumerate their inhabitants, DR..
Supan has had special censuses made. In
this manner he has ascertained as exactly as
possible the population of Africa, the
Turkish empire, including Arabia. China,
and many Of the East Indian islands.
POPULATION OF THE EARTH.
According TO DR.. Behms most careful
estimates in 1866 the population Of the earth
was about ], 1855, coo, 900. In 1880 tie same
eminent authority estimated it at 1885,
600, 000, the apparent increase being largely
due more to accuracy in enumeration than
to actual growth of population. A still more
star cling change was announced two years
later when, In the edition of the "Bsvoelke-
rung der Erde' for 1882, the worlds popu-
lation was given at /, 434 600 eco, showing
an apparent loss of 22,00J,000 in
two years. This was due to
greater accuracy in tho statistics, tbs
figures for China, for example. having
been reduced, under the light Of new in
designations, from 405. 900 to $50, 100000.
The present population Of the world, ac-
cording to the edition of this work just pub
lished, Is 1,479, 729, 400. These figures would
indicate an increase with the rate of $780,
0O0 year since 1882, according TO Dr..
Behm's estimate In that year. They are
10000 900 less than those given by Levasseur
in 1856, which is due to the fact that he
reckoned the population OF China and At
RIGA much higher than Wagner and Supau
have done.
1t must be confessed that despite the ut,
most care in collecting statistics the element
Of guess work enters so largely into the CEN
sus Of about half the world that the best
figures given may not be within so, 100000
or IS, 000, 000 Of the real fact Eleven years
ago Prof. Wagner could get actual census
returns from only A per ce1t. of the total
population Of the globe. At present, by
virtue OF special census which he himself
has promoted, reasonably exact figures
have been obtained from between Sc and 81
per celN. of the whole. In this proportion,
however, is included the population OF the
Russian empire, of which no actual census
has been taken.
INCREASE SINCE 1880.
The total figures given indicate an ap-
parent increase of 125,000000 since 1885,
But allowing Tor the change made In the
figures of China on the strength Of more
careful investigation, this increase is re-
duced to 79,000,Q00
According to this work the area Of Asia
the largest of the great divisions Of the
earth's surface, is 17.5306S6 square miles,
and its population is S25 954 900, or forty
seven inhabitants to the square mile. These
figures do not include the Arctic islands.
The second grand division in area is Amer
lea. including both the northern
and southern continents, hut not
including the Arctic regions. Its area is
IA, sol ,402. and its population 121 us, 900, or
only eight to the square mile. Third in
area is Africa, II, 277. 364 square miles and
1913, 953, GOO inhabitants, or fourteen 10 the
square mile, none OF LueSe uRur6S lncluQ-
ing Madagascar or other islands Tho area
Of Europe is put at 5, 500 square miles
and its population at So, 379 900, or ninety
four to the square mile, these figures not in
Guiding Iceland or Nova Zembla. Next
comes Australia, including Tasmania, with
1891, 459 square miles and 8, 81, 900 popu-
lation, or only about one to the SPARE mile.
Under the head of polar regions are in
cluded | ,7S0, $40 square miles, with SO, 400
inhabitants Finally, the islands of the
oceans are GROUPED together. with 733, 100
square miles of area and 100000 inhabi-
tants, or about ten to the square mile.
In the figures for America the results OF
the census of 1890 in the United States are
given. Some corrections OF areas of various
South American states appear.
The most deusely populated country of
Europe IS Belgium, with $50 persons to the
square mile. England comes next with $50,
though the United Kingdom as a. whole has
only 312. Holland has 365. The most
sparsely populated ccuntries are Norway
aud Finland, where there are only sixteen
people to the square mile The "Bevoelke-
rung der Erde" is still, as it was founded,
a supplement to "P 5termaun's Mittelun-
gen." 1t is intended henceforth to publish
q revised edition every other year.
a NEW FoRM OF gambling sprang up last sum
mer at Ostend and is now practiced at some Of
the fashionable London clubs. Teaching the
virtue of patience is better than baccarat, and