The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1894-12-04
ODD ACCIDENTS.
STRANGE RECORDS OF FATAL
tiles AND CASUALTIES.
What an Examination of the Vital
Statistics Issued by the New
York Board of Health
Discloses.

publication, and 1T was not until re-
Gently that the omitted years were put
into type, and the valuable records
carried forward TO 1892.
In CHANGING over the tables one finds
many features OF interest 1t is re-
markablc fact, for instance, that homi-
cidos in the city are not only rela-
lively but actually on the decrease.
In 1892 but thirty-eight persons came
to homicidal deaths. This is but > 30
persons to the 100000, the lowest
ratio ever known. Tho proportion
has been as high as 7.li TO the 100.
600. This was in 1878, when seventy
three persons were murdered during
the year. Tho lowest actual number
OF deaths in twenty-Eour years was in
1862, when thirty-seveu persons were
killed. The ratio Mt that time per
100, 600 of population was 4I3.
Turning from this record OF de.
creased murders, which. oddly
enough, comedies with the introduc.
ton of electrocution, one is Mortified
to learn that deaths from accident aud
negilScnce are increasing steadily
In 1891 they numbered 1887; in 1892
they had risen to 1900, an increase OF
Dol. The total deaths are undivided
and classiiie with great care.
According to the subdivision the
greatest cause of fatality from acct.
dents are fractures and Commissions.
OF these in 1892 there were 83J. The
other causes follow Ill this order
Sunstrokes, 800; drowning, 1877
burns and scalds, l79; surgical opera
tons, l5l; sutfocation, ninety
wounds, fifty-siX poison, fifty-siX;
other causes, seventeen. As against the
Increase in accidental deaths it inter
eSting to note that the number of sui
cides is decreasing, or, mt least. re-
mains about stationary. In 1892, 2l1
persons took their own lives, rs
against 300 in 1891 and 239 in 1890.
Suicides still prefer pistols as n
means of terminating their real or
fancicd troubles. Eghty-fve selected
this medium of death during the wear
mentioned. Fiftytwo poisoned them
selves, fifty-one resortod TO HANGING,
seventeen stabbed themselves, and
like number lenped from elevated
places: eleven used Illuminating gas.
four resorted to drowning, and five
chose methods not specified, but Just
as cifectual.
Included in the report is summary
OF deaths from accident from 1870 to
1892, both inclusive. According TO
this there have been some strange ac-
cidents in the city during the past
twenty two years. Persons who have
been drowned, for instance, DO not all
meet their fate in the river or bav.
One met death in barrel Of water.
thirteen by falling into boilers, one bv
the bursting of sewer pipe while in a
cellar, three in cstcrns, one ina Hooded
culvert, eleven babies in pals of water.
twenty-sevcn children and others in
tabs, and three men in watts.
The record OF deaths from falls is
even more varied than the drowning
accidents. Three men, for instance.
have fallen from church steeples with
IN the period mentioned, and met
death. Falls from the Brooklyn Bridge
have contributed seven to the total Of
such casualties, which are almost
numberiess. One man died from slim
ping ON nm orange peel and falling;
one while performing the 'Ieap for
life, ono by falling from stills, am.
other while stopping runaway and
two by falling from swings.
One man died from a fracture bv the
bursting OF griadstonc, and one bv
the bursting of wheel one by an OK
plosion of fireworks, four by the burst
ing OF kegs OF ale, one by the explosion
oil mineral water siphOu, one by the
a. al r.f
and one by the bursting OF the water
back of range. Five persons died of
fractures received by the fall of plaster
ing from ceilings, one from injuries re-
celved while boxing, ono by belug hit
by II SNOWFALL and one by being struck
IN the chest by baseball. One girl
died from falling while Jumping rope.
Among the deaths due to sulfocation
one was caused by swallowing arfif.
cial teeth, four by beans becoming
lodged IN the larynx, three by bed
clothing. three by bones in the bron-
chus, three by buttons in the ph1rvux.
one by grain IN grain car, one bv
swallowing che head of n wn1king
stick, one in bin OF bran two in bins
OF malt, one in diving bell, one in
the cossion of the Brooklyn Bridge
and one in n mangor OF hay. Themost
common cause of deaths by suffoca-
ton is due TO smoke at fires and the
Judgement OF food i'm the trachea.
a person would scarcely look for
fatal accident due to mosquito bite,
yet among the records of deaths due
to wounds one is credited to such
cause. The bite of boar has resulted
fatally iu one case, That of rat in an
other, and that of cat i'm still auotb.
or instance. Two deaths ere attrib-
jtcd TO wounds received from the
bites OF horses. Three persons have
died from cutting corns, two from
piercing their cars, and OF ght 10y be
ing gOred by c1ttle. Gunshot OF all
wounds appear to he the most fatal,
next to which i'm number of deaths arc
punctures OF the feet by nails.
The statistics OF the Board of Health
concerning fatalities due to lightning
strokes ought to afford comfort TO all
persons who feel terrified ut thun
der storm. In twenty-five years there