Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-11-07
FEW ACCIDENTS IN GOTHAM.
This City Enjoys Almost an Immunity
From Serious Mishaps.

With 1000 fires In a year, j, 900 ships ar
irving in and going out OF the port OF New
York, with more than 40, 600 deaths In
year eco Of them described as "acciden-
tal''-and n population, permanent and
transient, always in excess of ., 600 600, it
has been a matter OF surprise that the city
Of New York should have always enjoyed u
practical exemption from such serious ac-
cidcnts rs arise from panics in crowds, in
public places from fires and from building
disasters Isolated cases of such accidents
are known, il Is true but whereas in other
cities as. for instance, the panic following
the cars coronation in Moscow, Con-
stantnoplc riots, the Milwaukee hotel
fire, the burning of tho storage house at
the Chicago Worlds fair, the St. Louis
cyclone and the Front Street theater fro
in Baltimore are we'll known and by many
persons well remembered, there has not
been for % years in New York any disaster
or calamity which entailed huge loss Of
life. All good New Workers will be glad
to believe that this condition OF things may
remain permanent, and il probably will
when the fact Is recalled that New York's
exemption is due primarily 10 geographical
conditions which will certainly not change
and to legal methods for preserving good
order which are not likely to be altered in
the future
The most serious accident in respect 10
loss Of life cntailcd by il directly which
New York has had in % years occurred in
the summer Of 1871. where the boiler Of
the fcrryhoat Wcstfield exploded in the slip
nj the foot of Whitehall street BY this
calamity 10 persons were drowned, 81 were
scalded To death and Is others met their
a. u nh ha n~F tfR pfoI Of
In the same year and about two weeks
before this the Orange riot took place on
July II, 1871. and by it 81 persons, .
Of them soldiers of tho national guard,
were killed
Following that, in 1875, persons were
killed by the panic resulting from the
fall ~ a wall from the burned building on
the roof Of II Andrews church on Duane
street.
The falling of n portion of the postofflcc
roof in 1877 cost three lives, and the fall
ing Of one Of the walls Of the Madison
Square Garden three years later in 1850,
cost four lives
In ISL the falling Of building mt the
corner OF South Fifth avenue and Grand
street entailed the sacrifice OF ten lives
and the panic on the Brooklyn bridge on
May 30, 1883 (the bridge was opened on
May 2D, entailcd loss Of H.
he collapse Of four buildings on Park
place In the summer Of 1891 entailcd tho
loss OF 81 livcS-36 burned and - sufro-
cated-and the Hotel Royal fire cntailcd u
loss Of life which has never been accurately
figured.
I he last serious accident Of the series
was the breakdown of the building at tho
corner OF South Fifth avenue and Third
street, wherein several workmen lost their
lives, and prosecution Of those responsible
for the calamity is still pending.
These instances of loss of life by panic
may be said to be the exceptions which
prove the rule of exemption in New York,
though the city has been singularly FREQ
from serious panics of any kind, especially
in thcaters or political meeting places,
and, moreover, the enormous street crowds
which have gathered from various fcstivi
ties and celebrations, more numerous than
ever since 1882 have been handled in such
n way rs To avoid serious casualties -
New York sun.