Evening star., 1898-12-31
ULHTn D1 VUECfVVC
Interesting Data Regarding Loss of
Life in United States.
MURDER and SUICIDE DECREASE
There Were l27 Lynchings During
the Year 1898.
HEAVY LOSSES BY FIRE
HEAVY LOSSES BY FIRE

CHICAGO, December 31.-According to
the statistics compiled by the Tribune, the
loss of life from various disasters in this
country between January l and the morn
ing Of December 81, 1898, was 1,3i5. The
casualties occurred as follows:
Fires, 1910; drownings, 3,110; explosions,
629; mines, $50; falling buildings, etc, 5S9;
cyclones and storms, 5U2; lightning, 100.
The loss of life by railroad accidents of
various kinds was $3.50 in 1888, as COM
pared with 2, ,764 in 1897. The number of
seriously injured was 2616, as compared
with 2.42S in 1897.
Notwithstanding the war between the
United States and Spain, the loss of life
upon the battlefield in 1888 has been smaller
than for several years past. The total,
roughly estimated. has been but about
5000, as compared with 1O3, ,451 in 1897.
The loss of life by epidemlcs and famine
shows a gratifying decrease. FAMINE in
the province of kanSu, China, has swept
away 10000 victims. The plague in Inuia
has destroyed over 11,ooo, and in China
this kind are hard to procure but the total
is probably less than 5000, as compared
with d. 9U2 in 1897.
Claimed by Old Ocean,
Inc list of marine disasters shows that
$500 lives were lost upon the ocean and 75
on inland waters, total of $3.50, as COM
pared with 2,426 in 1897
The total number of persons who have
committed suicide in the United States dur
ing 1S9S as reported by mail and telegraph
TO the Tribune, Is $3.50, as compared with
$500 in 1897. OF this number 1 ls,; were
males and 1,634 females Among profess
slonal men physicians lead the list, ~ hav-
ing taken their own lives as compared
with Al in 1897. During the year also IL
an ry.I l,r,.~ lit.
ciergymen, journalists, q attorneys, y ac-
tors and artists have committed suicide
The causes of suicide were as follows
Despondency sos; unknown: 1,5eo; in
sanity, fiS; liquor, los; i'll health 2SS; do
mestic infelicity, 1877; disappointed love. 1856:
business losses no.
In these cases of suicide 2126 persons
took poison, 2,031 shot themselves 7SI
hanged themselves, 452 cut their throats
354 drowned themselves, IS jumped from
windows or housetops, 30 threw themselves
In front of railroad trains, 26 burned them
selves to death, 23 stabbed themselves. 4
starved themselves and blew themselves
up with dynamite.
The number of murders committed in
1888 shows gratifying decrease-a phe-
nomenon often witnessed in war year
Delng 1870 as compared with $500 in 1897
The causes of these murders may be
roughly classified as follows:
Causes of Murder
SsSS't ubhIoWH, eOtS, ",
205; liquor, POI; by highwaymen, ODD; in
fanticide, 24S; resisting arrest, 141; high
waymen killed, 81; insanity, 80; self-de-
tense, 33; strikes, %; outrages, 5; riots, %.
The losses by fire in the United States in
1898 aggregate s133, ,139, 467 as compared
with Sl29OOl, 49, in 1897, Sill S56, ,O67 in 1896,
and s131, ,2J6 in 1895. Those where the
loss in each case was 100000 and upward
amount to S6i,915, 100, and the losses by
smaller fires to SOS, ,224, ,O67 The criminal
work Of mob murderers throughout the
country has decreased during 1898 as COM
pared with 1884, being smaller than in any
year since 1885, except 1890, when the num-
ber was the same. Judge Lynch has ex-
ecuted 121 persons during the year-l22
males and 5 females.
The lynchfngs in the various states and
territories were as follows: Arkansas IL
South Carolina, IA; Georgia, l.; Missouri
6; Kentucky. 6; Louisiana, g. Texas. 3;
Maryland, 2: Oklahoma, l; Washington !; ;
Wyoming, 3; Illinois. 1; Indiana. L. Missfs-
sppi, 10; Indian territory, 3; New Mexico
/: Alabama, H. North Carolina 4; Tennes-
see. g. Virginia, 4; West Virginia, / Flor
ida. 1; Alaska, l; Kansas, 1; Montana, l.
OF these lynchings, lis occurred in the
south and 3 in the north. OF the total
number, 100 were negroes, % whites and =
Indians