The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
A YEARS LOSS OF LIFE
CASUALTIES OF ALL KINDS CAUSED
DEATH OF 7,345 PEOPLE.
Wars Killed $4,000, Famines and Epi-
denies $4,000, Suicides. $500, MUIR
ders 7,s4O and Lynchings 127.

CHICAGO, Dec. 31.-Accordng to stats-
tics compiled by the Tribune the loss of life
from various disasters in this country be-
tween Jan. l and the morning of Dec 81,
1898, was 7,345. The casualties occurred as
follows: Fires 1,670 drowning, 311O; explo-
sions, GO; mines, $50; falling buildings, etc,
599; cyclones and storms, 502; lightning 255.
The loss of life by railroad accidents of
various kinds was $3.50 in 1898, as compared
with 2,764 in 1851 The number of seriously
injured was 2,616 as compared with 242S in
1897
Notwithstanding the war between the
United States and Spain, the loss of life
upon the battlefield in 1898 has been smaller
than for several years past. The total,
roughly estimated, has been but about &, 900,
as compared with 1O3, Ash in 1897.
The loss of life by epidemics and famine
shows a gratifying decrease. Famine in the
province of Kansu, China, has swept away
1O,OV0 victims. The plague in India has de-
stroyed over n,000 and in China about 1000
persons. Exact statistics of this kind are
hard TO procure, but the total is probably
less than $1,000, as compared with 222, 9O2 in
1897
The list of marine disasters shows that
1866 lives were lost upon the ocean and sew
enty-five on inland waters, total of 3, 730.
as compared with 2,426 in 1887.
The total number of persons who have
committed suicide in the United States dur
ing 1888 as reported by mail and the teie-
graph to the Tribune is $3.50, compared
Win 66OJ in 1897. OF this number 45S6 were
males and 1,634 females. Among profess
SiOnaI men physicians lead the list, FORTY
four having taken their own lives, as com
pared with forty-one in 1887 During the
year also thirteen persons engaged in the
banking business, eight cler5ymen, seven
journalists, SIX attorneys, two actors and
two artists committed suicide. The causes
of suicide were as follows: Dependency,
3,UN; unknown, loOO; insanity, 43S; liquor,
los; i'll health 2SS; domestic infelicity, 1877;
disappointed love, 1856; business losses, ITO.
In these cases OF suicide 2,l26 persons took
poison, 1881 snot themselves, ISL hanged
themselves, ASP cut their throats, 354 drowned
themselves, % jumped from windows or
housetops, 80 threw themselves in front of
railroad trains, 70 burned themselves to
death, % stabbed themselves starved
themselves and blew themselves up with
dynamite.
The total number of murders committed
in 1888 shows a gratifying decrease-a phe-
nomenon often witnessed in a war year
being 1870, as compared with $3.50 in 1897,
1862 in 1886, 10500 in 1885. The causes of
these murders may be roughly classified as
follows Quarrels, $3.50; unknown, ISIS:
jealousy, 295; liquor, 207b by highWaymen
222 infanticide, 248; resisting arrest, 147;
hlghWaymen killed, 81; insanity, 80; Self-de-
Tense, SO; strikes, q; .outrages. 8; riots, %.
The criminal work of mob murderers
throughout the country has decreased dur
ing 1898, as compared with 1897, being small
er than in any year since 1885, except $780,
when the number was the same. Judge
Lynch has executed 127 persons during the
year, 122 males and five females. The fol-
lowing table, showing the number of lynch
ingS through "a series of years, will be of
interest at the present time, when this ques-
ton of lynching is occupying the attention
1856, 19S; 1887, ~; 1883, 142; 1882 176; $780,
127; 1891, 1872; 1892 235; 1893, 200; 1894 $50;
1885, III; 1885, 49, 1881, 166; 1858, 127 The
lynchings in the various States and Terri
tories were as follows: Arkansas, II; South
Carolina, IA; Georgia, II; Missouri, 6; Ken
lucky, 6; Louisiana, 10; Texas 8; Maryland.
2; Oklahoma, /; Washington, 1; Wyoming
dian Territory, 3; New Mexico /; Alabama.
IL; North Carolina, 4; Tennessee, 6; Virginia
4; West Virginia, l; Florida, /; Alaska, l !:
Kansas /; Montana, /. OF these lynchings
us occurred in the South and nine in the
North. OF the total number 102 were ne
groes, twenty three whites and two Indians
The alleged crimes for which the victims
were lynched were as follows: Theft 6:
arson, 2; violation of contract, L; insults 2:
dice, 8; unknown, 8; rape, 16; nliscegenation,
/; resisting arrest l. suspected of murder
Is: completely in rape, /; assaults upon
whites, 4; mistaken identity, 2; highway
robbery, l; murderous assault, 2; bur-
glary, l.
The losses by fire in the United States in
1898 aggregated 1888, 139 467, as compared with
Sl29, 49, in 1897, Sill, 356 ,067 in 1896 and
$l31,57S, 205 in 1898. Those where the loss in
each case was 100000, and upwards amount
to ABB 400, and the losses by smaller fires
to SOS 224, 067.