The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-07
LIVES ARE LOST
BY HOUsAND5
Fearful Record Of the Great Dis
asters During the Months
of 1905.
OVER FOUR SCORE PER DAY
Not Counting the Ravages Of War
or Small Accidents, the Fig
ures Reacl, 3a,o6o.

VHcH iVVo LHkeS us pace III nlBfOry
1t will figure not only as the year Of
Mukden and Portsmouts--of war and
peace. 1t must also claIft attention on
the scroll OF recorded fact because OF its
appalling record OF disaster. 1904 had
brought violent death to 6,14t; the toll
demanded by 1908 had been $685. but the
twelve-month just dead went far beyond
either Of these, with frightful total OF
$4,000.
Tbis includes no accident however
tragic. which brought not at least five
deaths In Its claim 1t takes no account
OF the ravages of war--not OF that Muk-
den which dwarfed three hundred such
holocausts as that Of the Iroquols The
atre, nor OF those Russian masgacres.
when nave counted their victims by the
thousands. Merely tho usual" fatal han
penihSs oil busy world have shown In
ono short year an average loss Of 1872
lives month, GIT week nearly eighty
eight dayi
Death at the Threshold.
Ill omen stood at 1868 very thresh-
hold On January LIST the barque Mar
pesia" was blown up at sea. bringing
Eleven fatalities TO form the first item In
that longest list OF the year's disasters.
For maritime accidents have since New
Years Day numbered sixty-threc, with
1,4e3 deaths, though II is to be added
that this sort OF DISASTER usually the
heaviest which any twelve month has TO
sho". has in 1905 been surpassed In NOR
taiities by both earthquake and storm.
This rearrangement OF the customary
table is due solely to the two most ter
rible OF the cycles tragedies. The Sep
tember typhoon which swept across the
densely populated TonqIin Delta. China,
snatchng away within seven OF 10000
lives. was bad enough, but tho earth
quake which visited British India In
April was infinitely wo;se.
Only three times within a century has
the world known a trcmor worse in Its
Appealing results St Pierre f1oo2)
claimed 10000; Peru and Ecuador. In 1865
saw $4,000 dead. and in 1922 Aleppo lost
10000 But. barring only these, the disas-
ter which conferred about Mysore and La
hore and Misourie on April Sd. with the
death list totallng at 14.42s, was the worst
visitation OF the sort since tine medieval
days OF exaggerated figures.
27,oo6 in Sixteen Days.
These two. then. contributed mainly
TO that fearful sum which 1905 has seen
built up. bur read the fifteen items which
follow them on the disaster roster HUI
man life is, indeed, "of uncertain GER
taintyI'
April Earthquakes In south
ern British india .1442s
September 2d-Typhoon over the
Tonqu!n Delta, China ....... 9e9s
June 2d-wind and rain storm
over Natal 47e
July 2d-Cloudburst above Guam
ajuato. Mexico ............ A7s
September 7th-Earthquake in Call
abria. Italy ....... . 400
August 27th--Hurrcane off Gotto
Isle, Korean Channel ....... 2s5
Juno 1sth-Mine explosion at
Khartsisk. Russia ,... . 2s5
September ilth-F!re and explo-
sion on the "siikasa' ..... 25s
September 2Gth-Typhoon over the
Philippine Islands .............. 235
April Sth-Reservoir collapse. Ma
drid Spain ...... ...... $1,000. 1Se
Juno Reservoir collapse. Pine
town. Natal ..,....... ........ 179
May 23d--Fishing boat foundered
off st. seryan .............. 12s
November 19th-Wreck of the
"Hilda" off st. Malo. 1o3
September 2sth-Typhoon and tidal
wave. Marshall Islands $4,000. 100
February 2oth-Mine explosion at
Birmingham. Ala. ........ .. III