The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-08-12

States government and other re-
sponsible authorities to show that at
least 5,100 men are annually killed or
injured in anthracite mining alone,
and 425,00O in factory and building op.
erations, making the grand total ap-
proximately $4,000.
Total Death Roll Greater.
These estimates are conservative
If the exact number of accidents was
known this total would bs greatly in
creased.
In converting facts into figures Mr.,
Clarence Marx, who, with other re-
sponsible investigators, has given sew.
eral years of study to the relation Of
crippled and unemployed persons to
industry, presents a startling array
OF the $4,000 workers mentioned 10
per cent, Or $4,000 to struggle
per cent. only are killed. leaving SO
against their handicaps Estimating
that at least 80 per cent. or 222 900 of
these are able to earn 1926 each an.
nually, which is so per cent of the
annual average earnings of able
bodied artisans, we have total OF
sac, ,950,OC0. This is the loss in earn.
ing power.
Safely assuming that these persons
would create twice as much wealth as
they earn we would have a loss In
production of approximately $780,
100000 annually.
But this Is only half the truth. II
these 222,000 wage earners are not re.
established they must sooner or later
be supported by the state. It is also
evident that the other 222O00 who are
totally disabled win also become a
burden on the taxpayers.
Poor relief statistics show that It
costs $4,000 to support a pauper dur
ing his natural life time. To be con
servative again, let us estimate this
cost at $4,000. to make allowance for
those who may be supported by rela.
| tiyes and friends, or who may become
partially self'supporting. Since under
our present system the partially dis
abled are not reestablished, the total
number, minus small percentage,
must be supported at public expense.
To do this costs approximately two
eand one-half billion dollars. In other
words, we contract each year to meet
n. debt OF two and a half billion dol.
lars within the lifetime of the persons
thus injured
Figures That Stagger.
These are staggering figures, but
they are only a forecast of what we
may expect If this wasteful destruc-
tion of life and limb continues.
In New York state, according to the
estimate of the state labor commits
sloner in 1906, A workers In every
1000 are incapacitated In the course
of the years work. That means, foI
instance, that at least 10000 purely in
dnstrlal accidents occur in New York
city alone every year The ratio ot
injured and uninjured Is not as higl
In some other parts of the country, oi
the total number of accidents in the
United States would be over 100000
annually.
In one section of New York city
the Borough of Manhattan, there wer,
last year 2,160 deaths by violence; as
tonishing as It may seem nearly one
third of these deaths, or 6S4, were
caused by falls, explosions, caving II
of earth, premature blasts and fallinl
rock. The river tunnels were con
structed at the cost of 68 lives, AZ II
the Pennsylvania terminal works, q
in the Belmont tunnel, two In the sub
way borings and three in the Hudson
companies terminal.
In the huge, smoky workshop called
Pittsburg, one human life Is sacrificed
for every $4,000 tons of coal that ar,
shipped out of the city. For eacl
1900 tons of steel products one of th'
manipulators. somewhere In the pro
cess of manufacture, lays down hi
, life; and for each 10000 tons of stee
rails another laborer makes the las
sacrifice.
! or the 2,660 deaths reported II
, Pittsburg in 1906, 9l9 were due to aC
} cidens in mills, mines and on raj
roads. The number of accidents wa
not computed, but it was Undoubtedly
in the thousands.
Causes Of Fatalities.
/ How does 1t all happen, you ask? |
? a huge ladle OF white hot steel Is M
: set. the molten stream burns alive it
!. wrlthing victim, 1t may be that
[ man or woman is whirled to horribl
death in mill machinery; or a mine
\ is blown to eternity In an explosio
of damp In mine.
Publicity is given TO accidents o
I railroads, but little is heard OF tn
3 thousands annually killed and maine
4 In manufacturing and building ana 4