Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-24
1850 DEATHS IN ONE YEAR
Mills and Mines Add to the Grand
Total.
BAD REPORT OF THE CORONER
Every $4,000 Tons Of Coal Shipped
Has Cost a Life-Fatalities
in the Foundries.

PITTSBURG, June 24.-"Human Lives
Sacrificed Upon the Altar of Industry
might well be the title of the blotter in the
office of the coroner of Allegheny county.
a volume that mutely proclaims uIon it's
pages what 1t costs besides money for Pitts
burg and its district of smoking mills and
gridironed territory to maintain it's pres
tige in the milling, mining and mercan-
tile marts of the country and retain Its
title of Workshop OF the World
This volume, an official record demanded
by the laws of the commonwealth, shows
that almost 80 per cent OF the deaths are
violent and the result directly and Indirect
ly of the unceasing rush and grind of the
Industries in the Pittsburg district that
continually driven night and day TO supply
the demands of the worlds markets.
Deaths from natural causes, contagious
diseases, suicides. murders and accidents
met in the ordinary walks of life are not
considered in this percentage attributed
to the industrial juggernaut
Twenty-six hundred and sixty deaths were
reported to the coroner In the year 1876.
919 of which were the result of accidents
in mills, mines on railroads, the Indus
tries most essential to the progress or
Pittsburg Many reasons are signed In
the reports of the investig ations OF tae in
dvidual cases. Some of the victims were
buried by molten metal, a blast-furnace
burst, or a huge ladle was ups. t in the
steel mills; others were caught in the roll
ers in a plate mill, and some were crushed
in the machinery of the rail mills.
Many were killed In mines by failing
slate, some by gas explosions and oilers
by falls from derricks, scaffolds and like
structures. Not few met death While
working about the numerous electric
cranes, those huge mechanical arms that
with almost human precision pick up mas
plants and place them wherever may be
indicated, at the simple moving OF lever.
Many Killed in Orgies.
While in the aggregate these figures may
seem abnormal, they are recorded SO regu-
Iarly that their magnitude is not realized.
The average number Of deaths reported to
the coroner is about 80 a month. and there
Is little variation from from year to
year. For the first five months of the
present year there were 1,OaS deaths. 3i4
of which may be classed as "sacrihces.
For the same period in the preceding year
there were 10l5 deaths, Of which 3Jo may
be put in the same category.
Not all the violent deaths, however. can
be classed as accidents In the workshop
The ipordinate demand for labor necessari-
ly attracts a large percentage of the coun-
try's immigrants Six days In the week
supplying the human force and muscular
power to the integral machinery, these al
lens, surfeited with the freedom OF their
newly adopted country. resort on their one
holiday to the festivities and customs of
ings balls and parties are held at which
various alcoholic beverages are drunk most
copiously. Quarrels result, and frequently
knives and firearms are used, and there are
hospital cases to be cared for. Deaths not
infrequently result from these sources, and
so commonplace are these reports that 1t
is counted a SLOW night In local newspa-
per offices if at least dozen have not been
reported by Sunday midnight,
Comparing the loss Of life by the acci-
dents with the tonnage and production Of
the Pittsburg district, life has been
| snuffed out for every $1,000 tons of coal that
is shipped, and the annual shipment Is
about 50,O60,O 600 tons. For every $500 cars
that carry freight out Of or into Pittsburg
some person has persisted. This is excu-
sive of cars that are carrying freight
through to other points. Every 1903 tons
of the 7O00.OOQ tons annual production OF
iron and steel have been put out at the cost
of the life of one of the manipulators some
where in it's manufacture, and of the 10000
tons annual output of steel rails every SO
tons has been put upon the market only
after one of its producers has laid down
his life.
And these lives are given up while the
incessant rush and grind continues every
day and every night throughout the year
the sacrfcial affairs, marked by black
clouds of smoke by day and the glare OF
mill furnaces on the skies by night where
the dust of the road to wealth is laid by the
red dew Of human blood.