The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1907-01-10
DISASTERS OF 1906.
Some OF the Wholesale Deaths Of
1906.

IIc-SHlucHU dtuOlS Uuo uISdSC0rS OF
the year in interest to the people of
the United States was the destruction
of San Francisco by earthquake, and
fire following the shock, that occurred
on the morning of April IS.
The loss of human life was far greater
in the wreck of the city of Hongkong
by typhoons on September IS, 10 and
20, and in the eruption of yesuvius
early in April, and probably greater in
the earthquake shocks that occurred in
the cities of Valparaiso and Santiago
on August is. But property losses in
San Francisco were far greater than in
any other calamity OF modern times,
and the disaster was national in the
relationship of the lives and property
affected.
In the San Francisco catastrophe
between 500 and 1000 people were
killed the higher estimate being gen.
orally considered nearer the truth
and property losses were estimated
roundly at S3OO,O0O,OOO.
Tue Hongkong storm caused the de-
struction of 5000 lives, according to
the report Of the United States consul,
General Wilder, and property losses
that amounted to $20,000,OO0.
Between 1900 and 1000 lives were
lost at Valparaiso and Santiago, and
the property losses were variously es-
timated at s6,0OO,OOO to 5000 100000.
The outbreak of Vesuvious was more
destructive than any other eruption of
that volcano in the last eighteen hun
dred years. More than 1000 lives and
SS5,0OO,OOO worth Of property were de-
stroyed, four towns and several small
villages being burned. The lava
streams reached Pompeii, and Naples,
twenty miles away, was damaged SER
iously by the outpour of ashes.
An explosion of gas in coal mine at
Courrieres, near Bethune, France,
caused the entombment of more than
1 200 miners, March 10. A similar ex-
plosion in mine at Century, w. Va,
buried $50 men, March %. On april
% dust explosion occurred in mine
at the Colorado Fuel and Iron company,
forty miles west of Trinidad, Colorado,
resulting in the death of twenty-five
miners.
Disasters of the sea were not nu-
merous, but there was great loss OF
life in the Hongkong typhoons and in
the hurricane of October %, off Boto
island, 266 Japanese fishing vessels
were wrecked and 800 men were
drowned. January %, the wreck OF
the steamer Valencia on the southern
coast of Vancouver island caused the
drowning of 125 of the 154 persons
aboard. In the laundering off the
Massachusetts coast of the steamer
British King, March IA, the victims
numbered twenty-seyen. May 80, the
British ship Lismore was lost on the
coast of Chile, adding twenty-five to
the roll of human sacrifices to the sea
and as result of Japanese trans.
ports striking mine off the coast OF
Korea, June 1, and sinking Immediately
fifty sailors met death.
In the navigation of the great lakes
126 lives were lost, smaller number
than in 1905, when the total was 215
But with only two exceptions the 1906
total was the largest in the last tel
years. The gale of October 27-tht
only gale of the year-caused the pas
senger steamer J. A. Jones to go dow
in Georgian bay without single sur
vivor of the thirty persons aboard
Six lives were lost in the laundering O
the steamer Resolute in Lake Ontari,
in the same storm the total victims o
which numbered ferty-four. Thirty-si,
deaths occurred in Georgian bay
twenty-seven in Lake Erie, twenty-fv,
in Lake Ontario, and two in the Soc
passage. The total number of vessels
lost in the seasons navigation of tn
lakes was forty-nine, valued at 81 ,O72,
900.
Railroad accidents have not bee
numerous in the year, and the wors
one reported was not on a steam, blu
an electric line-the plunging of
train through an open drawbridge nea
Atlantic City on branch of the Penn
sylvania railroad, October %, in whic
more than fifty lives we're lost. TIL
wreck of the American lines steame
train near Salisbury, England, July
caused the death of twenty-seven per
sons, of whom twenty-three wer
Americans. September II wreck oc
CURED on the Canadian Pacific railwa
near Sudbury, in which the killed nun
bered twelve. Early on the mornin
of November 10, in collision betwee
a freight and passenger train on tn
Baltimore and Ohio, at Woodville, Ind
J fOrty-nine lives were lost, the maiorit