The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-09-05
HUMAN COST OF STEEL.
A Third of Pittsbura's Deaths Due to
Industrial Accidents.

Industrial Accidents.
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, volume
that mutely proclaims what it costs
beside money for Pittsburg and its
district of smoky mills and grid-ironed
territory to maintain its prestige in
the milling, mining and mercantile
marts of the world"
This volume, an official record de-
manded by the laws Of the common
wealth, shows that over a third of
the deaths are violent and are the re-
suit directly or indirectly of the un-
ceasing rush and grind of the indus
tries in the Pittsburg district. Death
from natural causes, contagious dis
eases, suicides, murders and accidents
in the ordinary walks Of life are not
considered in this percentage attri-
buted to the industrial juggernaut-"
There were reported to the coroner
in 1906, 1850 deaths, 919 of which were
the result of accidents in mills, mines
or on railroads. Some of the victims
were burned by molten metal, blast
furnace burst or huge ladle was up
set in the steel mills; others were
caught in the rollers in plate mills, and
some were crushed in the machinery
of the rail mills. Many were killed in
mines by falling slate, some by gas
explosions and others by falls from
derricks, scaffolds and like structures
Not few met death while working
about the numerous electric cranes.
These figures are recorded SO regu-
larly that their magnitude Is not real
lied. The average number of deaths
reported to the coroner Is about 200
a month. For the first five months
OF the present year there were 1895
deaths, 344 of which may be classed as
Sacrifices" For the same period in
the. preceding year there were 1915
deaths, of which $50 may be put in the
same category.
Not all the violent deaths, how
ever, can be classed as accidents in
the workshop" The inordinate de-
mand for labor necessarily attracts
many Immigrants. These aliens re-
sort on their one holiday to the fes-
tivities and customs of their former
homes. Weddings, christenings, balls
and parties are head, at which various
alcoholic beverages are used most
copiously Quarrels result, and fire.
quently knives and firearms are used,
and there are hospital cases to be
cared for. Deaths not infrequently re-
suit, and SO commonplace are these
ARRAYS that it is counted "slow
night" in local newspaper offices if
at least dozen have not been re-
ported by Sunday midnight.
Comparing the loss of life by the
accidents with the tonnage and pro-
duction of the Pittsburg district, one
life has been lost for every $4,000 tons
of coal that is shipped, and the annual
shipment is about $4,000 ,OO0 tons. For
every $500 cars that carry freight out
of or into Pittsburg, some one is
killed. This is exclusive of cars that
are carrying freight through to other
points. Every 1900 tons of the 7,000,-
600 tons annual production of iron
and steel has been put out at the cost
Of the life of one Of the manipulators
somewhere in it's manufacture, and Of
the 100000 tons annual output Of steel
rails every $40 tons has been put up
on the market only after some one Of
its producers has laid down his life.
-Pittsburg correspondence of the New
York Tribune