The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-04
DISASTERS or a YEAR

Because of the overwhelming dis
aster in southern Italy which was
brought about on December IS by an
earthquake and a tidal wave, atten-
ton is directed to the fact that dur
ing the past twelve months there have
been many calamities of unusual
size. In fact, the year 1908 has
made an unenviable record in this re-
gard. A compendium of the disaster
| happening during the past year which
cannot fail to be of interest has been
made by the Chicago Record Herald
as follows:
Next to the earthquake in Italy
storms and the uncomfortable forces
of the ocean caused the greatest loss
of life in 1908. A sudden tidal wave
in the Yangtse Kiang caused the loss
of nearly 10000 lives at Hankow in
the spring of the year. Without warn
ing the gigantic wave, twenty-sfx feet
high. flooded the river, wrecking thou
sands of vessels.
Next in numbers killed by the
power of the orient seas was the
wreck of fifty fishing boats off the
coast of Japan by a typhoon June 10,
in which $50 men were drowned.
Nearer at home and of more con-
Germ to the people of the United
States was the great series of tor
nadoes that swept over Texas, Okla
homa, Louisiana, Mississippi. Ten
nessee, Alabama and Georgia April
%, causing the loss of $50 lives and
much property. A typhoon July 2S
near Hongkong caused the laundering
of the passenger steamer Wing Ching
and the loss of 800 lives. Another
typhoon off the coast of Australia
June destroyed a pearling fleet and
the lives of 270 men. number of
other typhoons, in which the aggre-
gate loss of life was large, occurred in
the year.
The record of naval and steamship
disasters of the year is not so
formidable as in former years
though containing many calamities.
In maneuvers off the Isle of Wight
April the British torpedo boat de-
stroyer Tiger was cut in two and
sunk, and thirty-four men were
drowned Near the same island the
American liner st. Paul and the Brit
ish cruiser Gladiator collided April
%. causing the loss of twenty eight
lives on the Gladiator. June % the
Spanish steamship Larache sank off
Ximelia, with the result of thirty-f1ve
deaths. The Norwegian coast steamer
Folgefonden was wrecked near
Skonediks Aug. %. forty being
drowned. Three days later the Brit
the coast of Japan and ffty-two were
lost. The greatest ocean disaster of
the year aside from the storms, was
the destruction by fire of the steamer
SodrQ1n1a OuCS1Qo the port OIL NaI6Ilds
Malta, Nov. rs, in which 100 persons
We're drowned or burnt to death.
Mines We're the scenes of the most
calamities on land. March % more
than sixty miners were entombed by
an explosion in the mine of the
Union Pacific Coast company at
Hanna, Wyo. An explosion of gas in
the Rikovski mine. Russia. caused 800
deaths July 2. Gas again killed 339
miners by an explosion Nov. IL in the
Rabod mine near Hamm, Westphalia,
Germany. The most serious mine ex-
plosion in the United States occurred
Now %, when more than 1913 were
killed m the mines of the Pittsburg-
Buffalo Coal company, at Mariana,
Pa.
Fires were numerous in the year.
cause of the lack of rain and large
stroyed. The most serious fire in a
IL, in which property to the value of
SIG, 900 600 was destroyed and twelve
persons were killed and more than
fifty were injured. In the forest fires
in the Kootenay Valley, Montana,
early in August, more than $6,00O,000
of property was destroyed, and the
loss of life was estimated at fifty,
while several thousand people were
made homeless. Early in September
forest fires in Minnesota and Mich
igan destroyed several towns and mill
lions of dollars worth of property. a
fire on the water front of Boston
July caused a loss of more
than $3,000,0000.
Railway accidents were not so