Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-12-07
Mortality Statistics
In Cities OF 100, 900

III vi WV WV
A preliminary summary of mortality
statistics for 1910 for cities with a popu-
lation of 10000 or over in the Census
Bureaus registration area, drawn from
Mortality Bulletin 112, now in press.
was issued today by Director Durand.
of the Bureau of the Census, Department
of Commerce and Labor. 1t was pre-
pared under the supervision of DR..
Cressey L. Wilbur, chief statistician for
vital statistics, Census Bureau.
The list of cities includes those in
states which have registration through
out their entire area and those in states
where registration is confined to cities
It is stated that for cities, as for states.
the rates given are not fully reliable
measures of sanitary efficiency, as there
is considerable difference in the age con-
stitution of old slow growing cities and
those increasing apidly by immigration
The latter have much lower death rates
than the former. Moreover, the colored
population constitutes considerable
element of some of the southern cities
and has a higher death rate than the
white population. These facts should be
taken into account in the comparison of
the general rates fer 1910
DEATH RATES OF LARGE CITIES
COMPARED.
The highest mortality in 1910 among
the 50 great cities shown was that of
Richmond Va, with a rate of 22.6; fol-
lowed by Memphis. Tenn, with 214;
New Orleans, La, with BIB; Lowell
Mass. with 1877; Washington, D. c., with
1876; Birmingham Ala, with 1916; Albany.
y. Y. with 1874; Baltimore Md, with
1872 Atlanta, Ca. with 1873; Nashville.
Tenn. with 1877; and Fall River Mass,
with 1874. Some of these are towns with
large colored populations, while most of
| the others are mill towns of Massaehu-
| sets in which the deaths of infants are
| very numerous and in which there are
| also very high birth rates. The COM
| parative rates for these cities in 1909
| We're For Richmond. 207 Memphis.
| POL; New Orleans. CO.,; Lowell. IS; Wash
| ngton, 10; Birmingham. 1872; Albany 17.G:
| Baltimore. 1T; Atlanta. 172; Nashville,
| 1871; and Fall River, 1911.
For the year 1910 the lowest rates rec
orded We're those for the cities of Seattle
Wash. 10l: Portland. ore, II; St Paul.
Mimi. 1l9; Minneapolis. Mimi. 1913;
Oakland. Cal. 12.7; Spokane. Wash. 10;
and Milwaukee, Wis. 1873; as compared
with death rates in the previous year of
| 10 in Seattle 9S in Portland. ia in st
Paul 107 in Minneapolis. i4.2 in Oakland.
1875 in Spokane, and 1917 In Milwaukee.
These rates are all remarkably low, but,
as previously explained. this does not
necessarily indicate that the healthful-
ness of these cities was greater than
that of other cities having somewhat
higher general death rates.
Among the SO cities of 100000 or more
inhabitants. the only other decreases in
the death rates in 1910 as against 1909 are
shown for Denver, Colo, the figures for
which We're II in 1909. as compared with
l6,i in 1910, New Haven, Conn, which re-
ported a rate of 1863 in 1863 and 1876,
in 1910: Fall River, Mass, which had
rate of 1871 in 1909 and 1874 in $780, Jersey
City. n. j., whose rate in 1909 was 1853.
against 1873 in 1910; Paterson, n. j.. with
1873 in 1909 and 147 in 1910; Dayton, Ohio.
which dropped from 15.4 in the previous
year to 14S in 1910; and Oakland, Cal.
with rates of l42 and l2.7 respectively
Four cities reported no change in their
death rates-St. Louis Mo, with 15.s III
both years; Newark, y. J.. with 1856;
New York. \. Y. with TO- and Toledo,
Ohio. with 146. All the other large cities
show more or less increase in the rate
in 1910 as compared with 1909.
While New York proper shows the
same general death rate for 1909 and 1910.
its boroughs. with the exception of Bronx
Boroughs. whose rate of 159 was iden-
teal in both years, show a slight vara-
ton. This slight movement is upward
in Brooklyn. where the rate in 1910 was
1876, while in 1909 it was 154. Manhattan
shows a slight decrease from 1915 in 1900
to l65 In 1910, Queens and Richmond
show each a more appreciate decrease
In Queens the rate fell from li.2 in 1909
to 1873 in 1910. and in Richmond FROM ISL
in 1909 to II in 1910 In noting these va
riations the inequality in number of the
different boroughs should not be forgot
ten.
THE TABULAR SUMMARY
The table following shows, for all cities
of 100 600 pODlllation or over in the United