Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-23

death rate among the Americans from
disease was 5.38, and In 1911 1t was
2.s2. In 1908 and 1910 there were more
Americans killed In accidents or died
from violence than died from disease.
1t necessarily follows from an engi
neering task of this magnitude. where
vast quantities Of explosives are han
died. where there Is considerable
railroad mileage and other hazardous
features of construction. that the death
rate from accidents would be large.
Every month since the American oc'
cupation began In May. 1904, there has
been an average Of ten employees kill
ed or have died from external causes
The total to July I. 1912. was 995. and
by the time the canal Is completed
barring unusual catastrophes. the
deaths from this cause will be around
1,1O0. Under the head Of violence are
included deaths by drowning. suicide
dynamite explosions. railroad accidents
poisonings. homicides. electric shocks,
burns. lightning and accidental trau-
matism Of various kinds. as-i
Dynamite Explosion In cuIsbra.
Scores of deaths have resulted from
the practice of the native employees
In using the railroad tracks as public
highways. There have been bad col
llsions and wrecks with fatalities. and
dynamite has claimed about one-tenth
of the victims of external violence. In
the handling Of 25,259 tons Of dyna-
mite. or 50.517. $50 pounds. to July /,
1912. the following principal accidents
have occurred: ,J@4z ss a"H'Ei
May %. 1908, in Chagres division,
two killed: premature explosion OF
twenty-six tons. caused by lightning.
Oct. 8, 1908. at Empire. in the Guile.
bra cut. FIVE killed and eight injured,
premature explosion. l 7
Oct. 10. 1908, at Mindi. seven killed
and ten injured. premature explosion
dredging In Atlantic entrance.
Dec. II, 1908. at Bas Obispo, prema.
ture explosion of twenty-five tons In
the Culebra cut. twenty-six killed and
forty injured. f.ae,ga,
Jan. TO-, 1909. at Paraiso. two killed,
ten injured. .ra u std
July 25, 1909, on Panama railroad
four killed. nine injured. -, r.,
Aug. 80. 1910. at Ancon quarry, four
killed. .5... i.
July 10. 1911, at Ancon quarry, four
killed. two injured. :
Forty deaths from dynamite explo-
sions are noted for the year 1908. the
largest number for any one year OF
canal construction. and this does moi
take into account several individual
fatalities. Chief Engineer Goethals 10.
sued stringent regulations to govern
the handling Of the dynamite, but Il
was in such common use that the em
ployees naturally became careless. Al
instance Is afforded by two employees
who knocked an iron pipe against 9
railroad track to dislOdge some dyna
mite. They were angels in less thar
two seconds after the first blow. The
worst accident. at Bas obispo. has not
been explained. ~
Most Of the accidents have occurred
since the working force has been II
excess of 10000 men. When the mum
Der killed outside the line Of duty IL
subtracted from the total deaths bJ
violence 1t will be found that the &C
tual building Of the canal has been ut
tended by normal percentage Of sucf
fatalities-.ertainly no larger than II
any private construction Of the same
character or approximating the same
magnitude. The largest number o.
deaths by violence among employees II
one year was In 1909. when l7s were
killed. and this was equaled again II