Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-18

IN Wilmington from this cause AZ outeide
of the city, MS il quite natural. The rum-
Der Of deaths from this cause fluctuates
cach year according to the figures, and
there has practically been only a slight
reduction. This is another form Of home
accident In which many children nrc in
volved, and it Ia particularly sad. The
figures collected, Of course, exclude sui
cidcs.
Drowning il a prolific canse Of scoi-
dental death. There were 1873 eases In
Delaware almost twice rs many per
capita as in the whole United States While
figures show twice AS many drowninps In
rural Delaware as in this city, many Of
these occurred just beyond the city limits
and the victims were IN most cnses chill
dren and young persons The figures show
that there were only half us many in the
city Of Wilmington in 1920 as there were
in 1915, but there has been no reduction
over 1918.
The city Of Wilmington had only one
fourth AZ many deaths from falls In 1920
ms in 1918, while rural Delaware showed n
slight increase There have been III eases
of death from falls in the last FIVE years,
and two-thirds of these have occurred IN
Wilmington.
ATTRIBUTABLE TO MACHINERY.
The accidental deaths ea,ised from
machinery, according To the figures, have
reached total Of only IL in this State
In the last FIVE years. although probably
there were many more caused indirectly
and classified otherwise. There has, how
ever, been considerable reduction over
the figures for 1915, and this is ono Of the
most encouraging signs In view Of the
increased introduction of machinery
almost everywhere.
The railroads are showing steady and
noteworthy reduction i'm accidents. There
were lbs deaths in five years classified
ma result of railroads, and the reduction
runs from 80 in 1917 10 Ia IN 1920. These
deaths have been equally divided between
the rural districts and the city, both in
number and reduction, and much credit
In due railroad companies for their persis-
ent campaigns in the matter of accident
prevention.
Automobiles everywhere are beginning
To be one uf the serious causes Of death.
There have been / 13 deaths IN the state
during the last FIVE years from this cause.
and two-thirtls Of these were in Whining
ton. OF course, IL il known that there has
been nj enormous increase III the number
Of cars, in compiling the accident figure.
the whole State shows only six fewer deaths
IN 1919 than in 1918, and uo further re-
duction in 1920, but IN Wilmington, while
there were only two teas III 1919, IT Is
estimated that there wall he ~ least seven
less deaths in 1920 Tha is considered re-
markabe in view of the fact that the mum
ber III registered automobiles IN the state
showed an increase Of ~ par cent m 1919
aud 25 per cent in 1920, for everywhere Il
il gcnerallv conceded that automobile
deaths Increased directly in proportions
with registrations The fact, then that
Wilmrg gton shows 81 per cent decrease
In deaths IN these two years is very sirik-
ing The death rate, however, frum this
cause was AT least 20 per 100, 600 of poru-
lation in 1917; now it is only II per 100
600
In 1917, Pittaburg. orc Of the worst Of
the larger cities showed n rate of =,
Detroit % ard Baltimore 25. While the
Delaware Safety Courcil has accomplished
much here, there still great deal Of
work 20 ba done. rs tho yearly increase OF
ears brings its corresponding danger
0ue Of the sad features of automobiles
deaths Is that one-third Of them are among
children