The Hartford republican., 1921-06-10
GREAT DISASTERS OF
LAST TWO DECADES

fueDlO ana other Colorado towns,
With a reported loss of 500 lives, is
he worst disaster that has befallen
this country since the sinking of the
steamship Eastland at Chicago, in
1915 with a loss of S12 lives.
Within the last ten years more
than 1000 lives have been lost and
millions of dollars worth of property
destroyed by floods of American riv-
ers. The most memorable were:
The overflow of the Mississippi in
April, 1912, with a loss of 500 lives
and the destruction of $4,000
worth of property in scores of towns
and cities in Louisiana, Mississippi,
Arkansas and Tennessee.
In March, 1913, the Ohio and its
tributaries overflowed with serious
effects upon large region, including
the cities of Dayton, Hamilton, Zanes-
vile, Columbus and Cincinnati
About zoo lives were lost in all, 212
of them at GAINESVILLE in one day and
l5O at Hamilton. The property loss
exceeded $20,0O0,OO0.
200 Lost Lives.
More than 200 persons lost their
lives in a flood which overran the
valley of the San Luis Rey River, in
California, in January, 1915.
The Rio Grande overflowed its
banks following heavy rains in July
1916 and several hundred persons
perishod, mostly on the Mexican side
of The TIver. There were seventy
five daths at FL Paso and hundreds
were made homeless
The greatest American flood oc-
CURED when virtually the entire city
of Johnstown, Pa, was destroyed no
May 81, 1889, by the breaking Of the
Conemaugh dam just outside of it.
The exact loss OF life was never deter
but reliable estimates placed
the number of lost lives at about
: 500.
a great part of the damage to
Galveston. Tex, in a terrible hurri-
cane of September, 1900 was done by
water blown in from the Gulf III llex
.co. Mo~a than 5000 persons died
and properly worth S2O.Uo6,0rJ was
destroyed
Othcr Grpof niSaSterS
Other great disasters of the last |
wo decades in which the loss of life /
las been heavy include:
19O2-Eruption of Mt. Pelee; 3O,-
100 lives lost.
19O3-Iroquois Theater fire, Chi
ago; 575 lives lost.
1904-Burning of Steamship Cen
raj Slocum in the East River, New
FORK; 1,4OO lives lost.
l905-Japanese Steamship Mika-
a sunk by explosion; 500 lives lost.
1906-San Francisco earthquake
md fire 452 lives lost; property loss
at $35O,OOO,OOO. 4
19O7-Kfngston, Jamaica. earth
Iuake; 1,100 lives lost; property
amage about S25,OOO,OOO,OOO.
19OS-Earthquake in Sicily and .
'alabria; 76,4S3 lives lost.
1910-Cartago, Costa Rica, earth
uake; 1900 lives lost.
1912-Sinking of Steamship Ii
antic in midocean; 1,517 lives lost
1912-Earthuake in Turkey; s.
90 lives lost.
1912-Sinking of Spanish steam
hip Principe De Asturias off the
oast of Span 500 drowned.
1912-Sinking of japanese steam
hip Kicker-Maru, off the coast of
apan; 1000 lives lost.
1914-Sinking of steamship EN-
ress of Ireland in st. Lawrence; l.
"a lives lost.
1915-Earthquakes in Central TIA .
:; 29,97S lives lost.
1915-Overturning of steamship
ashland at Chicago; S12 lives lost.
1916-French auxiliary cruiser ,
rovince sunk in Mediterranean; g.
20 lives lost
1916-Chinese steamer Hsin Yu ,
INK off the coast of China; 1000
yes lost.
1917-British warship Vanguard ;
own up at her dock in a British {
ort; 500 lives lost.
1917-Halifax disaster caused by
Iplosion of the French munitions ,
eamship Mont Blanc, in which l. 7
96 lives were lost with 400 persons I
iQSinR Est fimafad nronarfu Ioe.r