A Dangerous Time to be Alive

In the study of family history, one aspect of life I have become aware of in the mid-1800s to mid-1900s is the frequency of accidental death and the transparent reporting of the details. For example, I found an article in the Chicago Tribune from July 28, 1903, noting the following accidental deaths in Chicago since January of that year: 623 people died in fires 350 people died from explosions 492 people died in mine accidents 340 people died in cyclones and storms 77 people died from lightning 78 people died by live electric wires 1,066 people drowned Viewing these deaths in the context of…

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