Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-10-01
WILLIAM W. RICHARDS.

Gunpowder and POIitics---Firins IN Cities-
Both polite Il parties in Cincinnati are having
a regular gunpowder campaign PfOces'ions'
banners, guns, rub-a-dub, and speeches. are the
order Of the night The Democrats bring INTO
reouisition the brass war dogs of the State and
the steam engine horses Of the city to haul the
thunderers in line, and tie Opposition, organ'-
zed into FIying Artillery, hive their own can
non and noise and confusion evokers- Inc
Democrats Tuesday evening took especial pans
to disturb the Opposition speakers with guns
dr1ms. blunlerbuss and thunder and at one
time General fight seemed inevitable Ii
p,ssed Off however, with single krock-down,
an Irishmln by German Judging from re-
pnrts in Cincinnati papers the town political
evenings is a miniature Savastopol, and ner-
vous women and children must lay awake Of
nights, to say nothing of the annoyance to the
sick and aged. Cannon firing in cities at best
isa n-Isance, and so intolerlble that 1t should
be entirely suppressed or regulated by legal
eoaetments. The practice shocks the nerves OF
sensitive people, brsaks windows, tnghtens
borscs iniures the sick, and does more or less
mischief generally. Half the pleasure ofa pub
lie demonstration or spectacle Is destroyed with
nine-tenths of women and children BY the bla-
ling away of gunPowder, Reform the practice
s'to,ether, or else so far as Cleveland is con-
csrned, compel Artillerists TO fire away at the
Canadians aerlss the Lake, from its bank. The
PabIie Square and the Streets can be more sat
isfactorily used by the People. on public and
private occasions.
The political cannOnadiug in Cincinnati re-
sulted in a sad explosion Wednesday night
The Young Mems Flying Artillery had ben
detached to attend an Opposition meeting, aud
were firing along the streets. The Gazette
says;
In the procession were three express wagons,
each containing cannon, when were hIeG
every two or three minutes as the crowd mo'eu
thronUh the various streets. As the wagon
brA5i5p the Fourteenth Ward delegation reach
ed the corner of Third and Broadway, an exPlo-
sion took place, which severely injured three
persons. and will probably result fatally TO one
The cannon was fired from over the tai board
Of the wagon. Upon the outside oi the ooN
was the fire pan and heated iron, and tie cart
ridges were carlessly plleei IN the bottom ol
the wagon. In passing the heated iron from
the fre-pan to the gun, spark fell amongst
the powder. some fifteen or twenty pounds IN
quantity, and a terrible explosion followed.
The wagon was occupied by Mr.. Lewis I:
lee Mr. Jas Hume, and Robert kIrkup, and
one or two other individuals. Mr.. Lee, who
was engaged in firing the gun, was blown oui
of the wagon, and fell upon the sidewalk several
feet distant. His clothes were almost entirely
burned from his body. His face and head, ab-
domen, and in fact nearly the entire upper por-
ton of his body were burned and blaekened IN
horrible manner.
Mr.. Hume and Mr.. Kirkup were also blown
ont of the wagon, but were less seriously IN
iured. The right ancle, right arm and hand oi
the former were very badly burned, other por
tons of his body severely scorehed, and his
clothes torn off. His injuries are not consider
ed dangerous. Mr.. Kirkup was also pretty Sc
verely burned, but not so badly as his COM
panions. The other persons IN the wagon
had their clothes burned, and were slightly
scOrehed. -,
Considering the quantity Of powder winch
exploded, and the large number of persons who
followed the procession upon the sidewalks II
isamatter for eongratulation that the accident
was of no more fatal character, and no moFf
extended in its effects.