The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-08-04
A Fearful Catastrophe.

Stages, making q party OF hfty-slx men
on a chowcer party. In the evening
the party returned hardly satisfied
with their days enjoyment ; so they
proposed to lengthen it out. Some
one suggested n display of fireworks,
to go through the streets. The fire
works were purchased, a wagon drawn
by eight black horses, was hired, as
also a stage for the members and the
party started out on their junketing
expedition. The wagons continued up
Catham street, the party as jolly as the
CLANS which they had eaten are said
to be at high water.
The President of the Club, Thomas
Maher, was in the wagon superintend-
ing the firing of the rockets !; and the
stage containing the members was Just
ahead. Maher and the driver of the
wagon, Charles Smith, had some
words with those in the stage, because
they had attempted to fall back, and
were swinging lighted cigars in dang
erous proximity to the in~fammabIe
contents of the truck. Maher ordered
them forward, and then turned, and
drawing a match, lightened it and APP
piled it to a rocket. A, spark from the
rocket fell on the box of matches in
his hand ignited them all. In the
confusion of the moment he dropped
the lighted box on the bottom of the
wagon. Another sprang forward and
seized the matches and threw them in
to the street; but in his hurry several
dropped back into the wagon on the
three or four bundles of fireworks,
containing twenty dozen rockets and
twelve dozen roman candles.
A crowd of boys rushed to seize the
burning matches, and at the same in
slant, just as the party had passed
French's hotel, the fireworks caught
OIL fire. Instantly a column of whitlsh
blue flame, dotted with fire balls, and
edged with curling white smoke, leap
ed into the air, and continued to sizzle
and fume for several seconds, lighting
the adjacent houses. In the midst of
the illumination three blackened
bodies dropped sideway out ofthe real
OF the wagon, and several others were
blown from each side
The eight horses stood still a mo-
ment, and then started off wildly. The
driver. Mr.. Smith, was hurled over
the right side by the explosion, but
held the reins instinctively. The
horses dragged him several yards
when he let go, and the front wheel
passed Ove his left leg.
The horses were caught, after the
burning material had been jolted out,
and they had run into and broken a
hack, which was standing in front of
the NeW office. The truck had the
bottom nearly burned out.
As soon as they could get on their
feet the poor victims rushed shrieking
i'll all directions, until they fell or were
caught. a crowd of men and women,
who gathered Is if by magic, broke
and fled into the open doors of the adj
Jaccnt buildings, and the burning
wretches rushed down towards them.
y boy, fourteen years of age, named
Michael Muloahy, Il sheet of flames
and sparks, drove the crowd in a panic
before him until he reached the front
of French's Hotel. when he stopped
bewildered, and gave ~utterance to
shrek after shrek.
Several men nov jumped forward
and o + the cinders of his clothes from
the roasted flesh. Nothing but a
a of sparks and about two inches
of the bottoms OF his pa~ntaloons re-
manned. intact from 4 whole suit Of
clothes q moment before. He was
black and raw from head to foot, his
hair all off, and the blood flowing copi-
ously from his wounds. He was
thrown down stark naked OH u rug
which lies outside of the hotel, and was
carried over to the police station.
Thomas Kelly, another boy, II
years of age, fell on the sidewalk. He
was badly burned about the head,
feet, and hands, both of the latter hay
ing large eXcresccnces filled with wa
ter, raised on the palms by the intense
heat. A part of his underclothing was
all that remained of what he had on,
the rest having vanishedi in the breadth
of the flame. Every now and then the
pain forced n yell from him, but he
bore it like q hero, and answered all
questions promptly.
William Redigan, aged 80, and
John Wager, aged So years, members
of the club, were, it is feared, fatally
burned !; besides the former was run
over, and the latter was badly wound
cd by a rocket stick i. the side. Oil
and flour were poured upon their
wounds, and after being bandaged up
by the neighbors they were borne to
the New York Hospital.
Thomas Mailer, the President of
the Club, had all his clothing burned
of, and his hands and head, especial
ly the right side of the face, we're hor-
ribly lacerated and crisped. He will
probably die.
Michael Barrett, aged 16 years, had
both eyes burned out, and both hands
burned to a crisp. Notwithstanding
the awful fate Of their comrades who
-~Srs bun ming to-doath before their
eyes, hardly had the explosion taken
place when a crowd of the small boys
precipiated themselves upon the wag-
on, and Selling the ignited Roman
candles whirled them about with all
the gusto of a Fourth of July celebra-
ton. One of the balls entered q cloth
ing store on Chatham street without
doing any injury. 1t was all done i'll
an instant. A sheet of flame, a sui
phurous smell, a noise, and seven hid
cously disfgured bodies.-N Y. Sun.
ASHLAND FIGURING MILL.-This
mill has been recently purchased by