Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1882-11-04
A DnEADFUa ACCIDENT.
Six Persons Killed and a Number
Wounded i'm Philadelphia.

A mortar heavily charged with bombs
and other fireworks, which were being
used in the celebration of the Penn cell
tennial at Paramount Park, Philadel-
phia, last week, exploded, moving
down the surrounding spectators like
the discharge of canister into regl-
ment, and carrying death and destruc-
ton in its course a dispatch from
that city gives the following particulars
of the sickening affair: The shouts OF
the collected thousands which had rent
the air few minutes before because OF
the magnificent display suddenly ceased,
and above the noise made by the stamp
inn spectators could be heard the shrieks
and moaus of the dying. When the
excitement following the explosion had
somewhat abated ambulances were sum-
moneG and the injured removed to a
neighboriDg hospital. Mrs. Davis Cook
ley, aged 26 years, who was nearest the
mortar, was struck on the right side Of
the head and Instantly killed, piece Of
the iron carrying away part Of her jaw.
A colored infant was torn from the arms
Of its mother and killed. John Can
non, aged 80 years, had his skull crushed
in, and died in ten minutes.
A. Gerhart and Edward Pierson, two
young men, were standing together.
Just as the crash came, Mr.. Gerhart,
heard a woman's cry "Great God, my
child is killed" He felt dead weight
strike against his shoulder. Turning,
he saw an elderly colored woman hold
ing the limp form of child in her arms.
1t had almost dropped from her grasp,
but she had clutched it again. She had
held the child in front of her, and in re-
ce:ving the blow it had saved her life.
The woman was Mrs. Charlotte Col
Inns, of No 5l4 North Nineteenth ST.,
and the little boy was Howard, the
3-year old son of her daughter, Mrs.
Isabella Scudder, 81 years old, residing
on BainLrdge street. He died in a few
minutes. Mrs. Scudder had been stard-
ing by her mothers side, laughing and
admiring the fireworks. Her shoulder
had almost touched that OF Mr. Pierson.
After the explosion she lay liieless at
his feet. A flying fragment of the shell
had struck her in the face, nearly sever
ing the lower portion from the upper.
Two men who had been standing by
were struck by the flying pieces OF the
bomb and were instantly killed. The
face of the one was beaten into such a
! shapeless mass that not even his age
! could be ascertained. The other was a
young man about % years old Across
his face. about the middle of the nose,
was transverse cut nearly two inches
deep. Park Guard Thomas w. llar
riSon, who was standing nearest to the
b hiding, was picked up senseless about
80 feet from his station. His injuries,
although severe, did not appear to he
dangerous, and he was Immediately re-
moved to his boarding, No. 2,343 Fair
mount averne. Mr.. Harrison was n
soldier under Mai. Reno in the Indian
battle of the Big Horn river, in which
Gen. Custer was slain.
The bodies of the two unknown men
and of Mrs Scudder were removed to
the art building at the Green street en-
trance. John NJ. Canning, one of the
wounded, who was taken to the German
Hospital, died few minutes after his
arrival.
1t is estimated that there were tweu-
ty-fve persons injured seriously il not
fatally