Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-05
A Fourth of July Singularly Free
From Fatalities and Fires.
ALL PREVIOUS RECORDS BROKEN.
Slight Accidents and Burns From Exploding
Firecrackers.
A BOY BADLY HURT BY A DYNAMITE CAP


would have occurred at any time. All the
mishaps oil the day were due principally to
exploding frecrackers that were carelessly
handled.
Notwithstanding the vast amount OF ire
works of all kinds exploded yesterday and
the consequent many opportunities for hre,
only one alarm was sent to the department.
That one was iuconsequentia1, and hardly
worth the trouble it required to answer IL.
This is something very unusual. An ex-
animation Of the books at the department
shows that this is the smallest number OF
alarms for a good many years on a Fourth
Of July.
The Allegheny Fire Department re-
sponded to two alarms yesterday. The
first was box 16 at A. M, and was caused
by fire in the roof Of house in Evans
alley. The damage was very small. At 9
o'clock last night some clothing in the
closet of house on the corner Of North ave-
nue. and James street caused an alarm from
box 113. The loss entailed will amount to
about 500.
BADLY HURT BY CAP.
Robert McCaffrey, an s-vear-oId son Of
n. w. McCaffrey, of 299 Federal street,
Allegheny, was playing in front Of the
family residence yesterday afternoon, when
a lady friend of the family handed the boy
a small tin box which she had picked up
somewhere. The box happened to be rail
road dynamite cartridge, but he was un-
aware Of this, and began pounding the box
with stone, when suddenly it exploded.
A portion OF the cartridge struck the boy on
the neck near the windpipe, severing
small artery and vein, from which the lad
nearly bled to death.
Last evening, in front OF Morris &
Kuehne' poolroom, Allegheny, a young man
named Black held giant 6recrackef in his
hand when it exploded. His hand was ter
ribly torn.
Harry Dupar was burned badly about the
face yesterday morning in front of the Lo-
tus Club, on the Southside. A crowd of
men were firing off roman candles across the
street, and when they saw Dupar they di-
rected the candles at him. He was burned
so badly that he had to receive attention
from DR.. King. He went to Magistrate
Succop and made information against the
parties.
EXPLODED IN HIS HAND.
Last night while number of men, boys
and police officers were engaged in exploding
firecrackers on Diamond street, in front of
the Central station, Frank Spireno, a watch
man at the machine works of Marshall
Brothers, picked up lighted cannon
cracker, and it exploded in his hand. His
hand was badly injured, and the Police
Surgeon was sent for to dress the wonnd.
Before the surgeon arrived Spireno went
away.
Officer John Brennan, who was standing
near Spireno, was also injured by the e1-
ploding frecracker. He was cut in the leg
and arm. Captain Dan Silvis felt sharp
pain in his left leg, and on examination
found that he was cut in that member.
Yesterday afternoon pair of boys were
engaged in celebrating the Fourth out Forbes
avenue by exploding giant fire crackers
under an empty barrel. They lighted the
fuse of the crackers and then placed the
barrel over it. There were good many
people on the street, and the boys would
motion them to stop until the explosion had
occurred. On this occasion the cracker
failed to go of, and one of the boys
lifted the barrel and motioned the crowd to
move on, as all danger seemed to be past.
The bow had made a mistake, however, for
the Ease was still smoldering, and while he
was busily motioning to the people to pass
on the cracker exploded with great noise
and so astonished the boy that he fell into
thu barrel, which rolled into the gutter with
the boy in it. He was hauled out by his
comrade and looked about as much fright
ened as If he had been shot out OF cannon.
1t was great fun for the crowd; and when
the boy recovered from his fright he went
on witt: his celebration.
SHOT IN THE CHEEK.
About 5 o'clock last evening Benjamin
Jones, butcher, who lives at Creighton
station, went into Market alley, off Fifth
avenue, where crowd of boys were putting
off fre-crackers, and one OF them, Albert
Paganucci, shot him in the cheek With toy
pistol. He put an old cartridge in the muz-
zle of the gun. and when he hred the
cartridge made a hole In Jones' cheek.
Jones arrested him and took him to Central
station, where he was locked up. Pagan
ucci's father keeps fruit stand IN the
market.
Yesterday morning a crowd of enthusl-
astic Young men were celebrating the day
with firecrackers in front of Joseph Gould
cigar store at the corner of Fifth avenue ana
Ross street, One of them threw Jack
son on the awning in front of the store,
which took fire and burned up before the
flames could be extinguished.
While Officer William McDonahew was
on duty at the corDer of Liberty and Market
streets. some one unknown, threw large
fire cracker down on the street near MIN,
and when it exploded piece of it struck
him on the leg about the knee, tore his pant
aloons and Injured him SO severely that he
was relieved from duty for the remainder Of
the day.
Mrs. Thomas, of No. 2 Miller street, was
walking along that thoroughfare yesterday
afternoon with a two-year-old girl in her
arms. Suddenly the child uttered cry Of
pain and an investigation showed that the
little one had been struck by the bullet
from a fobert rifle. The bullet entered the
back and lodged beneath the skin. The
wound while painful is not dangerous.
SMALL CROP OF THEM.
A small crop of the regulation Fourth Of
july accidents was raised on Penn avenue
and in Lawrenceville. George McManus,
a pripman on Butler street cable car No.
1O5. picked up jackson cracker, Just as it
exploded, and his hand was badly lacerated.
The pain was so excruciating that he tainted,
and had to be carried to his home at 1927
Smallman street, where doctor dressed his
hand.
Ignatz Keelyan, 7-year-old resident Of
Polish Row, on Penn avenue, between Six
teenth and Seventeenth streets, had his eyes
burned black by the explosion OF a cracker.
Dr. Hieer, who dressed the wound, said he
thought he could save the boys sight.
Charles Anderson had his face and hands
badly burned by a rocket, which also
burned Charles Hook. Both are residents
of the Seventeenth ward.
F. A.Davis looked into the end ofa cracker
to see ii the fuse was lighted. Itwas, and DR..
Sands will have considerable difficulty in
saving DAVIS eyes. He lives on Hatfield,
near Forty-ifth street.
A jackson cracker exploded in Edward
Martins hand, and he had to be assisted to
his home on Charlotte street, near Thirty
seventh, where the wound was dressed.
William Kametz met with O similar mis-
fortune.
Somebody with good intentions, but poor
judgment, placed a dynamite cracker be-
tween the feet of Alderman Samuel F.
Kerr, of the Fifteenth ward. and now the
Alderman wears hole in his leg. The
wound is not serious, but is very painful.
Strange to say, the trousers were mot torn or
scorched.