Evening star., 1896-06-16
THE ? GLORIOUS FOURTH
Free Spots for the Firing of Fire
works.
Policeman Takes O DiscouraRfpg
View Of the OutlOok-Result
Of Ono Effort.

Young America is not to be deprived Of
all his rights in the matter of making an
outward display Of patriotism on the
Fourth OF July, for the Commissioners
nave concluded to suspend the operation Of
the law In certain places. The order of the
Commissioners. issued yesterday, is as fol-
lows:
''The shooting Of firecrackers and the Use
OF other fireworks will be permitted upon
the Fourth OF July between the hours Of 6
Am. and II midnight. upon places In the
District Of Columbia to be hereafter desig-
mated by the chief Of police"
Under the law. dealers are not permitted
to sell fireworks without first obtaining q
permit. and until yesterday afternoon the
Commissioners had not determined wheth-
er or not any permits would be granted
tnis year. For nearly a month applicants
nave been calling at police headquarters
Lor permits. among them being most of the
Cnlnese laundrymen. Yesterday there was
large number OF callers for permits, and
tney were extremely anxious about the
matter. for, not anticipating any troable
tne dealers have stocked their places and
are ready for business. But the delay In
issuing the permits has caused a temporary
suspension OF business. and not until the
applications can be acted upon and per-
mits issued will the dealers be permitted
to begin disposing Of their stock
The police are by no means satisfied with
n.
ana are anticipating a repetition of the
disasters which followed the effort of Maj.
Dye TO suppress the use Of fireworks His
effort did not succeed in preventing the
use OF fireworks, but the boys were driven
to their backyards and sheds and the re-
suit was that the fire engines and hose car
flages were on the streets almost the en-
tire day and evening. To have q rested all
the Offenders against the law would nave
required police force larger than lis pro-
vlded Tor any city in this country so the
police said, but q few persons were ar
rested and fined. Aside from the actual
damage by fre the noises in some sections
were frightful, for children thought MOTH
ing or discharging heavy fireworks In
houses or sheds. while some of them used
tin pans under which to set OF their fire.
crackers, and personal injury was the re-
suit In many cases.
A policeman speaking Of the order issued
yesterday, said ne certain that the
whole police force could not compel chill
dren to go to the lots which will be desig-
mated by the police. 1t is unreasonable to
even imagine that a father would allow his
young children TO go to any such place the
o1ncer said, for with several hundred boys
on lot and each boy making an effort to
set on fireworks somebody is horrd to get
huft, III not killed. Aside from the danger
Of injury by fireworks, this policeman
thinks that the boys are sure to engage
In fights, and in this way irfiict personal
Injury. So long es there are to be lots in
the different sections used for this purpose
ne thinks there should be an emergency
hospital tent put up on each one in order
tnat the injured ones cen get immediate
attention.
Although the lots upon which the cele-
brations are to be permitted have not been
designated as yet, it is said that they have
all been determined upon, but will not be
made public until 1t is too late for persons
hving near them to make effective COM
plaints.