New-York tribune., 1900-07-05
CENTURY'S LAST FOURTH.
CANNON CRACKERS SEEM LARGER AND
NOISIER THAN EVER.
PAIN N THE AFTERNOON INTERPRETERS
WITH MANY SPORTS-DANGER
FROM EXPLOSIVES.

II II were not for the fact that it was the last
Fourth Of July OF the nineteenth century yes
terday would have had no particular feature
about II to distinguish II from the host OF other
glorious Fourths" which preceded 1t, were duly
celebrated and have been forgotten, at least as
far as the general public is concerned
Every Independence Day that comes around.
Of course, has peculiar and lasting significance
for certain individuals. who cherish mementos
of # through life. in the shape of a thumbless
hand 2 sightless eye or the stump Of an ear,
and Of these faithful mourners July 4. 1900. left
the average number when il died. But other
wise and in general the holiday proved uneVent-
full Outdoor sports Of many kinds were con-
tested. the sea beaches and other nearby sum-
uer resorts were crowded, the exodus Of those
who left the city for distant hooks among the
mountains. though begun on Tuesday. still
trickled on: the business streets wore a deserted
air. the parks dotted with pleasure seekers.
and everywhere in the residential and tenement
house districts Of the city the pop of the fire
cracker and the boom of bombs We're incessant
from morning till night. 4 brief but heavy rain
shower in the early afternoon cooled the air a
little and the enthusiasm not at all, though it
spoiled many of the outdoor athletic contests
SAFETY LIMIT IN CANNON CRACKERS.
One feature of the celebration which gave rise
10 considerable adverse comment is the great
size TO which the frecracker has grown. These
cannon crackers. as they are called, appear to
grow larger year by year, and just where they
viii stop It is hard to tell. Many persons think
that the safety limit has been passed already,
and that the police authorities ought to regulate
the practice before it goes any further. Many
OF the giant crackers fired yesterday in the
streets and on the sidewalks were considerably
bigger than the ordinary sausage, and by the
FcrifT a-7
board were thrown much as forty feet away.
Such a flying piece is ample to put out the eye
Of a passerby who thinks himself at a safe dis
tance from the cracker. The explosion of so
much powder also throws smouldering bits of the
cracker into hooks and crannies so far away as
TO be unnoticed by those who explode these
crackers, until they have ignited fires which
compel attention and are often by that time be-
yond the control Of any one but the fremen.
These mOnstrous crackers are also dangerous
to persons passing in open streetcars, for those
who set them off frequently throw them into the
middle of the street after lighting the fuse, and
the streetcar passenger is helpless as he sees
himself being carried irresistiblY closer and
closer TO the dangerous object, which is the cen
tire Of a score of expectant eyes upon the side
walk The SUSPENSE in the passengers mind
whether the deafening report viii take place be
fore he arrives. after he IS past or right beside
him is peculiarly wearing upon weak nerves.
BIG EXPENSE OF CELEBRATING.
Many persons who are perfectly willing that
the small boy should have his fill of harmless
fireworks are decidedly averse to indulging his
taste for cannon crackers, and the hope was
freely expressed in many quarters yesterday
that the police would take some steps to pre-
vent the innocent little cracker which good
enough for the lads of the last generation from
being wholly superseded. is threatened, by
veTitable bombs big enough to infiict serious
physical injury at considerable distance upon
those who do not have the fun Of setting them
off
Persons who like TO guess at big sums OF
money have estimated that 81 900 600 would not
be too high a figure to place upon the sum
which was spent for fireworks Of various kinds
used in this country yesterday. This seems ar
immense sum, but 10 cents a head for every
man, woman and child in the Union would pro
duce 1t. Doubtless there were some here and
there who eschewed fireworks. and thus lowered
the average, but on the other hand il would not
be hard TO find hundred night workers in this
city who were unable 10 sleep yesterday morn
ing who would he willing TO depose that each
small boy in his block fired off sumber dis
turner's TO the extent of at least So between the
hours Of and II o'clock a. IN. Thus was the
average restored.