The sun., 1902-11-05
before had been jolly election night crowd

That was on the east side Of Madison
Square. On the west side. over in Broad
way, another crowd Of 5000 persons knew
nothing Of the tragedy.
So on one side of the big park bands
were playing. horns were footing and
crowds were cheering at the returns. And
on the other side at the same time was
heard the rattle of many ambulances, the
groans Of the dying and tho shrieks Of
women going from one gruesome hehp
to another in search Of their missing.
HOW IT HAPPENED.
The explosion occurred just after 10
o'clock when big mortar containing fire
bombs exploded prematurely and fell
among a lot Of other pieces that had been
placed close together in readiness to be
fired.
They were altogether too close for safety.
the police said afterward.
Each Of the mortars contained five bombs,
the kind that are supposed 10 explode in
the air and discharge a shower OF colored
balls Of fire and golden rain" Six of these
HOTtd1S IHl ntFI tdhtIl liolu IL 'iu'h anu
placed close together. muzzle up. in bed
Of sand in front of the John F. Parsons
house at IL Madison avenue.
Another mortar had been taken half
a block further up the avenue To be fired.
h was this one that went off prematurely
before IL was pointed. Nobody could
explain last night just how it happened.
OTHER MoRrARs EXPLODED.
The fire from it fell among the other
mortars, exploding all the bombs they con-
tained simultaneously and the mortars
themselves few into fragments. 1t was
these fragments Of iron that made the
havoc in the crowd
CLOSE TO DANGER.
There was clear circular space with
twenty-five foot radius all about the men
who were setting of the fireworks. On
the fringe of the clear space was circle OF
policemen with instructions to keep back
the crowd.
Pressing against that ring Of policemen
on all sides. and only twenty five feet away
from the deadly mortars. was a closely
packed crowd Of 1900 people. They
couldn't get near enough TO the stereopticon
bulletins on the other side OF the Square
to see the returns or hear the band. so they
were having their nights fun In watching
the fireworks,
MOVED DOWN.
No part Of that circle was safe. The IRON
ii ~ Il 49, o
sghtseers by scores
Many fell and were trampled on In the
rush to get away and those dead or injured
a. the result Of the explosion itself were
everywhere on the pavement Of the avenue
and on the grass plots in Madison Square.
The remarkable thing about the tragedy
was that those who were nearest the bombs
suffered the least.l None Of the men who
were actually employed In handling the
fireworks was hurt. Most Of them were
arrested.
POLICEMAN KILLED.
In the circle Of policemen ono was killed
! and two injured,
Policeman Dennis Shea OF the Bridge
squad was the one policeman killed. He
was standing with his back to the bombs
and was busy pushing a too eager arc Of
the crowd away when fragment Of iron
six inches long crushed in the back Of his
head, killing him instantly.
BOYS PERISH
Four Of those killed were small boys.
and three Of the four were on the steps at
II Madison avenue thirty feet away from
the explosion.
Twelve year-old William G. .Feeney was
sitting on top Of the stone post at the foot
of the steps, balancing himself by holding
on to his grandmother's shoulder, She
was standing on the steps.
piece Of iron disembowelled the boy
and he fell dead In front Of his grand.
mother She fell in faint across his
body, but she was not injured. The old
lady was taken into the house, which is
now occupied by Frank Buhof
TIE Feeney boys body was identified
by his great-uncle. Major William H Buck,
with whomhe lived at $50 Fourth avenue
Two small boys, neither Of them over
II years old, We're sitting together on the
top step Of No. H. The same iron killed
them both. The head Of one Of them was
practically blown OF. Their bodies have
not been identified
MILTON RoBF Les son KILLED.
The body Of Harold Rohlee was not iden-
titled until after it had been taken tothe
morgue. whore it was found by his father,
Milton Rollen. proprietor of the Barthold
Hotel.
Father and son had been out together
watching the fireworks Ten minutes be-
fore the explosion the father went back
to the hotel. leaving his son standing in
the park near the fountain.
The sons body was found with the skull
crushed, lying under a tree ten feet away
from the fountain.
TWO AWFUL DEATHS
Frank Merrill was another one Of the bows
killed. A playmate knew his name and
that he was II years old but didn't know