The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-05
POWDER FATALLY BURNS FIVE
NV DROpS CIGAR INTO BOX or
FypLOSUEIN CROWDOF BOYS.
s.,en Of Them Are Frishtfully Burned,
ami only Two Are Expected - Re-
cover Wan Escapes Unhurt in the FIX.
o,emen,- Detectives are seeking Him.

nj, EXPLOSION OF powder at North SlAth
',,.s, and Wythe avenue, Williamsburg,
Tho residents Of the district are Germans
I'D POLES and the boys Of the neighborhood
3D. heen setting off their fireworks at one
.no. most of the day. Many firecraokers
sad failed TO explode and the boys had ex-
...cted the powder and put 1t into box,
The box. about a foot square and six inches
a.er at o'clock last night contained
several pounds OF powder
When the supply of frecraokers was ex-
taus,ed the boys decided to wind up the
celebration 10y exploding the boz. They
wore cautious enough about 1t. They
osrried the box to the middle Of the street
and then got the stub Of candle. One
hoy mt the candle on top Of the powder
and lighted it. Then the boys, about
thirty of them. stood of, waiting for the
candle % burn down to the powder.
Before that happened, however. a gust
-, wind blew out the candle. The boys
waited few moments to see that there
was no danger of an explosion then gathered
around the box. While they were debating
Who should have the honor Of lighting the
candle a man staggered out Of a saloon at
the corner. no pusucu mo WY 'AASN NA'S
rroup of boys and asked them what they
we're doing. They paid no attention to the
intruder
I'm fix it for YOU he said taking lighted
cigar from his mouth. Then he dropped
the cigar into the box and instantly there
was an explosion that shook the neighbor-
hood. The boys were scattered. about
dozen who were close to the box beng
Knocked to the ground
Seven OF them were unconscious, the
others being able to rise although burned.
The clothes of some had been set on fire.
The explosion caused much excitement
and in a few minutes the crowd was so
great that Capt Gallagher Of the Bedford
avenue station sent out the reserves.
Ambulances were called and Drs. Dorne
panger and Rarick responded from the
Williamsburg Hospital, and Drs. Cohen
and Dean from the Eastern District Hos
pital The clothes had been burned of
some Of the boys and their bodies were
scorched and disfgured.
The seven'boys most seriously hurt are:
Joseph Walters, 10, Of 95 North Sixtu
street.
Walter Manser, 10. Of o. North Sixth
street.
John Alwits, 8, Of 9s North Sixth street,
Andrew Kreyket, 10, of ~ North Sixth
street.
John Rusanslc. IS, OF 81 North Sixth
street.
Thaddeus Rusanski, 1, OF 81 North Sixth
street.
William France. II. Of So North Sixth
street.
The doctors decided that all the boys.
With the exception Of France and John
Rusanski. would probably die.
Capt Galag her instructed his detectives
to find the man responsible for the e1-
plosion. None OF the children had paid
much attention to him, although he was
seen running down the street after the
explosion. He is supposed to have been
stranger in the neig hborhood.
The Fourth Of July casualties we're fewer
Yesterday than in previous years. judging
from the reports of the accidents that
reached the police. As The sun told
Yesterday, one person lost his life by
stray bullet soon after midnight Eleven
others were hit by stray bullets. or the
number injured in this way in Manhattan
and The Bronx, nine were men. one child
and one a woman. None was seriously
hurt, but they all went to hospitals.
The police heard OF twenty-five persons
who needed hospital attention from powder
burns, but the number who sought drug
store aid was large.
John Terane, 10 years old, OF Brighton
Staten Island had his light arm blown
on ct the elbow by the explosion OF toy
cannon
julius Metz 81 years old, a grocer, OF
a'3 Second avenue, was riding in an open
/ Third avenue car last night when giant
/ hrecracker was thrown under the seat at
l?jth street. 1t set fire to Metz's trousers
and he Jumped from the car against an
elevated railroad pillar, breaking his left
eg Hewas taken to the Harlem Hospital.
During the twenty-four hours there we're
sIty-hrne fires. The firemen in Manhattan
were kept on the jump all day. Most OF
The fires were trifiing, the larger number
Icing awnings set ablaze by frecracke.s.
There were good many arrests for
carrying revolvers without licenses and
Lkoharglng revovers in the streets. Thirty
hve men and boys were arraigned on these
charges in Essex Market court The West
s'de court had nine such prisoners.
nix Tersons were accidentally shot in
bToohyn by celebrators yesterday. or
ms number two women as they were walk
ing in the street stopped bullets. One boy
lost his right hand in playing with cannon,
and another boy was burned. The police
heard of ten children who were suffering
irom powder burns. Altogether seventy
I'VE ambulance calls we're received at Brook
Vh police headquarters.
John Dezrana, an Italian. was sitting at
~ open window on the third floor of 1871
'Sentieth street. Brooklyn, last night.
rhen bullet hit him in the right temple.
ne was removed to Seney Hospital, and us
'"ndition is critical
sen-year-old Martin Coe OF 378 Baltic
1eet Brooklyn, was shot in the back in
aOnt OF his own house last night by bullet
1Nd, the police say by Robert Jack. So
yVan old Of 37s Baltic street. The boy
sasaken TO the Brooklyn Hospital and Jack
vas arrested
:. 'ohh Lawlor, a laborer. IS years old. Of
C. west Sevcnty-fifth street. was crossing
,cohd avenue at Seventv-fourth street
last night when ne was shot in the abdomen
~ stray bullet He was taken to the