The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-07-18
Explosion Of Fireworks At
Baldwin Park Sent Ital-
ian Merrymakers
Fleeing.
ACCUSATIONS OF J;AL OUSY
The Materials Were For Use
In a Prize Competition and
Rivals Made Warm
Charges.

People residing in the vicinity of Bald
win Park were startled at 145 o'clock
Yesterday afternoon by a sudden expIs-
sion. followed by many Others with the
rapidity Of machine gun firing. with
occasional roarS ana detouations that
rocked the hills Of the hollows Of that
section Everybody below the Hin ex-
claimed:-
What's up?'
Everybody looked M.
Some thought thar Devo : p. ed ct a
great storm had made a belated appear
ance.
Lots of smoke could be seen, but there
was no sign Of eonhagration or a storm
in the heavens. A number of excited
Italians We're seen beating it from the
park in various directions. The air was
soon filed with the putting noise of bell
changing fire apparatus hurrying to the
scene. While the explosions were in pro-
gress sheets of flames began to shoot up
from the northwest confines of the park,
which is enclosed with a high fence.
It transpired that the material Of one
of the firms who was to compete in
fireworks display contest for a $50 prize
at the picnic of the Sccieta di Muturo
soecorso Maria SIS. del Carmine last
night had been set off in some undiscov-
cred manner before the material was
even separated. and the frames for set
pieces been set up. It was an afternoon
as well as evening picnic and the grove
was already filing up with Italian wo-
men and children in gala attire A string
of such pedestrians was vending its way
down Baldwin avenue to the park and
the Society on parade was marching to
its destination Excitement was intense
The material which was burned up in
premature explosions had been dumped
just outside the park and the flames had
reached the park fence at the corner Of
Baldwin avenue and High street. About
forty feet of the Baldwin avenue side Of
the fence was Quickly burned away and
about twenty feet of that which extended
around the corner. Jack Roberts. lessee
of the park. soon had small army of
men at work replacing the burned fence
with new one, much to the disgust Of,
a crowd of small boys who thought they
saw an opening for free admission to the
park and some of whom looked injured
at the accusation of an excited Italian
that they caused the daylight pyrotech-
mic display.
The question as to how the exphs' YES
exp.Vaed was hotly debated and the az
eusation That jealousy on the part of q
prospective rival contestants for tie
$50 prize was the cause and one of them
knew more than he dared tell about
it added more fuel to the flames. Tie
air which was already hottie. than or
dinary naortals care to stand simply szs
z!ea with the extra h. at aiaed by theSs
accusations and recriminations made in
choice Italian. Some one 1ecaGed tho
fact that the permit for the fireworks
display was granted to Frank Damato on
March II last. and fu.tve glances wera
cast by some Of the more suspicious at a
brawny Hibernian who was assisting IN
the patching mp Of she burned fences
After all, it may have been tlhe heat thas
sct off the explosives. The pis mic proc
ceeded, however. ana two other coutest-
ants put up a FIR works show at night,
which was enjoyed by the thousands wins
attended the first free concert at MnrN
BensoRs Little Italy Park. Just bel9w
the hill. The picnic was a great success.