The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-05
POWDER FATALLY BURNS FIVE
vay DROPS CIGAR INTO BOX OF
fXpIOSiJEIN CRGWDOF BOYS.
s.,.n Of Them Are Frightfully Burned,
and Only Two Are Expected TO Ne.
cover Man Escapes l'nhurt IN the Ex.
cremrnt- Detectives arc Seeking Him.

~ them will probably die as the result OF
m explosion of powder at North Sixth
street and Wythe avenue, Williamsburg,
last night
The residents Of the district are Germans
and Poles, and the boys Of the neighborhood
hod been setting of their fireworks at one
.not most of the day. Many fireorackers
had failed to explode and the boys had ex-
,r,cted the powder and put It into a box.
The box, about foot square and six inches
deep Mt o'clock last night contained
several pounds of powder.
When the supply OF fireorac kers was ex-
baus,ed the boys decided to wind up the
celebration by exploding the box. They
were cautious enough about 1t. They
carried the box to the middle Of the street
and then got the stub Of a candle, One
hoy put the candle on top Of the powder
and lighted it. Then the boys, about
thirty of them, stood of, waiting for the
candle to burn down to the powder.
Before that happened however. a gust
Of wind blew out the candle. The boys
waited few moments to see that there
wa. no danger of an explosion then gathered
around the box While they were debating
who should have the honor Of lighting the
candle man staggered out OF saloon at
the corner He pushed his way into the
group Of boys and asked them what they
were doing. They paid no attention to the
intruder.
I'm ix it for you, he said taking a 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 we're scattered, about a
dozen who were close to the box being
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 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,
pangler and Rarick responded from the
Williamsburg Hospital, and Drs. Cohen
and Dean from the Eastern District Hos
pita The clothes had been burned of
some OF the boys and their bodies were
scorched and disfigured.
The seven boys most seriously hurt are:
Joseph Walters, 10. OF 05 North Sixth
street.
Walter Manser. 10. Of 90 North Sixth
street.
John Alwitz, 9, OF 95 North Sixth street.
Andrew kreyket, 10. Of 81 North Sixth
street.
John Rusanski. IS, OF 81 North Sixth
street.
Tbaddeus Rusanski, 4. Of 81 North Sixth
street.
William France, II, Of So North Sixth
street.
The doctors decided that all tho boys.
with the exception Of France and John
Rusanski, would probably die.
Capt. Gallagher instructed his detectives
TO find the man responsible for the ex-
plosion. None OF the children bad 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. OF 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 Teraine, 10 yelrs old, OF Brighton,
Staten Island, had his tight arm blown
Of It the elbow by the explosion OF a toy
cannon.
julius Metz, 90 years old, grocer, OF
f-3 Second avenue, was riding in an open
Third avenue car last night when giant
trcorecker was thrown under the seat at
l?ith street. 1t set fire to Metz's trousers
and he jumped from the car against an
elevated railroad pillar, breaking his left
leg He was taken to the Harlem Hospital
During the twenty-four hours there were
fStythree fires. The firemen in Manhattan
we're kept on the jump all day. Most Of
The fires were trifling, the larger number
Icing awnings set ablaze by frecrackers.
There were a good many arrests for
carrying revolers without licenses and
discharging revolvers in the streets Thirty
five men and boys we're arraigned on these
charges in Essex Market court. The West
Side court had nine such prisoners.
Six persons were accidentally shot in
brooklyn by celebrators yesterday. OF
this number two women as they were walk
ing in the street stopped bullets. One boy
lost his right hand in playing with a cannon.
and another boy was burned. The police
heard Of ten children who we're suffering
from powder ourns. Altogether seventy
hve ambulance calls we're received at Brook
yn police headquarters.
John Dezrana, an Italian, was sitting at
an open window on the third floor Of 16l
twentieth street. Brooklyn, last night,
when bullet hit him In the right temple.
lie was removed to Seney Hospital, and his
condition is critical.
en-year-old Martin Coe OF $40 Baltic
.'eet, Brooklyn. was shot In the back in
'front.' OF his own house last night by bullet
med, the police say. by Robert Jack. IS
years old, Of S7s Baltic street. The boy
was taken to the Brooklyn Hospital and Jack
was arrested.
>, John Lawlor, laborer, IS years old, OF
90 west sevcuty-fifth street, was crossing
neeond avenue at Seventv-fourth street