Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-01
SAFE AND NOISELESS FOURTH
Omaha to Have a Celebration Along Sane
and Rational Lines.
MAYOR NooRES ISSUES A PROCLAMATION
Ordinance Prohibiting sale and Use
of Dangerous Explosives and the
Like VIII Be strictly
Enforced.

Omaha is booked for a safe and sane
celebration of the Glorious Fourth If there
| is any virtue in an ordinance prohibiting
the sale of dangerous explosives and noise
making devices, supported by proclama-
tion Of the mayor, calling attention to its
provisions, and directing the chief of po-
lice to see that 1t is properly enforced,
People who were in Omaha last year, when
the diabolical contraptons for making
noise reached the zenith of internal ef-
ficiency and persistent application, will we'll
recall the din and strife that resounded
through the city from early on the even
ing of the Sd to late on the morning of
the 5th One of the favorite methods was
to place blank cartridges by the hundreds
along the street railway rails, to be ex-
ploded by the passing trolley cars This
makes a racket that is only approached
by the use of a machine gun. Then the
continual fusillade of the double-acting pis-
tolls in the hands of men and boys, rein
forced by the toy cannon made to shoot
10-gauge shells, with the occasional inter-
vention of the shotgun and the roar of the
giant dynamite cracker with the continual
popping of the pesky torpedoes, kept the
city in a state of uproar compared to
which the bombardment of Port Arthur
was just d pTeluue. II the duInOTllleS can
prevent it, the stranger within Omaha's
gates on Tuesday next will have no oc-
casion to fear for his life, for the day
will be one of comparative quiet.
Mayor MOores' Proclamation.
Here is the proclamation issued by the
mayor yesterday afternoon
The following ordinance regulating the
sale and use of firearms, firecrackers and
other explosives in the city of Omaha was
passed by the city council on March IA,
1905, and became a law on March 10, 1906,
to-wit:
BE it ordained by the city council of
the city of Omaha
as the same may be necessary for the pub
lie or individual defense and safety, the
carrying & on Of an any business; presentation
ance, or public spectacle or exhibition,
duly authorized or licensed by the mayor
for any person, persons, co-partnership, or
within the city of Omaha, any firecracker
having a length of more than three inches
or a diameter of more than one-half of an
inch, or to burn, explode or fire off any
torpedo having a diameter or length of
more than one inch, or to fire off or ex-
plode any pistol, gun, cannon or rife, or
toy pistol, gun, cannon or rifle, excepting
only such as are designed to fire fiat paper
caps. Any person, persons, co-partnership
or corporation violating any of the provi-
sions of this section shall be deemed guilty
of rnisdemeanor and upon conviction
than 81 nor more than S25.
Section Pit is hereby declared unlawful
for any person. persons CO. partnership or
for sale within the limits of the city of
Omaha excepting at wholesale for out-of-
town trade) any frecrackers having
length of more than three inches or a
diameter of more than one-half of an inch,
any torpedoes having a diameter or
length of more than one inch, or any toy
pistol toy cannon, toy gun or toy rife
designed for firing metal cartridges or
powder Any person, persons, co-partner-
of this section shall be deemed guilty of a
misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof
shall be fined in a sum, not less than $25
nor more than $500 or be imprisoned not
less than ten days nor more than thirty
days for each and every offense.
Section At shall be unlawful for any
person, persons, co-partnership or corpora
ton to set or place any torpedoes, caps or
explosives of any kind whatsoever upon
the rail or track of any steam railway or
street car company Any person violating
any of the provisions of this section shall
upon conviction thereof shall be fined in
sum not less than so nor more than $25.
Section 5-This ordinance shall take eff |
passage"
VIII He RigidIy Enforced.
The attention of the citizens of Omaha is
called to the above ordinance, with the IN
formation that the same will be rigidly en-
forced.
Every year our. papers, on July are 1Iled ale,
with accounts or llNeS lOSt, men anu CHll-
dren manned for life by explosions from
fireworks. blank cartridges, toy pistols and
other dangerous explosives. Let us ma ke
the year 1865 an exception so far as Omaha
is concerned.
I therefore make proclamation that the
discharge of fireworks, firecrackers or other
explosives within two squares of any hos
pital in the city limits of Omaha is hereby
positively prohibited.
The discharge of blank cartridges and
guns pistols, revolvers other firearms,
as well as the use of dynamite canes, is
absolutely prohibited under penalty of the
law
Special attention is called TO section 4 of
this ordinance, as to the placing unon the
car tracks of any street railway within the
city limits any torpedoes, caps, bombs or
explosives of any kind
All bonfires upon any of the streets, al
leys or parks in city limits is hereby pro-
hibited.
rhe sale or gift of toy pistols or metal
caps to children is prohibited and parents
are especially requested to protect their
children against the danger resulting from
the use of such toy pistols, percussion caps
and other dangerous explosives.
The police are hereby ordered to be vigil
liant and exercise discreet authority in the
enforcement of the restrictions Of this proc
lamation FRANK E. MOOktlS,
Mayor