The Washington herald., 1909-06-06
RECALLS TRAGEDIES
Or FOURTH OF JULY
Approach Of Day Should Be
Warning to Citizens.
rwENTY-ONE GIRLS PERISH
Workers in Arsenal Making Red
Fire for Celebration in 1864 Killed
by Explosion = Three Presidents
Passed Away on Independence Day.
Accident in White House Grounds.

SAFE and sane is a most satisfactory al
liberation as applied 10 the celebration Of
the Fourth OF July IN the minds OF par
ents and guardians. hospital attendants,
and owners Of fox terrier dogs; and this
large class Of citizens are enthusiastically
indorsing the efforts OF the committee in
charge OF the marking Of Independence
Day. 70 bring this condition 70 pass.
In this viriIe country everything is pro-
greSsive. evil as well as good. and what
was once a beautiful Observance has
progressed in noise and individual ex-
pense beyond the bounds Of reason The
memory OF the last anniversary as cele-
brated IN town makes the ears still tin
gle. and the death roll OF the following
days makes the heart stiI ache.
The celebration or the birth OF American
independence has almost from the begin
ming OF the city's existence had a two
fold significance. for the hrst time 10 was
observed was In compliment 10 Thomas
Jefferson. who. when asked by the mayor
and leading citizens Of the infant city
as 20 the date Of his birth so IL could be
suitably observed. replied. I have 40
birthday save the birthday Of my coun-
try's independence ThereupOn prepara-
tions were begun 20 have a celebration
on the following July back Of the
White House. and as the paper Of the
day declared, IT was most feliciuous
occasion"
Die on that Day.
II is curious how joy and sorrow has
mingled in the celebration Of this period
OF three Presidents, Jefferson and John
Adams passed away on July :. IS2S. just
fifty years after they had stood together
with their lives In their hands 10 sign
the document that gave freedom 10 the
land they loved. and served for 50 long
a period. And the originator OF the Mon
roe doctrine the NTH President Of the
United States. Joined the silent majority
on july l. lS31 Many WashingtOnians
yet remember when from love OF the dy-
ing Garfield there was no sound In all the
city on July OF 1881 that could be pre-
vented And though sincere. rough old
Zach Taylor. whose dying declaration. Il
have always tried 10 do my duty" would
be a good and simple motto for as ALL
Gid not die on July T. his Illness dated
from the overheating OF that celebration.
and an injudicious combination Of butter
milk and cherries that carried him %
the grave July 2. lS50.
During the late '40s there was a most
for that period-elabOrate preparation for
the honor OF the day; the waT with Mex
ic0 had been most vigorously and sue
cessfully prosecuted. and a large extent
OF territory had been .sdded 20 the United
States. so all al the Capital were feeling
very good. Stands were put Up on one
OF the four mounds just back of the
White House. and the south i%rch drap-
ed with flags as a kind OF grand stand
from which the Presidential party could
watch the display. IL was q clear and
lovely night. and most Of the citizens
were packed closely around the base OF
the stand 70 watch the setting of OF what
was something Of a novelty. sky rockets.
Either the soft ground yielded 70 the
pressure Of the supports of the stand
or the supports gave way. but when the
interest was AZ It's height and the crowd
densest. the fireworks took fire and the
stand tOppled earthward and the rockets
began 30 90 OF n the wrong direction.
cutting a fiery path through the press
OF humanity one man was pinned 10 a
tree by a rocket stick and killed Instant
Is. and many were burned and trampled;
the amount Of powder in the rockets must
have been enormous. Tor one or tnem
flew northwest and struck the roof Of
fr AbOtt's Academy for Young Cen
tlemen a rwo-stOry gable building on the
corner Of seventeenth and streets. and
dislodged part Of il. but being night and
the boys probably az the White House
grounds and not in the school no one was
injured. This accident gave the celebra-
tiou Of the Fourth a setback from which
IL had hardly recovered when the war
broke over the coJntry, and powder was
saved for work, not playtimes-
Twenty-One Girls Killed.
But IN 1854 the government planned 10
have a great display on Independence
Day. and began making preparations a
month ahead at the arsenal. where great
quantities Of "red fire" were prepared
for the coming event. But in some way,
never explained. there was a terrific ex-
plosion OF the stuff and twenty-One poor
girls and a boy were instantly killed
or al the tragedies the city has known
none has touched the core OF
the city's heart as DID this. There were
not enough bearses IN town 20 bear these
poor bodies to the grave, story OF the
burial Of these victims speaks OF SON.
Der line OF fourteen hearses and seven
wagons. passing through the avenue Of
citizens on the way 20 Con-
gressional graveyard.
The citizens grief at the sacrifice OF