Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-06-24

sons may tread on them and get a
fright may be more serious than
funny, for the dress of a lady step
ping on one of them is very likely to
take fire. This firework gives more
than 20 explosions and each explosion
drives it to a new place. They are
likely to jump into window or trash
or clothing or ones eyes. The Jumps
seen in this lozenge-shaped thing are
chlorate of potash and they are tied
together by small fuse.
More children are burned to death
from their clothing being set atire
while exploding small crackers than
by any other tirework. The prettiest
fireworks are the least dangerous and
fireworks which go up in the air are
safer than those that are exploded
near the earth.
The cannon cracker is murderer.
The largest ones have in them two
thirds of an ounce of chlorate and
one-third Of an ounce of sulphur with
little charcoal. Those seven inches
long have half that much. One went
off in boys hands and no part of
either of them could be found after
ward except one little finger. In
Cincinnati one exploded while man
was holding it under his arm. He
was torn in pieces so no one could
tell who he was until his name was
seen in his watch which had to be
dug out OF telegraph pole into which
it had been blown.
Sometimes the fuse in one of these
crackers is choked by the crimping so
it goes out. Such cracker should
be let alone for ten minutes, then
well soaked in water and buried with
out sobs or ceremony.
Dynamite is not used in fireworks.
Lockjaw.
Following every Fourth more than
one hundred children die from lock-
jaw from wounds made by fireworks.
After the celebration in 1903 there
were 366 deaths from this cause.
Lockjaw is caused by one Of the
smallest germs. The germ is like a
very short thread and is so small it
cannot be seen, 1t grows by the mil
lion in the bowels of horses. So,
there are always millions of them in
the street dust. The germ when it
comes into the air dries up and SO
long as there is air around it, it does
not harm. These germs stay alive in
ice or in boiling water. Doctors
have kept them on splinters for ten
years and then given lockjaw to mice
| by pricling them with the splinters.
| When they get into ones flesh, away
from the air, they grow in numbers
very fast by each thread-like germ
| choking itself in two in the middle.
One of them will have grand children
in an hour. While they are multi
plying under ones skin they give out
poisonous juice. No one can tell
that these germs are at work in a
wound for week or two until the
poison has Travelled along nerve
from the wound to the spine and
brain.
A Horrible Death
When this poison gets to the brair
death is sure to follow after more
days of more horrible suffering thar
one would have from strychnine poi
son and mad dog bite put together
Any small wound through the skin
made by fireworks should be taken tt
a doctor at once to be laid open sc
air can get to the bottom Of it, be
cause a boy playing with fireworks
nearly always had street dust on hi!
hands and it is full of these terribl,
germs.
The most deadly thing used is thu
toy pistol for firing blank cartridges
Pieces Of the paper wads, which tax.
the place Of balls in these cartridges
are blown under the skin carryin;
the germs of lockjaw
A