Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-03

That 1, 13I deaths have been due in the
past seven years to the old methods of
celebrating our natal day is shown by
the score which the American Medical AS
ISOLATION commenced to keep in 1900. The
injured in the same period have amounted
to 33,U13, which means a total of over
$4,000 casualties. or over ,.-irty times as
many resulted from the seven great
est battles of the revolutionary war. Due
directly to the last Fourth there were 2l5
deaths. large majority of them u2O
due to lockjaw, and of the others who
died Il were killed outright by firearms,
16 by explosions of powder. by giant
firecrackers and by miscellaneous means
of celebration. Thirty-seven were liter
ally burned to death by fireworks. many
by small frecrackerS and three by
harmless sparklers." And over 5000
were injured on that fatal Independence
day Of a year ago. 16 of these being to-
tally blinded @ more than the previous
Fourth, three dozens losing one eye, Al
losing legs. arms or hands. and 116 los
ing fingers. The 80 lockjaw cases OF
last years celebration maue the largest
record since 1904.
These figures stand out in scarlet. fore
ing parents to read and heed. They show
that the firecracker has, in these seven
years, claimed the most victims. 0.7S1,
and that for mutiating wounds the cam
non cracker holds first rank. being respon-
sible. too, for the majority of losses OF
eyes and limbs. Powder and fireworks.
and then comes the deadly blank car
fridge with 6,374 victims and causing
three foufths or more Of the lockjaw
contracted.
Next rank firearms and cannon, with
nearly 5000 victims each.
Fourth of July lockjaw spread last
year to five more states than saw ii in
1898. 1t occurred in twenty-five states all
told and it killed within ten and a half
days, in the average fatal case, while
nearly all (S4 per CENT? of its victims
succumbed to il.
The blacklist record for Fourth of July
carnage last year was made By Pennsyl-
yania whose great cities are sadly lack
ing from the list of those enrolled for
a non-explosive celebration this year.
Its victims were CSC. while those OF the
more populous state of New York num-
bered but 5i7. New Jersey came third,
with 4SS casualties, and Massachusetts
fourth with $50.
If the grim stare from the siXty-eight
eye-sockets made empty by last year
celebration does not appeal TO authorities
unwilling TO enroll under the Safe ana
sane banner let them so to the nearest
cemetery and count a Thousand little
mounds CT sod and then half as many
again and still more. such city or
the dead will measure the numbers who
have given UP their little ghosts amid the
curling smoke of seven national birth
days-a mere week of them when put
together. Or let these conservative OF
ficials be haunted once, in their midnight
dreams by the pandemonium chorus OF
the $1,000 who were MANNED or mutilated
or crippled for life by those seven days
OF carnage. And let the truth gouge
deep, that this vast army of victims.
wailing in ambulances. moaning upon
operating tables or lying silent, stiff ana
cold in morgues or darkened death cham
bers, were chiIdren--little, helpless. in
nocent, improperly guarded children.
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS