The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-09-06
Safe and Sane Celebrations Re.
duce List of Killed and
Injured by 1920
is MARKED
IN LARGER CITIES
Small Firecrackers Prove Anything
But Harmless, and Are Respon.
sible for Several Little Girls Be.
ing Fatally Burned

BY the preaching and practice of
safe and sane" Fourth of July prin-
ciples the number of cases of lock-
jaw in the United States caused by
fireworks during the recent celebra-
ton of Independence day was only
eighteen. In 1910 there were sew
enty-two cases and in 1909 there
were $50. There were 1903 killed or
injured this year, only little more
than half as many as last year and
1000 less than in 1908.
These figures on the cost of the
Fourth of July to the country in
life and limb. as it is still cele brated.
are contained in the Journal of
the American Medical association for
August. For the past nine years this
journal has collected Independence
day statistics and published them, in
the hope of impressing on the peo-
pie the need for more rational form
of celebration.
Due to Agitation
That the decrease in casualties this
year is due to the fact that press
and periodicals and womens clubs
and other organizations the country
over have taken up the movement for
a Fourth of July which does not i'm
peril the lives of their children, is
apparent from the figures for cities
which have worked hardest for the
new kind Of Fourth Probably the
most remarkable reductions for the
past few years have been at Mil
waukee, which records a fall of from
l12 in 1910 to 10 in 1911; at Bos-
ton which records fall of from
100 in 1908 to only in 1911 and at
Newark, n. J.. a fall of from $50 in
1909 to none this year.
Blank Cartridge Deadly
The blank cartridge still remains
responsible for the greatest number
of cases OF lockjaw, So of the te-
tanus cases this year being traced to
it, Two cases of tetanus this year
were due to injuries from irecrack-
Frs and one from bomb.
The largest number of deaths this
year due to any one cause. says the
Journal was twelve. mostly little
girls, who were burned to death by
fire fpom fireworks, in several in
stances from the so-called harmless"
varieties, including very small fire.
crackers and sparklers. Eight per-
sons were totally blinded this year,
one fthem being reported from
this state. twenty-six lost one eve
each, thirty lost legs, arms or hands
and eighty three lost one or more
fingers During the past nine years
total of SO, 129 people-the equiv
alent of over thirty-nine regiments,
have been killed or wounded in the
celebration of the Fourth of July.
Up to City Governments
While the Journal has praise for
the organizations and individuals try
ing to introduce a new manner of
celebration, it puts the responsibility
for existing conditions up to the city
governments, since the employment
of death-dealing methods of celebra-
tion is subject to regulation.
"Proh'bitory ordinances" il saws.
ARE most effective and permanent as
shown by the results in Baltimore,
Washington, Cleveland and Trenton
and other cities and even restrictive
measures. if enforced, are quite eff
fective, as shown by the results in
new " Is, bpSLbiA, 1IllGdSpf OltOO
and elsewhere. But the enforcement
of restrictive measures is more diff
| fcult and requires more constant Wig
ilance on the part of the police. Bv
the sound it is difficult to know
whether an explosion is due to a
frecracker three inches long or FIVE
| inches or whether il is due TO some
other forbidden form OF fireworks,
while under a prohibitory ordinance
any explosion would be recognized al
once as a violation Of law. Again,
the smaller irecrsCkers, which have
| been considered so harmless, caused
the clothing TO catch fire in several
! instances this wear most of these
being girls and Young children, who
were burned TO death. Even the
! harmless sparkler caused some nj
! these deaths which were far more
agoniing than if caused by gunshot
wounds"
Campaign Material
North Yakima women who asked
| this year for a prohibitive ordinance
and were given a restrictive one viii
| find in these figures concerning the
mot over three inch variety OF fire.
! crackers" good campaign material
when they come 10 ask for their pro.
! Ia II,