Charlevoix county herald., 1912-06-29
independence Day Disasters.

u
there is anything that Is sane in the
American people it is the growing re-
volt against our insane manner Of
celebrating the Fourth OF July. It
might be called "Incendiaries' Day;"
for on that day the fire tiend runs
riot. No man having any public re-
sponsibiity fails to dread IL. No fire
department gets through the daV, and
the nights on both sides OF IL, with
out exaustien. 1t is doubtful IL on
some fifth Of July All entire city may
not complacentiy burn itself up in the
faces OF tremen and fire horses TO ex-
hausted by silly tirecracker fires the
day before TO cope with it. The fire
fighting apparatus of our cities and
towns is 50 OverJaxed by the number
less calls which begin on the evening
OF July 3rd that response to possible
summons for help by neighboring
towns or cities is impossible. What
fire chief would dare allow even
hose wagon TO go beyond immediate
recall while alarms in his own city
are coming In at ten-minute inter-
yals? Even the large number OF false
alarms, due TO the recklessuse use Of
the day, haye their dire significance,
for they tire out the horses and the
men, aud reduce the ability Of the
department TO cope with actual fires.
When the gong begins TO ring at
headquarters, its call is as imperative
for rubbish heap ablaze as IL is for
the home OF a citizen. The wear and
tear of apparatus, and even the injury
TO the horses during thirty-six hours
OF almost constant runs, may te as
great for false alarms as for real ones.
IL seems sort of folly almost to un-
speakable To relate, but there are in
stances where American firemen have
been killed in runs to fires on July 4th
by being thrown from trucks by
frightened horses swerying from their
course at explosives thrown under
them as they galloped past.
Never an Independence" Day but
scores Of human beings are made de-
pendent for life. Life and limb are
jeopardized by explosives thrown from
windows above the level Of the street,
setting ire To clothing and menacing
the eyesight Of those passing, while
upon the child, who in his innocent
love Of noise aud objective demonstra-
tion responds TO our present absurd
kind OF celebratiou, falls the heavy
hand OF disaster. When our civiiza-
tion was not so complex, it was pos
sible for those who had the courage 10
leave their homes TO the mercy of
possible conf1agarations, TO shut them
up and escape TO the quiet Of the
country. Not so today. The trolley
car aud the automobile follow the
seeker after peace to his country re-
treats. throwing explosives at his
head as they roar past 10 their reck-
less responsibility.
And for what. Nobody stops to in
quire. Nobody any longer cares. We
have gotten wholly away from the
educational Significance of "Indepen-
deuce" Day, and lost ourselves 10 an
orgy of fire and noise.
1t is, perhaps, too much to expect
any sudden return To sanity; but some
effort at least may he made bv cities
and towns Toward leading their peo-
pie into more moderate aud more in
telligent forms Of celebration. 1t ex-
plosives must be USED the authorities
can limit their use TO the public
parks during certain hOuIs Of the
day, where the folly-hunters may kill
and main themselves and each other
TO hearts content, without iDjuring
other people, or destroying property
by fire. The firing off OF explosives
among the closely built shingie. rooted
frame houses, which compose the
greater part OF our cities, is wholly in
accord with the reckless spirit OF
Americans regarding fire.
If before every Fourth OF July all
cities and towns were given
thorough cleaning of rubbish, and all
use Of explosives then restricted as TO
time and and place, the police and
public wardens might have at least a
fighting chance TO minimize the dis
astrous results Of our public folly dur
ing the years 10 may require to io-
spire In our people desire for
rational kind OF celebration. And
such desire must be inspired. 1t Is
the duty OF every city To arrange for
It's people suitable amusements or
exercises definitely calculated TO edu-
cate them In a rational observance OF
this historic holiday. Habits OF folly
can be most easily eliminated bv
substitution OF something better. The
things city can do to interest it's
citizens Ia sane and wholesome cele-
bration are Unlimited, and the NUM-
cipalities, which. in the past two
years have taken steps 10 this dIrec-
tion, are already receiving national
praise for their wisdom and their
high sense OF civic responsibility.
Independence Day of 1912 is CON-
ing. To what city, what town, what
mother or father is IL this year TO
bring suffering or sorrow the day
afterY