The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-06-27
By Savagery In The Name
Of Patriotism
The DEADLY FIREWORKS
Facts In Regard to the High ExpIos-
ives Used and Attendant Dangers
Those Which Explode in the
Air Least Dangerous-Authoritles
Should Control Exhibitions.

0INulu COnITOl EN1IUIIlOnS.
CBert B. Buckley, state Fire Marshal)
The Fourth of July, the time for
the slaughter of the innocents and the
burnt offering of homes in the annual
exhibition of savagery, which we call
patriotism, is almost due. It's horrors
have been lessened by many cities
passing ordinances, prohibiting the
sale of fireworks, Toledo being the
| first.
On one Fourth the number killed
by fireworks in the United States was
466 and the number who died from
lockjaw following wounds from fire
works was 1853. The toy pistol which
explodes cap of chlorate when the
hammer falls, caused the greatest num-
ber of them.
Four factories in Reading give Ohio
second place in the production of fire.
works. In 1908 the state fire marshall,
by threat of securing state law bar
ring the use of ALL fireworks if they
did not give him their secret formulate
showing the kind and amount of ex-
plosive in each so that law could
be formulated excluding the more dan
gerous ones, secured possession of the
formulate.
The Cannon Cracker
In Ohio a man was torn to pieces
by one exploding while held in his
arm, another had both hands consum-
ed to the wrist-converte into smoke,
and the hand of boy disappeared, all
except the tip of a little finger.
The largest cannon crackers have
In them two-thirds of an ounce of
cblorate and one-third of an once of
| sulphur with little charcoal Those
seven inches long have half as much.
If the fuse in one of these crackers
is choked by the crimping so it goes
out, it should be let alone for ten min
utes, then soaked we'll in water and
buried.
High Explosives
The term high explosives" is used
to designate an explosive more pow
erful than gunpowder. Chlorate of
potash is one of them-yes, the same
chlorate that is used for sore throats
The shooting cane has an iron boot,
in the leg of which lozenges are so
placed that one of them explodes each
time the end of the cane is struck
against the pavement. The lozenges
are two parts chlorate of potash and
one part sulphur, with a little sand,
powdered glass or coal with gum
enough to hold them together. Ankles
have been seriously injured by the
exploding Of a lozenge near them and
in one case a leg was torn off by a
socket-full of them going off together.
| A boy struck one of these canes
near the dress of passing lady, ig-
hitting her dress. She burned to death
in the street
The wickedest user of gunpowder
is the toy cannon, which breaks or
bruises the boy in its recoil or kills
him by bursting.
The toy balloon does not hurt the
one who sends 1t up, but the torch
of shavings and rosin under it makes
a blaze for nine minutes. In Dayton,
Ohio, FIVE buildings were set afire in
one day by these toys
The Less Dangerous Sorts
! Red fire and torches hurt no one,
and the pinwheel rarely does if it is
fastened to tree or fence.
The common torpedo has in it
wafer like the cap of a toy pistol, hold
ing chlorate of potash. Against this
are number of pieces of gravel. When
a torpedo strikes anything the blow
from the gravel explodes the chlorate.
A large and more dangerous torpedo
has in 1t chlorate, phosphate and chlor-
ide of antimony.
The torpedo made to be exploded
by the wheels of street cars is com.
posed of chlorate and sulphur with
ground glass or sand A boy lost
three fingers in an effort to drive
nail through one.
A small Chinese frecracker burns
more houses than any other fireworks,
because so many of them are used by
children, but it causes few very SER
ious injuries The paper from which it
is made glows for some time after it
explodes One of them thrown, into
trash or through a window is likely
TO start fire This firework is roll
OF paper with a cork of mud in each
end and a charge of common gunpow-
der In 1t, The Chinese make them by
hand cheaper than Americans can
make them with machinery.
The Roman Candle
| The Roman candla Is not a serious