Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-05
Fifty Fewer Persons In
jured Than on Fete
Day Last Year
BOY VICTIM OF CANNON
Casualties in 9 Years
on independence Days

One dead. two seriously injured and 2S0
accidents of all descriptions was the Fourth
of July toll in Philadelphia and vicinity
Philadelphia's celebration of the Fourth
was safe and sane. however. In the city
itself there were so fewer accidents than a
year ago Most Of the accidents reported
were of minor character. large majority
Of them being burns of little Importance
reported were of minor character large
majority of them being burns of little i'm
portance
The fatality occurred at Glassboro. \.
j. Thomas A. Finn. I years old OF l1li
North Gratz street. Philadelphia, was Killed
when cannon of his own manufacture
exploded
The boy was spending the day with a
young friend. Edward Finger, Of Glassboro.
They started the day by hammering sew.
eral sections of pipe into the form OF can.
non. They loaded II with gunpowder, and
when 1t failed to discharge when the boys
expected 1t to, young Finn peeped around
the corner Of n barn. 10 yards away, where
he had taken shelter when the fuse OF the
cannon was ignitod.
Just then the cannon exploded. piece
Of the metal taking off part of the boys
skull and laying bare the brain. Dr. Charles
u. Pedriclt. of Gassboro was called at once,
but death had been instantaneous.
PISTOLS CLAIM TOLL.
pistol toy cannon and giant firecrackers led
the list of accident causes.
Three-year-oid Helen Collins. OF zoos
Eaudan street. is in a serious condition at
the Polytechnic Hospital today with scalp
wound caused by a rusty nail shot from a
revolver In which Joseph Holden / years
old, of the rear of 2009 Naudan street, was
shooting blank cartridges.
The boy who Is negro, placed the nail
in the revolver after he had loaded 1t with
q blank cartridge Just to make 1t real
He aimed across the street. where the girl
was sitting and fired The nail almost pene-
trated the girls skull. She was rushed TO
the hospital and tetanus serum administer
ed at once. The boy is in the House of De-
tention, awaiting the result of the girls
injuries
GIRL MYSTERIOUSLY SHOT.
Mabel Henry. years old. negro. OF
75s West Maple street, Amber. is In
critical condition at st. Luke's Homeo.
pathic Hospital, with a mysterious bullet
wound in her head She was playing on
her front porch yesterday morning when
she was struck on the head by the bullet,
which fractured her skull and came out at
the base of the brain DR.. A. ]. Craig. of
Amber. rushed her 25 miles to the hospital
here.
No one heard the shot or saw the shoot.
ing. The girls home is near the tracks of
the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, and
from passing train.
Community celebrations, and greater care
on the part of parents, are the reasons at
tributed by the police for the decrease in
the number of accidents The warnings
issued by the Governor, Mayor and State
and city health officials had their effect,
too
PATIENTS INOCULATED
Every victim taken to the city hospitals
was inoculated with tetanus serum in an
effort TO prevent blood poisoning resulting
from the powder burns. and 1t is estimated
that several hurdred units of the serum
were used during the day
big majority of the accident cases re-
ported by the hospitals occurred in the con-
gested downtown districts of the city, but
in these districts, as in all sections of the
city the accidents were of a less serious
nature than I'm former years.
only five persons were injured in Cam
den. The police ambuances were not called
out once and not single case was treated
at the Homeopathic Hospital.
Blank cartridges caused two of the five
accidents The most serious injury was
suffered by Raymond Beck. "a years old,
of 1865 Line street. He was loading a
cannon when it exploded His left thumb
was blown off and his right hand burned,