Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-06-27
SAFE AND SANE
State Fire Marshal Fleming Gives
Reasons Why He Bans Dangerous
Fireworks For Fourth of july
Celebration This Year.

This country has a great victory
to celebrate the coming Fourth of
July but: Not with dangerous and
destructive fireworks!
The boys are home: They do not
want to hear loud explosions or smell
any gunpowder.
| There was enough of that in
Europe to last them their natural
lives!
The same rules on fireworks is
sued by this department last wear
are in force now!
The reason (besides the noise. dirt
and expense) is that property and
human life is at stake.
Without any added horrors of the
red peril, Ohio has burned over 160
people to death already this year
and crippled twice as many.
What is Lost
The loss in the United States for
one OF two celebrations with fire
works IN one year is $275, 900.
We need every cent of that money
and the other huge amounts we care
lessly burn every day to pay off the
debts incurred in war!
There are lame, halt and blind
people enough Cleft by the under
tow if war; without an added cas-
ualty list made by foolish display
Il fireworks July 4.
Let US have the same sane fourth
we had when this country was in the
grip of worlds conflict.
In the year following the Spanish
American war, people celebrated in
such manner that there wree 215
deaths and 6002 injuries credited to
the Nations birthday.
Then filia prevention men and
more vigorously than before to stop
the slaughter and let people see the
unreasonableness of the celebration
in that manner.
List of Dead Drops
The list of dead dropped to % in
1918. This year it should strike
zero!
The toy balloon, the schasers and
all fireworks such as will leave a
combustible base are under the ban
of this department.
A "set-price" will be allowed only
when so charged that sparks will not
be thrown greater distance than 5
feet, (when such exhibition is allow
ed by ordinance), and it must not
be discharged within 100 feet of
buildings. or combustible material
1t must be fired by an expert and all
precautions taken against fire and
accident.
Dynamite and cannon crackers
and the deadly top pistol firing a
blank cartridge must not appear at
any time.
The wheat is ripening. and hay is
n the barns. A toy balloon may
wipe out a seasons crops. They
should not be made by private people
nor should they be manufactured and
sold. The hot air tissue paper bal
Don has millions of dollars in fifire
waste to its credit.
| 4.4 Menace to Property
| Roman candles and Skyrockets are
a menace to property and to life, and
change of wind or a misjudging
of the angle at which they are dis
charged may cause 100000 fire
Most of the municipalities have
sufficiently strong ordinances to pro.
ject their citizens and their proper.
ty from fireworks.
Police Chiefs and Prosecutors
should see that such ordinances are
enforced.
Only the small Chinese fire cracker
nd the sparkler are possibly as safe
Is any kind of fire and may be used
provided that they are not fred
within 25 feet of a building and are
fred when some grown person is
watching the children
No "Salutes" over 27a inches long
will be allowed and the 10 cent Vesu
| gius fountains are barred.
/ What Is Better
There is more patriotism in thc
click of a spade in the garden thai
there is in the roar of a cannon
,racker.
There is more beauty in the fowel
,lanted in memory of those whit
sleep in Flanders fields than in th'
most splendid burst of rocket stars
which CLEAN for a moment and ar
"one forever
The odor of the freshly cut gras
1fter a rain is far to be preferret
to the smell of burned flesh; and tn
happy voices of children on an outin:
are far better sounds than tn
shrieks of the burned and wounded.
Let Ohio have a quiet Fourth.
We have lots to think about thi
Year.