The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-03
GRENADE EXPLOSION
INJURIES 3 CHILDREN
Bow Throws Into Fire a Wea'
pom He Probably Found in
Van Cortlandt Park.
LADS GET MANY MISSILES
Soldiers Warn Parents to
Watch for "Relics" Little
Ones Picked Up.

Several thousand boys from all parts
Of the city. who went to see the big LID
erty Loan battle spectacle In van Cort-
landt Park on Thursday night and were
disappointed because OF the rain, roamed
the park looking for souvenirs. A good
many boys found desirable relics In the
shape OF lead colored cylinders. whose
I'VE inches Of length. small diameter and
convenient weight made them easy to
carry away IN the pockets.
Just how many boys carried these lit"
tie cylinders to their homes Is a subject
. of anxious concern to the army officers
who directed the realistic reproduction
of warfare on the western front that had
been under way since Tuesday at the end
of the Broadway subway. The cylinders
are exceedingly dangerous ornaments In
any home that Is so unfortunate as to
have one. They are hand grenades
highly charged with explosive powder.
In front OF 401 East Forty-eighth
street a group OF children we're playing
yesterday around a bonfire. AS boy.
not yet identified, passed the fire he
threw q small object that the children
who saw 1t said looked like a ball. 1t
fell into the fire. There was an explo-
sion. A burst of brilliant flame flashed
from the burning embers and small shot
rained among the children and against
the buildings on both sides OF the street.
shock knocks Down Children.
Most OF the children were knocked
down by the shock of the explosion.
There was n rush OF people from nearby.
Three children were picked up wounded
by shot, but not seriously. They were
1sldore and George Cohen, 8 and 4 years
old respectively. and Helen Neariss, 10.
All lived in the building at 401
An ambulance was summoned from
the Flower Hospital to where the three
injured children were taken. All were
able TO return home after being treated.
The boy who threw the bomb ran at
the sound OF the explosion. The police
feel sure that he had a hand grenade
that was picked up in Van Cortlandt
Park.
The park has been fenced off and
kept under heavy guard during the
show. The soldiers Camped there had
their tours at guard duty. and the Of
ficers felt reasonably secure against the
spectacle being made source of danger
TO many homes.
They failed TO reckon with the small
boy. however. and his mania for war
souvenirs. The park covers big area
and is unlghted In many places. Sew
erar hundred youths passed through the
the camps and the heavily guarded am
munition stores were able to comb the
park for such things as struck their
fancy.
Col. RagsdaIe Issues Warning.
~ would rather be court-martialed
than to have a childs death result from
q thing we could not foresee," said
Lieut. Col f. ]. W. Ragsdale, chief OF
the Trench Warfare Division. who Is in
charge of the exhibition. I'VE have
no Idea how many explosive shells and
grenades have been carried away. II
is the duty Of all parents TO watch out
for them. As soon as discovered. they
should be buried in the ground or i'm
niersed In water The grenades are
marked 'W.P'"
TO discharge the greHades II is neces-
Sary to pull out safety wire at one
end Of the cylinder. The explosion is
powerful enough TO kill persons nearby
Several boys. whose actions attracted
the attention OF Capt Wiley Of the
Trench Division Thursday night. were
rounded up and souvenirs they had
collected we're conflscated. One boy had
six hand grenades. Another had a
three inch Stokes trench mortar shell.
The extent to which dangerous shell
hunting had been carried on was moi
realized by army officers until yester-
day. Lieut. Col. Ragsdale saw to 1t al
once that every available agency was
put to work advertising the possibility
OF danger and searching for explosives
IN homes.
Fields and woods OF the park win bc
searched by soldiers to-day in an effor'
TO recover all unexploded shells ant
grenades.