New-York tribune., 1921-06-11
Four Lads Near
Death by Blast
In "Pirate Dem
Can of Powder Blows Up inA
Shack They Built ON
Staten Island and Hurls
Them, Injured, Many Feet
Source Is a M ystery
Investigation On to Learn
How Boys Got Explosive;
Victims Are Unconscious

Four boys received injuries which
may be mortal last night when a can
of gunpowder blew up in hut they
had built in a vacant lot in Mariners
Harbor, Staten Island. They are John
Marrgan, eleven years old, 124 Harbor
Road; Arthur Peagano, fourteen, 230
Arlington Avenue; Albert Scoggi. sew
enteen, 125 South Avenue, and Donald
Catterili, sixteen, 1896 Richmond Ter
race, all of Mariners Harbor.
The first three were taken to st. Vim
cents Hospital in West New Brighton
and Catterili was taken to Staten ISL
and Hospital in New Brighton. They
are burned about the heads, hands and
bodies and there is small hope at the
institutions to which they were taken
that their lives can be saved.
Just how the can of gunpowder hap
pened to be in the shack and how the
accident occurred may never be learned.
| All Of the victims were unsconsclous
when help reached them and none of
them has recovered his senses since.
Built as Boys Retreat
The four who were in the shanty last
night built it with the assistance of
other boys in the neighborhood about a
week ago, the nucleus of the retreat
being the body of covered delivery
| wagon which they discovered in the
! lot
With this as start they built q
ramshackle structure which served as
clubhouse, castle, bandits lair, ranch
house or fort, according to the age and
imagination of its occupants of the
moment To this storehouse they re-
paired with all the treasure trove yield
ed by the prolific vacant lots OF the
vicinity, rusty kettles and pans, broken
down chairs, a decrepit couch, moth
eaten portieres and similar trash which
has value in the eyes of juvenile house
holders.
It is believed that some foraging
party came upon the can of powder
and lugged it to the gathering place
of the clan to await whatever purpose
it might serve.
The four who were in the place last
night repaired thither as soon as they
had finished their dinner. Their pur-
pose still is hidden, but other boys of
the neighborhood said that Albert and
Donald smoked cigarettes without the
knowledge Of their parents and were ac-
customed to use the shack as q smoking
room.
Explosion Arouses Neighborhood
One of them, it is thought, was
smoking when some noise in Arlington
Avenue close by alarmed him, inspir-
ing the fear that his retreat was about
to be invaded by adults, perhaps of his
own family. A glowing cigarette,
hastily flung aside, is thought to have
ignited the powder.
There was an explosion which
aroused the neighborhood. The roof
of the shelter was blown off and its
occupants hurled through the aperture,
while it's sides collapsed upon the
ruin wrought within. The black
ened forms of the unconscious boys
| were found a -score of feet or more
from the heap of lumber which had
been their stronghold.
Nearby was found the cover Of a
powder can, the only clew to the mys-
terry which has been discovered so far.
| The police of West New Brighton and
District Attorney Joseph F. Malloy are
examining boys living in the vicinity
in the hope of finding out more about
the accident.