Evening star., 1934-07-05
4TH- OBSERVANCE
SANEST SINCE '29
176 Lose Lives in Entire
Nation, Three in Dis
trict Area.

America CeleDrated ltS 1ooIn puCh-
day anniversary In the sanest manner
In recent years, with the lowest num-
Der of deaths since 1929, according to
the Associated Press.
A total of 176 men, women and
children gave up their lives on the
anniversary Of the signing Of the
Declaration of Independence, drop
of from last year and only about
one-third Of the number who perished
in 1881.
Two drownings and tratic fatality
were reported in the District and
vicinity.
The drowning victims were Eden
Ashford Cary, "a, War Department
employe, of Mount Rainier, Md, who
stepped into deep hole while fishing
in the Shenandoah near Strasburg.
Va, yesterday, and Boyd Souder, %.
who lost his life when a canoe cap
sized Tuesday night in the Potomac
DelOW Cndln bTlQge.
Bank Clerk Is Killed.
Stanley w. Gates, "a, 1929 Nine
teenth street, a clerk employed by the
Hamilton National Bank, was killed
in an automobile crash at Norfolk,
Va, yesterday while on his way to
Virginia Beach. Less than half a
dozen minor injuries resulted from
traffic accidents in Washington yes
terday.
A score Of persons were treated at
local hospitals during the day for
powder burns resulting from fire.
cracker explosions, although only one
victim was seriously hurt.
The sharpest decrease in fatalities
throughout the Nation was in the
number who died as a result Of the
use of fireworks. Only three persons
periShed from this cause, as COM
pared with seven in 1888. A 5-year-
old Chinook, Mont, girl was one OF
the victims. The other was a Negress
killed in Minneapolis when a rocket
skipped over the ground and struck
her in the chest as she stood amid
a crowd of celebrators. At Canton,
Okla, wild rocket. part of a mu-
nicipal fireworks display, killed Calvin
HoWery, %, of Fairview last night, and
injured several others in the crowd,
none seriously.
Fireworks Injure Hundreds.
Thus the campaign for a safe and
sane" Fourth, started in 1907 BY
James Keeley, then an editor Of 9
Chicago newspaper, appeared to bt
gaining ground.
Hundreds Of persons, however, were
treated for minor injuries from fire.
works, among them 1900 in New
York City.
Keeley started his movement as h,
sat at the bedside Of his sick daugh.
ter, who was disturbed by the bar.
rage of shots that resounded arounc
her room. He never lived to see hi
movement bear fruit, for he died tn,
same year. Thousands of others tool
up the work, selling America the ide;
Of celebrating the day in less dan
| gerous pastimes.
Seventy Are Drowned.
Drowning was the principal caus,
| Of yesterdays fatalities, with a tota
l>of 70. Automobiles claimed SO, anC
for the first time since 1881, we're re-
sponSible for fewer deaths than tn,
bodies of water to which the holiday
crowds fiocked for relief from tht
heat.
Other causes accounted for 3.
deaths, including 5 burned to death
in the wreckage of an airplane a
ST. Ansgar, Iowa; prisoners crushed
to death in the collapse Of grand
| stand at the Welfare Island Peniten
| tiary in New York, the death of s
racing driver at York, Pa, and tina
Of a parachute jumper at Streator, III
Inspector L. I. H. Edwards, acting
chief of police in the absence of Maj
E. w. Brown on vacation, described
the local celebration as one Of tht
| safest ever held.
Perhaps the most seriously injured
victim of a firecracker explosion i
Teresa Chichester. 81, colored, of 145'
Church street. She was badly burned
about the left eye when hit by al
exploding firecracker yesterday. Th
woman was admitted to Emergenc.
| Hospital
A score of other persons, including si'
children, were treated at various hos
pitfalls for powder burns received il
frecracker explosions and discharged
Six Treated at Casualty.
Six victims were treated at Casualty
Hospital during the day: Richarc
La Mana, 7, of 1104 Fifth street north.
east, burned left hand; Dorothy
Moore, IT, of 214 Ninth street north.
east, burned right knee; Lawrence