“Fourth of July Accidents.” from the July 12, 1902 Advocate
Fourth of July Accidents.
Francis Dresser, a son of F. E. Dresser, was injured while firing off a small cannon. He had touched off the fuse and thinking the weapon was not going to explode picked it up to investigate when an explosion followed, filling his face with powder and causing painful injuries. He had a narrow escape from being blinded.
Norse Catman, the 10-year-old nephew of Jos. DeKeyser, had his left hand severely injured while handling a small pistol. The weapon was loaded with a blank cartridge and while holding the muzzle in his hand the cartridge was exploded the charge entering the palm of the hand, producing a most painful wound. No serious results will follow, however.
Herman Wilman of Sevastopol met with a serious injury while firing a blast in the quarry of Leathem & Smith. As was customary he with some companions were celebrating by boring holes in the rocks and firing a salute. He had filled a hole and held in his left hand an open can partly filled with powder. A spark fell into the powder can and an explosion followed, resulting in his left hand and arm above the wrist were terribly burned, and he will be laid up for several weeks, being now cared for at the hospital. The young man is a son of Chas. Wilman.
While on Cedar street watching the fireworks early in the evening, Vernon Defaut, the 7-year-old son of James Defaut, was severely injured by being run over by a rig in charge of Carl Dreutzer. He ran in front of the animal just as a sky-rocket was sent off, and the horse reared up and pawed the boy under his feet. The horse was caught by Rudolph Soukup and Louis Helm dragged the boy out from his perilous position. Blood was streaming from wounds in his head, and he was taken to the H. A. Wagener drug store where the injuries were dressed. These consisted of one long cut, requiring eight stiches to draw together, and several smaller gashes. The escape from death was miraculous.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
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