A GLORIOUS FOURTH REMEMBERED

Cortland Evening Standard, Monday, July 6, 1903.

GLORIOUS FOURTH

Celebrated in Cortland in Remarkably Fine Style.

BIG NOISE ALL FRIDAY NIGHT.

Big Bonfire—Common Crackers and Bombs With Blowing of Horns Render

Night Hideous—False Alarm of Fire--Parade of Firemen—Genuine Fire in the

Afternoon—Fire Works in the Evening.

   The Fourth of July was celebrated in Cortland in a way long to be remembered.  A leading feature was the number of accidents that proceeded from the premature explosion of fireworks. This was especially marked during Friday night. One physician was kept busy till 3 o'clock in the morning caring for the patients that came to him.

   Night was rendered hideous in the most approved fashion. Horns were blown, fire crackers cracked, bombs boomed and skyrockets shrieked nearly all night long. There was a big bonfire at the corner of Church and Court-sts. near the soldiers' monument. Barrels and boxes were dragged from every conceivable place and everything that was not nailed down was carted off and burned up.

   Just before midnight there was an alarm of fire from South Main-st. and the fire department responded promptly. It proved to be a false alarm, and later on two boys paid fines of $10 each for interfering with the alarm system when there was no fire.

   During the forenoon the firemen made a fine parade. All the companies headed by the City band marched down to the Trout park where Orris Hose Co. held its picnic. There was a great crowd there and plenty of sports of various kinds. Fireworks in the evening crowned the effort. The firemen were called away rather unceremoniously during the afternoon to respond to a genuine alarm of fire on Pendleton-st.

   The park did the second best day's business in its history. It falls behind the day of the Ithaca band two years ago, but aside from that it was a leader. Over 13,000 people were carried on the line at some time during the day. The City band gave two fine concerts—programs that must have made every resident of the city proud of its band. There was no exception to be taken to its playing along any line. The dance hall was crowded all day. But the crowd was handled in an easy fashion and the last car left the park for the city at 12:10.

   One conductor was heard to remark to an associate in the crowd: "We are in for an all night's job. I didn't suppose there was so many people in Cortland as we have carried up to the park this afternoon. We can't get them all home in two weeks." But he did though.

   The fireworks formed a very satisfactory closing to the evening. The side hill above was seated thick with people, and the selection of pieces was a very happy one. All were enthusiastic in praise of the display.

   The day, so far as weather was concerned, was ideal. Not a cloud, and not excessively hot.

 

A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS

Explosion of Powder Does Injury to Many People in Cortland.

   The Fourth in Cortland furnished material for a chapter of accidents. It is believed that more people were injured this year than ever before and it seems as though each year surpasses the previous one in the matter of powder accidents. Physicians had laid in a good stock of antiseptic supplies and many of them were in their offices prepared for emergencies, and the emergencies came to them. Andrew J. Walling of 22 Fifth-ave., received a slight burn from a fire cracker, Friday evening. The case was not serious, but Dr. C. D. VerNooy was called upon to dress the wound. A young lad by the name of Carpenter on Hubbard-st., had his hand burned by a fire cracker and sought Dr. VerNooy for relief.

May Lose an Eye.

   One of the most serious accidents reported was that which happened to Edward R. Mosher, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Mosher of Elm-st. Mosher was on his way borne from Main-st., about 1 a. m., and was just turning down Railroad-st. when some one shouted "Look out for the big fire cracker." At almost the same instant the cracker exploded just ahead of Mosher inflecting serious injury to his right eye. He hastened to Dr. VerNooy's office, where the wound was dressed. It was found that he was suffering from concussion of the eyeball and the case is considered serious. Saturday morning Mosher was removed to the hospital. He is getting along as well as can be expected, but it is too early yet to determine what the results will be. Yesterday he was able to distinguish objects dimly.

Neck Full of Wadding.

   Michael Quinlivan of 60 East Court-st. was the victim of a very serious and at the same time peculiar accident on the morning of the Fourth. Quinlivan is a night watchman at Wickwires' wire works. Saturday morning after he came home he dropped asleep in his chair while his wife was preparing breakfast. When breakfast was ready Mrs. Quinlivan called her husband, but he failed to hear her and did not awake. Mrs. Quinlivan then thought she would startle him by firing a toy pistol. Picking up one which was lying near at hand she held it near her husband's ear and pulled the trigger. The first time it failed to go off. At the second attempt the cartridge exploded and the paper wadding penetrated the muscle of the left side of Mr. Quinlivan's neck. He was taken to Dr. VerNooy's office where an attempt was made to remove the foreign substance and the injured man was made as comfortable as possible.

Cartridge in Hand.

   Frederick Quick, the 11 year old son of Mr. F. M, Quick received the contents of a blank cartridge in his right hand when finishing up his celebration early Saturday morning. The wound is a serious one.

   Three young men went to the office of Dr. Reese to be treated for powder burns upon the hands. He did not get the names of either.
  
   A son of Daniel Reordan of Pomeroy-st. called at Dr. Neary's office to have his face dressed for powder burns. The doctor was not there but Mrs. Neary told him how he could have the powder picked out and what he had better do and the lad departed.

   There were doubtless many other cases that have not been recorded.

MOVING PICTURES

Weekly Change of Moving Pictures at the Park.

   Arrangements have been made with the Edison company to furnish 1,000 feet of moving pictures film each week to be exhibited at the Cortland park. There will be an entire change of subjects each week and the newest and latest pictures will be shown as they come out. This insures a great variety of pictures all of which will be shown at the park for the first time in Cortland. Among the pictures that will be shown during the season are the Passion Play, Coronation Parade, various illusions, etc. These will be put on as to give as varied an entertainment as possible.

   No charge of admission will be made to the park to witness these exhibitions Quick and ample service to and from the park will be inaugurated during the evenings when the moving pictures are shown.

   The pictures will be shown for the first time tomorrow evening, July 7.

 

STOLEN FROM CEMETERY

Depredations of Various Kinds Being Carried on There.

   Superintendent Gallagher of the Cortland Rural cemetery informs us that numerous articles, such as ribbons, vases, plants, flowers, etc. have of late been stolen from the cemetery. The latest is the theft of a fine bulb-shaped blue vase from the burial lot of G. J. Mager. Its contents were deposited in front of the monument and the vase removed. This was done last week, and if the person who has taken it will return it to the place where taken from no questions will be asked or action commenced.

 

FIRE IN DWELLING HOUSE.

Mrs. Sarah G. Ross' House Badly Damaged Saturday Afternoon.

   On Saturday afternoon at about 3 o'clock an alarm of fire was rung in from Box 414 at the corner of Port Watson and Pendleton-sts. The dwelling house owned by Mrs. Sarah G. Ross at 81 Pendleton-st. was on fire. Mrs. Ross occupies the first floor below and her son, B. E. Ross, the second floor. Mrs. Ross was visiting in New Jersey at the time.

   When first discovered the fire was burning in the roof of the rear wing and on the south side of the gable. Just who first saw it is unknown, but the cry of fire was raised. B. E. Ross, with his wife was sitting on the back porch on the north side of the house.

   E. D. Phillips lives in the next house to the north. Mr. Phillips says that when he first heard the cry he ran to that house and saw a blaze in the roof covering an area of about a yard square and some distance from the chimney. His theory is that a big fire cracker had been fired somewhere near and that part of it flew up on the dry roof and ignited the shingles. Mrs. Ross says there had been no fire in the chimney on that roof since the previous Monday, but a fireman had told her that he put his hand on the chimney after the fire and it was very hot. She thinks the soot in the chimney had been burning all the week and finally had heated the chimney hot enough to ignite the woodwork next it. The origin of the fire will probably never be known exactly.

   When the alarm was first given the people at hand say if they had had a ladder and could have reached the roof they could have extinguished the flames, but before a ladder could be found the fire was beyond control. The effort of the neighbors was at once devoted to saving the property.

   A few men were at work in the factory of the Cortland Carriage Goods Co. in the rear of the house even though it was the Fourth and as soon as they heard the calls of fire they ran out a private hose from there and turned it upon the blazing roof.

   Most of the firemen were at the Trout park attending the Orris Hose company 's picnic, and they started at once up town to get their fire apparatus, but many of them didn't get beyond the burning building for they saw the hose carts coming.

   A half dozen Orris men had come up from the picnic and stood talking in front of the Engine house when the alarm struck and they were off with their cart at the drop of the hat. Harold Gillette dashed up to the Engine house with his automobile and picked up two members of Water Witch company and their cart and off they flew, down the asphalt to the fire. W. W. Kelsey performed a similar service for the Emeralds.

   The Hitchcock company of course had its own horse.

   Driver Waters very quickly had the big team on the hook and ladder truck and the way the big horses ran down Port Watson-st. on the smooth asphalt was a sight to behold.

   The fire was a difficult one to get at as it spread all under the roof above the ceiling of the second floor and broke out in a half dozen places at once. A great amount of water was of necessity used in getting it where the blaze was located. Orris cut a hole through the back gable right under the roof and put in a stream.

   Hitchcock did the same at the front. Water Witch took a line of hose up the front stairs and cut a hole up through the ceiling and attacked the flames from below, while Emerald and the Carriage Goods company's squad devoted themselves to the roof on the outside.

   Little was burned below the second floor ceiling, but the roof was riddled, and the whole house was soaked with water.

   Mrs. Ross had an insurance of $1,500 on the house and $500 on her household goods placed with G. J. Maycumber. No estimate of the loss has yet been made. B. E. Ross had no insurance on his household goods.

 

T. D. DAVIS

Now in Homer to Build the New Passenger Station.

   T. D. Davis of New York City, who had charge of the construction of the new Lackawanna station at Cortland, is in Homer to superintend the erection of the new passenger station in that village. Since completing the Cortland station Mr. Davis has had charge of building a fine new station at Norwich, N. Y., and has been engaged on extensive bridge repairs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

 

 

Editor's note:

   The Cortland Fire Department had five companies in 1900. The oldest was the Water Witch Steam and Hose Co., No.1, followed by the Orris Hose Co., No. 2, Excelsior Hook and Ladder Co., No. 3, Emerald Hose Co., No. 4, and Hitchcock Hose Co., No. 6. The first two companies had about forty members each. All of the firemen were volunteers.

   Cortland Park was located on the east side the Tioughnioga River, opposite today's Yaman Park. A trolley line on Elm Street crossed a bridge over the river and provided service to the park.

Recommended:
Thomas Jefferson and The Fourth of July