1891 — Sep 24, Fireworks Mortar Explodes, Feast of St. Rocco celebration, Newark, NJ — >13
—>13 Blanchard estimate — 13 named fatalities and note that a survivor was expected to die.
— 13 The News, Frederick, MD. “More Victims of Newark’s Bomb.” 10-2-1891, p. 1.[1]
— 12 Waterloo Daily Courier, IA. “Twelve Were Killed.” 9-28-1891, p. 2.
— 11 Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events of…1891. 1892, p. 256.
— 11 Boston Daily Globe, MA. “Eleven People Killed.” 8-26-1891, p. 4.
— 11 Davenport Morning Tribune, IA. “Killed Eleven People….Newark…” 9-27-1891, p. 1.
— 11 The Friend. “Summary of Events,” Vol. 65, No. 1010-7-1891, p. 80.
— 4 Daily Ledger, New Albany, IN. “Cannon Explodes.” 9-25-1891, p. 8.
Narrative Information
Sep 25: “Newark, N.J., Sept. 25. – Four Italians were killed and twenty injured last night by the explosion of an improvised cannon. The Italian quarter was decorated with Italian flags and streamers…in honor of St. Roca’s [Rocco] day. A number of fireworks were also exploded. Among the latter was a piece of gas pipe filled with dynamite, which was fired at about 10:30 o’clock, and before the detonation had died away the air was filled with shrieks. Cries of pain from nearly thirty people, who had been injured by the explosion of the gas pipe.
“Word was sent to the different police stations for help, and four patrol wagons were sent to the scene. The injured were taken to the different hospitals. Four persons are known by the police to have been killed by the explosion. Their bodies were terribly mangled and they are scarcely recognizable. Their names are:
Michael O’Neill,
a twelve-year-old boy named Carin,
a thirteen-year-old boy named Murray, and
Harris Buckmann, about twenty-two years old.
“Seventeen injured Italians are at the hospital, some of whom are certain to die. The police believe that many wounded persons and possibly some of the dead were removed by friends to their homes from the scene of the explosion.” (Daily Ledger, New Albany, IN. “Cannon Explodes.” 9-25-1891, p. 8.)
Sep 25: “Newark, N.J., Sept. 25. – Eleven people are dead and 30 wounded as the result of the mortar explosion at the Italian celebration last night. The Italian colony resident in the neighborhood of Boyden and Nassau sts. had for several days been preparing for the celebration of the feast of St. Rocco. Alfonso Illario, a saloon-keeper, who, on account of his wealth, is known as ‘King’ Alfonso, was the chief mover in the arrangements.
“A platform for musicians was erected in the street, next door to the saloon. A statue of St. Rocco was next to the platform. The houses were decorated and at nightfall Chinese lanterns were lighted. The band played, fireworks were exhibited, and a great crowd blocked the street. A big copper casing mortar was used for the bombs. These were filled with colored fire and shot into the air, where they burst, throwing out a shower of vari-colored sparks. It was this mortar that exploded and caused all the harm. The bomb casing is about five inches in diameter and 30 inches long. About 111 p.m. a large bomb was put in the mortar and lighted. IT is supposed that the bomb exploded in it. There were hundreds of men, women and children standing around watching with great expectancy. When it exploded the air was filled with the shrieks of the injured and dying.
“Intense confusion followed. A platoon of police were on the scene and they had great difficulty in preventing the frightened multitude from trampling the injured to death.
“The explosion is supposed to be due to an overcharge of powder.
“The names of the dead are:
Charles Stewart Carolin.
Michael Anzalona.
Michael O’Neil.
Pasqualli Rezzilano.
Fred Weiss.
Guiseppi Yarrosa.
Frank Miller.
Arthur Flynn.
Lizzie Hughes.
Lizzie Murphy.
Henry Burgesser.
“Nearly all the dead and many of the injured were children, and, with one or two exceptions, lived in Newark. The wounds of those yet living in some cases are of a frightful character, legs, feet, arms or hands torn off, eyes blown out, or bodies horribly lacerated.” (Boston Daily Globe, MA. “Eleven People Killed. Thirty Others, Mostly Children, Severely Wounded. Bursting of a Mortar Causes Sad Havoc in New York. Celebration of the Feast of St. Rocco Ends in Mourning.” 8-26-1891, p. 4.)
Sep 26: “Newark, N.J., Sept. 26. — Later returns from the explosion at last night’s Italian celebration place the number of killed at eleven and the wounded at thirty….The corrected list of
the dead is as follows: [rearranged for alphabetical order]
Michael Ansalona.
Henry Burgesser.
Charles Stewart Carolin.
Antonio Chieffo.
Arthur Flynn.
Lizzie Hughes.
Frank Miller.
Lizzie Murphy
Michael O’Neill.
Pasquale Rezilina.
Fred Weiss.
“….Rumors were abroad that there had been dynamite in the bomb, but this is denied. There is a city ordinance forbidding the display of fireworks except on legal holidays and at military reviews. The superintendent of the fire department granted the permit for the fatal exhibition.” (Davenport Morning Tribune, IA. “Killed Eleven People. Terrible Disaster at a Newark Celebration.” 9-27-1891, p. 1.)
Sep 28: “Newark, N.J., Sept. 28. – It was officially announced that twelve people were killed by the explosion of the bomb on Thursday night at the celebration of the feast of St. Bocco. The last
victim reported was Lizzie C. Ogden, 13 years old, who died late during the night.” (Waterloo Daily Courier, IA. “Twelve Were Killed.” 9-28-1891, p. 2.)
Sep 30: “Newark, N.J., Sept. 30. –All the patients at the city hospital who were injured in the frightful explosion of last week at the Boyden street celebration of the feast of St. Rocco are now believed to be in a /air way to recovery. The attending physicians are working hard to allay blood poisoning.” (The News, Frederick, MD. “Newark’s Dynamite Victims.” 9-30-1891, p. 1.)
Oct 2: “Newark, N.J., Oct. 2. – Maggie Murphy, the 20-year-old girl who was injured in the bomb explosion of last week, it is said, will probably die before the day is over. Mrs. Anzaloni. Mother of the boy who was killed outright, and who was herself injured, is dead from her wounds.” (The News, Frederick, MD. “More Victims of Newark’s Bomb.” 10-2-1891, p. 1.)
Sources:
Appletons’ Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1891 (Vol. 16, new series). “Disasters in 1891.” NY: D. Appleton and Co., 1892. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=FUcoAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
Boston Daily Globe, MA. “Eleven People Killed. Thirty Others, Mostly Children, Severely Wounded. Bursting of a Mortar Causes Sad Havoc in New York. Celebration of the Feast of St. Rocco Ends in Mourning.” 8-26-1891, p. 4. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=161071297&sterm=explosion+newark
Daily Ledger, New Albany, IN. “Cannon Explodes.” 9-25-1891, p. 8. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=198266768&sterm=newark+explosion
Davenport Morning Tribune, IA. “Killed Eleven People. Terrible Disaster at a Newark Celebration. By the Explosion of a Mortar…” 9-27-1891, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=18900618&sterm=newark+explosion
The Friend. “Summary of Events,” Vol. 65, No. 1010-7-1891, p. 80. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=k0ErAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
The News, Frederick, MD. “More Victims of Newark’s Bomb.” 10-2-1891, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=32862722&sterm=newark+explosion
The News, Frederick, MD. “Newark’s Dynamite Victims.” 9-30-1891, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=32862719&sterm=newark+explosion
Waterloo Daily Courier, IA. “Twelve Were Killed.” 9-28-1891, p. 2. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=88020966&sterm=newark+explosion
[1] Article does not state the number of total deaths but notes the death of an additional injured person, Mrs. Anzaloni.