[Note from the Editor: It took 100 years of freedom, but Americans finally figured out that gunpowder, firearms, liquor and open flame might not be the best way to celebrate our nation's independence. Take, for example, the following newspaper article quoted verbatim from the July 5, 1876 edition of the Brooklyn Union newspaper. ]

Appended is the list of casualties unfortunately always attendant upon the Fourth of July:

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During the fire in F. Summerville's store, Francis LENT, a clerk, aged nineteen, of No 391 Baltic St. while attempting to save the money drawer, was instantly killed and almost burned to a crisp by the explosion of a keg of powder.

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Mary McGEE, forty five years of age, of No 327 Warren street, was slightly wounded in the leg, while seated on her stoop, by a pistol ball fired by some unknown person.

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Mary GREEN, 23 years of age, while washing on the rear stoop of her residence, No 33 Carroll street, was shot in the arm and slightly injured. Emil Rosenberger, a peddler of No.181 Clinton street, was arrested today by Detective Mahoney, on charge of having fired the shot.

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Mary THOMPSON, aged two years, of 83 Union street, was severely injured by falling out of a second-story window while looking at the procession.

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John WHITE, of 83 Myrtle avenue, was shot and slightly wounded through the carelessness of Jacob MOORE, a barber, of 8 Myrtle avenue, who was arrested.

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Patrick MALLOY, aged fourteen, of No 332 Hicks street, threw a match into a bottle containing powder, and was seriously burned and cut about the hands and feet.

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Henry LOCKWOOD, one year old, while in his mother's arms, at her residence, corner of Fifth avenue and Ninth street, was seriously injured by a pistol ball, fired by some unknown person.

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Hugh REYNOLDS, 16 years of age, dangerously shot himself in the thigh, while discharging a revolver on the roof of his residence, No 406 Van Brunt street.

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Andrew H. ANDERSON, of 24 Third street, was accidentally shot in the face yesterday, the ball lodging partially behind the eye. Drs. Walker and Bergen removed the eye, extracted the bullet and the replaced the eye in the socket. Theodore Haynes and Wm. Horn, boys, were arrested and charged with being the cause of the accident.

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James McGIVINY, aged nine years, of 275 Bond St, had his face badly burned with powder.

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Christian BOAGORI, a Swede, died yesterday at No 50 Dikeman street, from injuries sustained by falling from a cherry tree.

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Carrie HOAR, of 157 Gates avenue, while viewing the pyrotechnic display at Ft Greene last night, sustained a severe wound in the leg from a skyrocket carelessly set off in the crowd.

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Joseph AUGUSTBERGER and Charles DOLL, boys, were painfully burned by firecrackers at the corner of Tompkins and Throop avenues.

Timothy SHAY, of Mulberry St., New York, was thrown out of a wagon at the corner of Ninth St and Sixth Ave and severely cut about the head.

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Joseph LEVY, burned about face and eyes by explosion of a small cannon in front of his residence No 127 Fulton St.

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William HALL, aged fourteen years, of 17 Fillmore place, was wounded in the left side yesterday morning while sitting on the curbstone in Grand St. near Sixth. The wound was trifling and Hall went home. It is not known who fired the shot.

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John GARDNER, 50 years of age, a watchman at Havermeyer's sugar refinery, at the foot of South Fourth St., was shot in the forehead by some unknown person on Saturday night and slightly wounded. He was attended by Dr. Malone and sent to his home in East New York.

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Vinsen SCHUTTERS, of East New York, had two ribs broken by a skyrocket while standing on Ocean Hill.

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A ball from a pistol last night struck Mrs. Mary Leach in the breast as she was sitting in the doorway of her residence, No 1103 Fulton street, passing thence into her left arm. Dr. Griggs extracted the bullet.

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