Appalling Catastrophe.
Explosion of Fireworks in Printing-House Square.
Thee Persons Mortally Wounded and Four Others Badly
Injured.

At a few minutes after 8 o’clock last evening Printing House
Square was the scene of a terrible calamity, resulting in the
serious injuries to five men and two small boys. The
accident, if such it may be termed, was caused by the
igniting of a large quantity of skyrocket and Roman candles,
which were being conveyed in an open wagon, together with
six men of the Jeremiah Murphy Chowder Club  of the  
Fourth Ward, who were just returning from a chowder party
at Bayonne,  N. J. The rockets caught fire from a box of
burning matches which were carelessly dropped in their
midst, almost  instantaneously producing an explosion,
followed by the whizzing and snapping, followed by
innumeable balls of fire. Hardly a moment ensued after the
explosion before a large crowd of spectators were attracted
by loud cries of agony coming from the victims of the
catastrophe. The bystanders promptly directed their
attention to the suffers, the most of whom were in the most
ghastly manner. One little boy was found with all the clothing
torn off his body, and with his flesh painfully lacerated by the
ignited powder. Some portions of his body presented
wounds of a very frightful description, his breast and his
limbs being with blood and particles of skin. He was removed
in a blanket to the Twenty-sixth Precinct Police Station, and
was subsequently sent to the City Hospital on a stretcher. It
was ascertained that he was named Richard Mulcahey, and
that he resided with his parents at No. 52 Cherry-street.
Another person named David Howard alias “Ballyoolly," 20
years and living at No. 315 Water-street, received severe
internal injuries, and was taken in a carriage to Bellevue
Hospital. The rest of the wounded comprised Michael
Barrett, aged 16, of No. 52 Cherry-street, who had his eyes
burned out, besides having his hands burned to a crisp;
Thomas Kelly, aged 12, of No. 37 Cherry-street, who was
bruised in almost every part of his body, more particularly on
his face; John Wogan, a man of No. 42 Cherry-street, who
was run over by the wagon, reecevingh injuries in the groin
and side; Wm. Radgin, of No. 45 Cherry-street, who had the
skin torn from his legs; Thomas Maher, of No. 84 Roosevelt-
street whose wounds were of a painful. although not of 1
fatal nature. The latter was the President  of the Club. J.
Bush, of No. 11 Chattam-street, was  also slightly bruised.

          Account by an Eye-witness.

   Thomas Whalen, one of the of the members of the
Chowder Club, was in the wagon at the time of the
occurrence, stated to our reporter that the Club haul been
on an excursion to Bayonne, N.J., during the day; the
excursionists, numbering between sixty and eighty persons,
charted thirteen stages to convey them ; they also engaged
a large wagon from Charles Lent, Jr., of the Courtland-street
Stage Line to carry refreshments and fireworks. Whalen that
were worth about $10, and the Club commenced discharging
them after they had landed in this City on their return.
The disaster occurred neary opposite the French’s Hotel.
One of the party lighted a match for the purpose of setting
of a Roman candle, but was so careless as to set the whole
box in a blaze. He then dropped the matches among the
fireworks in the bottom of the wagon, but subsequently
picked them up and threw them into the street. A few of the
escaped his notice, and those were the cause of the
explosion.  At the time it occurred there were six persons in
the wagon, including Maher.

Another Version by an Astor House Boarder.

A boarder at the Astor House witnessed the explosion while
standing in Printing-house-square. He was first attracted to
the chowder party by the appearance of a large number of
stages at the lower extremity of the Park. He saw them
discharge a sky-rocket in front of the Astor Hose ; it was
followed by another, which fell near the City Hall. Just as the
party reached the TIMES office corner a third rocket was
discharged, after which the explosion. The wagon contained
between sixty and seventy Roman candles and as many
rockets, all of which exploded. The air in the immediate
vicinity of the square was with a very strong stench arising
from the burning clothing of the persons who were in the
wagon. Among the latter was Maher, who was obliged to jump
out of the conveyance into the gutter in order to get out of
he way of the explosion. The horses attached to the wagon
took  fright when  fireworks burnt, and ran up Chataham-
street, despite the strenuous exertions of Charles Smith
their driver. Their flight was arrested by J. Bush, not without
some damage to himself, however.