Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-07-23
The Strikers War.


railway strike in this city was reached yester
day afternoon about o'clock, when the Phlla
delphia troops, who had been sent here TO sup
press the strikers, fired upon the crowd. lhe
terribly fatal effects OF the shots tlrcd by the
,roons exaspcrated citizens as we'll as strikers,
and in less than an hour the baud OF working
men from the rolling milIs, coal mGeS aud
various manufacturing establishments inausu.
,stea scene of conflict. determined to have
revenge on the troops ard railroad officials. 1t
was stated that Gen. Pearson, commander oil
the Sixth division Of the State Guards, had
directed the troops to fire before any resistance
had been made, and the fact that many OF
those killed and wounded had gathered on the
hillside merely as spectators served 70 Increase
the bitterness of the crowd. BY clock 10
the evening mobs we're moving about the city
in various directions. seeking stores 10 secure
arms. breaking into the armories OF the military
oomnanies and preparing themselves to execute
The threats freely expressed of maasacrelnE the
entire Philadelphia command.
Nv this time the military had Withdrawn
from the railroad crossing at Twenty eighth
street, where the first Conflict took place, and
were ordered to one OF the round-housts where
they could 6nd better protccuon About ~
o clock 10 the evening MOI Dumotrog sew
eral thousand had cougTegated about the
round house. They had previously captured
the cues beloueipg TO HuichlnSon battery,
local oreauizl!iOu, and planted them so As 10
command the rouoa house. S27eIsl solid shots
we're fred at The building aud bre ach made
in the walls, but when the iuturlatcd mob 1T
L Ia ,,n . LII or;-
were ordered to fire. The Vo!!ey ct musSetfy
which followed aud the runor that the Cat
ling guns of tie command were being brought
into reuuisition caused q panic, ADD the MOP
fled prccipitateiy for several squares, the Mill
tarv meanwhile keeping up the iusliada. The
rioters, bAweYer, were soon treasured, aud as
thousands were hocking to their assistance
thew returned 10 the attack. Finding it dltl
emil TO dislodee the military from the build.
| ing, thew resolved to burn them out. An or.
der m this effect was issued aud il was carried
;nto execution with fendiah a.acrily by the
rioters
In consequence OF the blockade which had
existed for two days, the s;diugs IN thc outer
denot Yards as we'll as those eXtend!ug east.
ward somc three CT four miles we've crowded
with freight cars, filed with grain. produce,
and merchandise of all kinds, besides which Il
number of ladcued oil, coke and Goa! cars we're
piled up 10 the mass.
While large portion Of the mob surrounded
the building 10 which the military mad taken
refuge, large bodies proceeded to set fire to me
oil cars and 10 moment the huge volumes
Of black smoke which rolled upwards. out IN
every direction. told the work Of DESTRUCTION hal
commenced. The sight of the flames seemed
to literally craze the rioters, some OF whom
rushed wildly about with flaming torchti IN
their hands, applying them to the cars iDdls'
crimiDately. An alarm was s9undeI and the
department promptly responded, but the not
crs, who had complete control OF the city, re-
fused - permit tbeu to make any effort to e&-
tipguish the flames. They said they were de-
terniued to destroy the railroad company :
property, but do no jury to that belooRlog to
private citizens They kept their word, too,
and when a lumber pile belonging to citizen
| took FIRE. the rioters themselves turned IN aud
helped to ex,iuguish the flames and remove
the lumber to a safe place. Train after train
was fred by the iofuriated crowd, but the cars
were 80 far distant from the rouudbousc that
heat did not seriously affect the military, al.
though their position was Que OF peril.
FioaiIy large party Of strikers captured
car filled with coke, which they ran from tho
Allegheny Valley railroad track to a siding
connecting with the Pennsylvania railroad.
They then procured large quantities OF pctro,
leum oil, and pouring it over the coke lSnIled
the materials. 10 very few moments the car
was mass Of fire, ard it was thcu pushed
along the track aud forced against the round.
house. The bulldog was soon ignlted, and the
soldiers were compelled to prepare 10 tight
their way out through the irc0zicd mass OF
humanity camoring for their blood. The
building did not burn rs rapidly as was de.
sired, and the mob, bent on revenge, rushed
out the road and sent burning trains toWords
the doomed buildings. From midnight Wei!
5 O. clock this morning the main efforts CT the
crowd we're directed to firing the buildings ard
cars, but 10 about half an hour later the mob
which had been besieging the military Left Tor
some unexplained reason.
This afforded the troops who we're in actual
danger of being roasted alive an opportunity to
emerge from the building, and they succeeded
in reachiug Liberty street 10 a very few mo.
ments. They quickly formed 10 line and marched
up to Thirty third street. and thence TO Penn,
sylvania and Butler. Their Objective point Was
| the Uuited States arsenal GU Butler street,
where they expected to obtain shelter. While
! turning into Butler, however, the leaders had
discovered their retreat, aud fully one thousand
| fully armed and supplied with amnual'on toll
lowed 10 pursuit. Some Of the troops fred at
cilizens either accidentally or Intentionally as
thew we're moving aioog, and this added turg
to the cry for revenge. When they reached the
arsenal the com maudan: refused to admit them,
lie said be had but tn mco, aud would be
powerless to hold the place if the mob should
attack it. He consented to take care OF The
wounded, aud they were accordiogIy carried
into the hospital. The main body OF the troops
coutioued their march cut Butler street, tu
SHADE being kept up 90 them by the mob AS
they moved forward. The shots fired killed
ono OF the soldiers before they reached the ar
senal, and nearly opposite the cemetery gaze,
fully mile above the arsenal, two oth:rs were
killed, and we're left lying 90 the Sidewalk
They continued their flight, and cossed over to
the north side of the Allegheny river, on
Sharpsburg bridge, the mob following them as
rapidly as possible After reaching the north
side the troops scattered, and in this way the
mob was divided into very smali bodies.
10 the meantime the city was IN State o
anarchy. Thousands who had not joined in the
-. tharn IohS n