The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1877-07-26
The Philadelphia Militia Smoked
Out of the Round-house and
Driven Through the
Streets.
An Immense Amount of Railroad Prop
erty Burned, Including the Union
Depot, Rouud-houses' Freight
Depots, Cars and l25
Locomotives. ,
The strike Fever UnabateJ,and
thc Excitement Spreading.
Movement of Troops-Cabinet Meeting;
Doubt AZ to What Course to Pursue.

reached yesterday afternoon about
) O'Clock. when the Philadelphia troops
who had been sent here to suppress
strikers fred upon the crowd. The
military had withdrawn from the rail
road crossing at Twenty-eighth street,
where the first conflict took place, and
were ordered to one of the round
houses. where they could find better
protection. About 10 o'clock in the
evening Il mob numbering several thou
sand had congregated about the round
house. They had previously captured
the guns belonging to Hutchinson's
battery, and planted them so asto com
maud the round>house. Several soild
shots were fred at the building, and a
breach made in the walls, but when the
infuriated mob attempted to rush into
the building, the military were ordered
to fire. The volley OF musketry which
followed caused a panic and the mob
fled. the military in the meanwhile kept
ND the fusilade. The rioters, however,
were soon reassured, and as thousands
were docking to their assistance, they
returned TO the attack. Finding it
difficult to dislodge the military from
the building, they resolved to burn
them out. An order to this effect was
issued. and it was carried into execu-
ton with q fandish alacrity by the riot
ers. In consequence OF the blockade
which had existed for two days, the sid
ings in the outer depot ward as well rs
those extending eastward some three or
fonr miles. were crowded with freight
cars filed with grain, produce and mer-
chandise OF all kinds, besides which a
Lumber of ladaned oil and coal cars
were piled up in the mass. While a
portion of the mob surrounded the
building in which the military had tax
en- refuge, large bodies proceeded to set
fire to the oil cars, and in a moment the
huge columns Of black smoke which
rolled upwards in every direction, told
the work of destruction Lad commences
ed. The sight of the flames seemed
to literally craze the rioters, some OF
whom rushed wildly about with fans
ing torches in their hands applying
them to the ears indiscriminately.
Train after train was fired by the III
furlated crowd. but the cars were so far
distant from the round-houses that 1t
did not seriously affect the military, all
though their position was one OF peril.
Finally a large party of strikers cap
tured a car filed with coke, which they
run from the Allegheny Valley Railroad
track to a siding connecting with the
Pennsylvania Railroad. They then pro
cured large quantities of petroleum oil,
and pouring it over the coke, ignited
the materials, and in a very few mo-
ments the car was a mass of fire, and ii
was then pulled along the tracks and
forced against the round-house. The
building was soon ignited. From mid
night till 5 O'Clock this morning the
main efforts of the crowd were directed
to firing The buildings and cars, but
about half an hour later the mob which
had been besieging the military, left fol
some unexplained reason. This afforded
the military, who were in danger of be-
ing roasted alive, opportunity to emerge
from the binding. While turning into
Butler street the leaders of the mol
discovered their retreat, and fully one
thousand armed and supplied with am,
munition followed in pursuit. Some OF
the troops fred at the citizens, either
accidentally or Intentionally as they
were moving along, and this added fury
to the cry for revenge. When they
reached the arsenal the Commandant
refused to admit them. He said he had
but ten men. and would be powerless tC
hold the place if the mob should attack
it. He consented to take care of the
wounded, and they were accordingly
carried into the hospitals. The main
body of the troops continued then
march out Butler street, a fusilade be
ing kept up on them by the mob as
they moved forward. The shots fired
killed one of the soldiers before they
reached the arsenal, aud nearly oppo.
site the Cemetery gate, fully a mile
above the arsenal, two others were kill
ed.
In the meantime the city was IN n
state of anarchy. Thousands who had not
Joined in the pursuit of the fleeing
troops, gathered about the burning
buildings and trains, and assisted IN
spreading the flames. By O'Clock the
fire had extendedfrom Melville station
to Twentieth street, and enveloped
hundreds of cars, the extensive machine
shops, two round-houses, and depots
and Offices, of the Union Transfer Com
pany, blacksmith shops, stOre>houses,
and numerous other buildings, break
ing up the terminal facilities of this
mammoth corporation. In round-houses
were one hundred and twenty-five first
class locomotives which had been hous-
ed in consequence of the strike. These
We're totally destroyed. But even the
immense loss which will be sustained
in this item is but a trife i'll the aggre,
gate damage done.
The scenes transpsing OF Liberty
street, along the Ii % of which the
tracks of the railroad run, simply beg
gar description. While hundreds were
engaged in firing the cars and making
certain of the destruction of the valu.
able buildings at the outer depot, thou
sands of men, womepx2nd children were
engaged in pillaging the cars. Men
armed with heavy sledges would break
open the cars and then the contents
would be thrown out and carried off by
those bent on profiting by the reign OF
terror existing. The street was almost
completely blockaded by persons labor,
ing to carry Off the plumber they had
gathered together. In hundreds Of in.
stances wagons were pressed into ser
vice to enable thieves to get away with
their goods.
Up to 3 p. M, no efforts had been
made to check the riot. The mob
worked very quietly, aud it was q no
ticeable fact that few Of the railroad
employees were engaged in the work OF
destruction; here and there a man who
had been discharged might have been
seen leading a crowd, but generallythe
r~ingleaders were men who never had
been employed on any railroad. Many
half-grown boys were foremost in the
work of devastation.
At $3.50 a burning car was sent down
the grade under sheds surrounding the
Union Depot. Up to this time, it was
hoped that the but ding would escape,
but the mass of pine lumber used in
shedding over the track was soon a sea
of fire. While the fire was raging here
the mob pillaged The freight depot OF
HP. G. and st. Louis railroad, which is
in close vicinity. Boxes of freight re-
ceived for shipment were broken open
and valuable contents carried off. After
plunderinr the tiepot an hour. and