The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-08-02

this sortie, portion of the mob proceeded
to Allegheny, where they broke into the
Armory of Knapp's Battery and stole
threeof the cannon, which they took to the
roundhouse. They next marched through
the city with flfe and drum, firing their
gunA Three of the soldiers and two citi-
zens were killed during the evening.
delphia troops took shelter in the round.
house, with the troops quartered there to
protect it. The mob surrounded it and
swore vengeance. They vowed that none
should escape from the building alive, and
that the structure should be burned over
their heads.
At three .. M, after the mob's firing
one shot from the cannon which they had
pointed, the soldiers fired from the round
house, and, covering the gun of the citi-
Gems with their musketry, prevented its
further use.
In the first volley from the soldiers two
men were killed and several wounded.
About five O'Clock the cars below the
transfer off in the yard were set on fire.
They were loaded with barrels of com.
bustiblc material, and, when they took
fire, burst, and some of them flew a dis
lance of 100 feet.
The machines shop between Twenty. fifth
and Twenty sixth streets then took fire,
and at this time a blazing car was run
down the Allegheny Valley Railroad
switch. This brought the Philadelphia
troOpe out of the rOundhOuse, and they
commenced firing on the crowd. The fact
that vOlley had been fired, and the fact
thatmany of those killed and wounded had
gathered on the hillside merely a. specta-
tors, served to increase the bitterness of
the crowd. BY eight O'Clock in the even-
ing, mObs were moving about the city in
various directions, sacking stores to secure
arms, breaking into the armorics of the
military companies, and preparing them
selves to execute the threats, freely ex.
pressed, Of massacreing tho entire
Philadelphia command. BY 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the military had Withdrawn from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
rOundhouscs. where they could find bet
ter protection. About ten O'Clock in the
evening mob numbering several thou
sands had cOngrcgated about the round
house. They bad previously captured the
guns belonging to HutchinsOn's Battery, a
local organization, and planted them SO a.
to command the rOundhOuse. Several
solid shots were fired at the building, and
breach made in the walls, but when the
Infatuated mob attempted to rush into the
building the military were ordered to fire.
The volley of musketIy which followed,
and the rumor that the Calling guns of the
command were being brought into requi.
sition, caused a panic, and the mob fled
precipitately for several squares, the mill
tary meanwhile keeping up the tusilade.
The rioters, however, were soon treasured,
and, as thousands were flocking 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 effect with
fiendish alacrity by the rioters. As q
consequence of the blockade which had
existed for two days, the sidings in
the outer depot yards, as we'll as
those extending eastward some three
or four miles, were crowded with
freight cars filled with grain prod
ucts and merchandise of all kinds,
beside which a number of ladened oil
cake and cOal-cars were piled up in the
mass. While . portion OF the mob sur
rounded the building in which the military
had taken refuge, large bodies proceeded to
set fire to the Oil-cars, and in moment
the huge volumes of black smoke which
rolled upward, followed by lurid flames,
reaching out in every direction, told that
the work of destruction had commenced.
The light of the flames seemed to
literally craze the rioters, some of
whom rushed wildly about with flaming
torches in their hands, applying them
to the cars unfortunately. An alarm
was sounded, and the department
promptly responded, but the rioters, who
had complete control of the city, refused
to permit them to make any effort t. ex-
tinguish the flames. They said they were
determined to destroy the railroad COM
pany's property, but would do no injury
to that belonging to private citizens. They
kept their word, too, and when lumber
pile belonging to citizen took fire the
rioters themselves turned in and helped to
extinguish the flames and remove the
lumber to q safe place.
Train after train was fired by the infuri-
ated crowd, but the cars were SO far dis
tant from the r0undhouses that the heat
did not seriously affect the military, al
though their position was one of peril.
AA0AAy1 . .0Ak R0Aty Va OSx AhVAo V0P>
tured Car filed with coke, which they
ran from the Allegheny Valley Railway
track to q siding connecting with the
Pennsylvania Railroad. They then pro-
cured large quantities of petroleum oil,
and, pouring it over the coke, ignited the
materials. In q very few moments the
pushed along the tracks and forced against
the rourdhOuse. The building was soon
ignited, and the soldiers were now COM
PEELED to prepare to fight their way out
through the frenzied mass of humanity
clamOring for their blood. The building
did not burn as rapidly as was de.
sired, and the mob, bent on revenge,
rushed out ON the road and sent
burning trains toward the doomed
buildings. From midnight until five
O'Clock this morning the main efforts of
the crowd were directed to firing the
buildings and cars, but about half an hour
latel the mob which had been besieging
the military left, for some unexplained
reason. This afforded the troops, who
were in actual danger of being roasted
alive, an opportunity to emerge from the
building, and they succeeded in reaching
Liberty street. In very few moments
they quietly formed in line and marched
up to Thirty third street, and thence to
Pennsylvania avenue and Butler street.
Their objective point was the United
States Arsenal on Butler street, where
they expected to obtain shelter. While
turning into Butler street, however, the
leaders of the mob had discovered their
retreat, and fully 1000 men, fully armed
and supplied with ammunition, followed
in pursuit. Some of the troops fired at
the citizens, either accidentally or inten-
tionally, IS they were moved along, and
this added fury to the cry for revenge.
The main body Of the troops continued
their march out Butler street, q fhsillade
being kept up by the mob. As they
moved forward the shots fired killed one
of the soldiers before they reached the
arsenal, and nearly opposite the cemetery
9ate fnllx 4 mile ah0Ye the araenal TIM