The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-07-26
PITTSBURGH.

| scenes ana incidents of the Great Riots
{Gleaned from the Pittsburgh papers,
The scenes TRANSPORTING on Liberty
street, along the line of which the tracks
OF the railroads run, simply beggar de-
soription. While hundreds were en-.
gagged III firing the cars and making GER
tain of the destruction of the valuable
buildings at the outer depot, thousands
OF men, women and children were en-
gagged 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 profting by the reign of terror ex-
listing. The street was almost entirely
blockaded by persons laboring to carry
Oft the plumber they had gathered to-
gether. In hundreds of instances wae-
ons were pressed into service to enable
the thieves to get away with their goods.
Some OF the scenes, notwithstanding
the terror which seemed to paralyze
peaceable and orderly citizens, were lu-
dlcrous in the highest degree, and no
one seemed to enjoy them with greater
zest than those engaged in the wholesale
plumber. Here brawny woman could
be seen hurrying away with pairs of
white kid slippers under her arms an
other, carrying an infant, would be roll
ing barrel of -four along the sidewalk.
using her feet as the propelling power.
Here a man pushing a wheelbarrow
loaded with white lead BOYS hurried
through the crowd with large-sized fam
lily Bibles as their share Of the plumber
while scores Of females utilized aprons
and dresses to carry -four, eggs, dry
goods, etc. Bundles of umbrellas. fancy
parasols, hams, bacon, leaf lard, calico.
blankets, laces and -four were mixed to-
gether in the arms of robust men or
carried on hastily constructed hand-bar-
rows.
The mob worked very quietly, but It
was q noticeable fact that few Of the rail
way employees were engaged. in the work
OF destruction. Here and there a man
who had been discharged might be seen
leading crowd, but generally the ring
leaders were men who had never been
employed on any railroad. Many half
grown boys were foremost in the work of
devastation, and We'd with the older ones
in their efforts. The operations we're
carried on very quietly, and the multi
tude OF men, women and children who
filled the streets and occupied positions
on the hillside south Of the railway looked
on with astonishment while the destruc-
ton Of property continued
The freight received for shipment was
broken open and valuable contents car
ried off. After plundering the depot
for an hour, and when flour, hams, and
all kinds of provisions had been carried
away, the torch was applied, and soon
the vast depot and the company's gen
eral offices adjoining were mass of
flames. The Union Depot was large
four-story building. It had frontage
On Liberty street of about IS feet and
extended back about 200 feet. The
lower floor was used as waiting rooms,
ticket-offices, and company Offices; the
upper floor was occupied by the Key
stone Hotel Company, and was one of
the finest hotels in this city The whole
building was of the modern style of
architecture, and was considered one of
the best-arranged depots in the country.
1t was finished about seven years since.