The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-07-26
A REIGN OF ANARCHY.
Terrible Deeds of the Railway
Strikers i'm Pittsburg and
Baltimore.
Nearly Thirty People Killed and Many
Wounded iii Fight With
the Troops.


PITTsBURG, Pa, July 22-The crisis
of the railway strike in this city was
reached yesterday afternoon about five
o'clock, when the Philadelphia troops
who had been sent here to suppress the
strikers fired on the crowd, killing
twenty-eight people and wounding as
many more. The terribly fatal effects
of the shots fired by the troops exasper-
ated citizens as well as strikers, and in
less than an hour thousand working
men from the rolling mills, coal mines
and various manufacturing establish
ments hurried to the scene of the conflict,
determined to have revenge on the
troops and railway officials. By eight
o'clock in the evening mobs were moving
about the city in various directions,
sacking stores to secure arms breaking
into the armories of the military COM
panies, and preparing themselves to exc
cute the threats freely expressed of massa
creing the entire Philadelphia command.
BY this time the military had with
drawn from the railroad crossing at
Twenty-eighth street, where the first
conflict took place, and was ordered to
one of the roundhOuses where they could
find better protection. About 10 o'clock
in the evening mob numbering several
thousand had congregated about the
round house. They had previously cap
tured the guns belonging to the ketch-
inson's battery, local organization, and
planted them so as to command the
round house. Several solid shots were
fired at the building, and 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 and
the rumor that the Gatling guns of the
command were being brought into requi-
sition, caused panic, and the mob fed
precipitately for several squares, the mil
itary meanwhile keeping up the fusi-
lade. The rioters, however, were soon
treasured, and as thousands were fiocking
to their assistance, they returned to the
attack Finding it difficult to dislodge
the military from the building they re-
solved to burn them out. An order to
this effect was issued, and it was carried
into execution with a fiendish alacrity
by the rioters. As a consequence of
the blockade which had existed for
two days, siding in the outer depot
yards, as well as those extending
eastward some three or four miles,
were crowded with freight cars, filed
with grain, products and merchandise of
all kinds, besides which a numer of cars
loaded with oil cake and coal cars were
piled up in the mass. While a portion
of the mob surrounded the building in
which the military had taken refuge,
l., LnI,oc ,1rnnaoInl to cot fn fba
oil cars, and in moment the huge vol
umes of black smoke which rolled up
wards, followed by the lurid flames
reaching out in every direction, told
that the work of destruction had COM
menced. The sight 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 indiscriminately. An alarm
was sounded and the fire department
promptly responded, but the rioters, who
had complete control Of the city, refused
| to permit them to make any effort to ex-
| tinguish the flames. They said they
were determined to destroy the railroad
company's property, but would do no in
jury to that belonging to private citizens.
They kept their word, too, and when a
lumber pile belonging to citizen took
fire the rioters themselves turned
in and helped to extinguish the flames
removing the lumber to safe place.
Train after train was fired by the infu-
rated crowd, but the cars were 50 far
distant from the roundhouses that the
heat did not seriously affect the military,
although their position was one of peril.
Finally large party of strikers cap
tured car filed with coke, which they
run from the Allegheny Valley railway
track to siding connecting with the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad. They then pro-
cured large quantities of petrolem oil,
and pouring it over the coke, ignited the
materials. In very few moments the
car was mass of fire, and it was then
pushed along the tracks and forced
against the round house. The building
was soon ignited and the soldiers were
now compelled 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
desired, and the mob bent ON revenge,
rushed out the road and sent the burn
ing train towards the doomed building
From midnight until five o'clock this
afternoon, the main efforts of the crowd
were directed to firing the buildings and
cars, but about half an hour latter the
mob, which had been besieging the mil
itary, 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. While
turning into Butler street, however, the
leaders of the mob had discovered then
retreat, and fully one thousand men,
fully armed and supplied with ammuni
ton, followed in pursuit Some of the
troops fired at the citizens, either acci
dentally or Intentionally, as they wer,
moved along, and this added fury to the
cry for revenge. When they reached
the arsenal the commandant refused Il
admit them. He said he he'd only tel
men, and would be powerless to holo
the place if the mob should at
tack it. He consented to tax,
care of the wounded, and they were ac
cordingly carried into the hospitals. Th,
main body of troops continued thei
march out Butler street, a fusilade bein,
kept up on them by the mob as the,
moved forward. The shots fired killet
one of the soldiers before they left tn
arsenal, and nearly opposite the cemeter,
gate, fully mile above the arsenal, tw,
others were killed, and were left lyin,
on the sidewalk. They continued thei
flight and crossed over to the north sid
of the Allegheny on the Sharpsbur
bridge, the mob following them as rap
idly as possible. After reaching tn
north side the troops scattered, and il
this way the mob was divided into yer,
small bodies.
In the meantime the city was in
, state of anarchy. The thousands VIII
had not joined in the pursuit of the flee