The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-07-26
Gigantic Strike.

the Baltimore Il Ohio Railroad, few
days ago, has spread like wildfire un-
til the employees of the main rail
roads of the country besides hundreds
of miners and other laborers have
joined the strikers, the tramps,
thieves, and vagabonds have still fur
ther swelled the number, until from
railroad strike, it man now be called a
general uprising of the labor of the
country for more wages. In Balti-
more the militia were ordered out and
several lives were lost.
The riot at Pittsburgh on Saturday
was. the most bloody, and the loss of
property greater than at any other
place. At 1:45 p. M. on the day
above named six hundred Philadel-
phia militia well armed and equipped,
and accompanied by two gatling guns
arrived at Pittsburgh, to assist the
Pittsburgh militia and public in pre-
serving order, and to prevent destruc-
tion of property. E. V. Smalley the
L
gives the following account under
date of 23d inst: II was at first dis
posed, hearing the chorus of denun-
citation of the Philadelphia troops, to
think they were to blame. 1t seemed
as if they ought not to have fired on
the mob on Saturday, and on Sunday,
when the combat reopened, they
should have fought their way back to
the passenger depot and defended it
from the incendiaries instead of re-
treating to the country, but further in
formation leads to a different judg-
ment. From the moment of their ar
rival these troops were made to feel
that they were in the midst of an in
tensely hostile population. Every
where they were hooted at. They
came as a matter of duty to protect
public and private property, and they
were treated like invading vandals.
The Pittsburgh troops gave them no
assistance, but evidently sympathized
with the rioters. When they moved
forward to disperse the mob they were
first fired upon and received besides Il
volly of stones from the hillside.
They only fired in reply by orders,
and, as soldiers, had to obey orders
without trusting their wisdom. The
fact that innocent persons mingling
with the mob as spectators were
killed does not offset the case, for
such is the result of all collisions be-
tween mobs and soldiers executing
the law, and yet ON this account there
arose frantic cry for vengeance on
these men. 1t seemed as if the whole
city was crazy for their blood. They
were even denounced in the Sunday
papers, pandering to the passions OF
the mob, as Philadelphia roughs
when in fact they are among the finest
citizen soldiery in the country and
have repeatedly proven their disci-
pline and courage. The rioters closed
in upon them with cannon and small
arms, intent upon massacreing every
man of them. Not a hand was raised
in their behalf by the local military OF
local police. No wonder that they
determined to leave the city to it's fate
| have an account of their retreat from
an impartial eyewitness, by which ii
appears they moved out of the city in
good order, covering carefully theil
Gatling guns, marching with slow
step and by command of their officers
refraining from firing on the mob that
was keeping up a desulatory fusilade
upon them until they got out of the
thickly-settled districts, where there
were no women and children. Then
they turned and gave their pursuers t
volley which put them to flight. In
this march they lost seven men
killed.n
The burning of tie Union depot at
Pittsburgh and the destruction of II:
first class locomotives which had been
housed in consequence of the strike
was an imense loss but a trifle as com
pared with the aggregate of property
destroyed, we append an account o
the burning and robbing of the depot>
and freight cars:
The scenes transpiring on Liberty street
along the line of which the tracks of he rail
road run, simply beggar description. Whil'
hundreds were engaged in firing the cars an'
making certain of the destruction of the val
uable buildings at the outer depot, thousand
of men, women and children were engaged
in pillaging the cars. Men armed with heay,
sledges would break open the cars ana thel
the contents would be thrown ont ana carried
oil by those bent on profiting by the reign o
The streetwas almost completely blockadeC
by persons laboring to carry OF the plunde
they had gathered together. IN hundreds
instances wagons were pressed INTO SerVlc
to enable the thieves to get away with thei
goods. Mayor M Carty early in the day en-
deavored to stop the piilage but tne nandll
of men at his command were unable TO con
troll the crowd, who were desperate IN thel
anxiety to secure the goods. The plllage wa
checked, but the mob fired the cars ana thel
proceeded with the work of destruction.
1t is impossible to form any idea OF TIL
amount of goods stolen, but hundreds o
thousands of dollars will not cover the loss
Some of the scenes, Notwithstanding the ter
ror which seemed to paralyZe peaceaDle an'
orderly citizens, were ludicrous in the hishes
degree, and no one seemed 10 ENJOY theli
with greater Zest than those outraged in tn
Wholesale plunder. Here brawny woman
could be seen hurrying away with pairs o
white kid slippers under her arms; ahSlhei
carrying an infant, would be rolling barre
of flour along the sidewalk, using her feet a
the propelling power. Here man pushing
Vheelbarrow loaded with white lead, other
hurried through the crowd with large size'
family bibles as their share of the plunder
while scores of females utilized aprons ant
dresses to carry flour, dry goods, etc. bundle
of umbrellas, fancy parasols, hams, bacon
lard, calico, blankets and flour were mixet