The daily gazette., 1877-07-24

ed had been carried off and the crowd
got over the fright and commenced to
gather again in great numbers, we were
ordered into the round house, as affording
us shelter for the night and better pro-
lection from the stray shots heard every
now and then. With the approach Of
nightfall we got hungry and tired, but
were cOnsoled in measure by the an
nouncement that supper had been order
ed and would arrive in brief time.
AT dusk, peeping out of the windows
of the round house, we saw the wagons
carrying our rations captured by the
crowd ; dishes and their contents hurled
into the street, while the crowd cheered
like demons. As the crowd in the streets
were augmented with the approach of
night, all thoughts of sleep were given
over and guards stationed at the win
dows of the round house and also placed
at each of the gates leading into the
yards, and had Instructions to fire upon
persons who attempted to enter.
THE SCENE AT MIDNIGHT.
At midnight the crowd outside, as
we could observe from the windows,
bad grown in tn many thousands, and
shots were fired at us from out of the
yards of the company in close proxi-
| nifty to the round house. We replied
to them, with what effect we were un-
able TO ascertain. When the fire was
started in the box cars we became
very seriously alarmed. Some few men
l have heard made their way out of the
quarters in citizens Globes and es-
capped from their perilous position
We could see long lines of cars one
after the other burning, but dared not
expose ourselves to the guus of the
| mob.
CAPTURE OF A GUN.
The fire slowly but surely crept
down on us, and about this time the
crowd captured one of the guns be-
i 'nging to Hutchinson's battery, of
Piltsburg, and attempted to get il into
| position to fire upoa us. 1t was heavily
loaded, we knew, aud if it was fred In
close proximity TO us it must have done
heavy, damage. However, weprevented
them from putting it in position, as
we covered it well, and we were in
quarters where we could pick off the
men without much injury TO ourselves.
The number of times the freight cars
ian between us and the gun shielded
the strikers from our shots, but they
| finally gave the matter up and hauled
| the gun away. All this time the situa-
tiou was becoming more and more
serious. The fire was creeping down
upon us with the certainty of driving
US out sooner or later. The crowd, too,
I uyo q nF i'm hnl nd
| the threats of violence should we come
out were distinctly heard. Away up
the track 10 the yard where the cars
we're burning we could see men pilla-
ging, while their old rusty arms were
mingled with bright barrels which
| flashed in the glare of destruction.
THE CARS ON FIRE.
Suddenly down the grade came one car
after another, some laden with oil which
| was on fire and burning fiercely. These
cars were sent down in order that they
might ignite the wooden work of the round
house and the company's lumber yard. TBey
| were heavily ladened with combustible
| mat erial, and when the box cars took lire
| they burst and scattered the contents in
| every direction. dealing out disaster with
| lavish hand. The machine shop, between
Twenty fifth and Twsnly-sixth streets, then
caught fire, and soon our bsiiding was sur
| rounded with a wall of fire. The heat was
40 intense that we wers obliged to retire
| from the windows and gatered in the centre
| of the building. Many of us would have
run out but the danger outside from the vio-
| euce of the crowd was rs much feared as
| the fire element, which was fast approach
ing US. At dawn OF day consultation of
| ufficers was held, which was prolonged for
some time. 1t was then decded We must
| 90 out and face the angry devils who made
| the streets in the neighborhood black with
their presence.
| LEAVING THE ROUND HOUSE.
1t was better to run the risk of being SHOT
down than burned to death, and SO we lied
out In compact body, and proceeded by tue
| Gatiiny guns, with Major General Button,
I3rgadier General Matthews and Land at
the ad. twas lively times, l tell you,
re ching the United s at-s Arsenal, where
| we thought we would be projected. Toe
sentries here refused to allow US to enter
aud the comm and held q conference with
our off GERS. number OF us scaled the
| walls and took refuge from the mob behind
the shrubbsry and piles OF shells and can
non. We remained here until the rest OF
| the party formed in line and marched uD
| the street, thought We should be all cut
! TO pieces. and having no relish for this sort
| of death embraced the readiest means to
escape from 1t. 1 never saw such wicked
desperate mob in all my life. How any
/ of us escaped with our lives is mystery
Last night had given up all hopes OF see
ing home again. Ii the crowd could have
got arms l am sure not one of us would
have come out of the round house alive.
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