The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-07-25
Anarchy in Pittsburg:


tween the Mob and the Troops-A
Reign Of Tcrror-Seige of the
RounGhorsc-Thc Torch Applied
Terrible ConAagration Of Railroad
property-Mlllions of Dollars Swept
Away in a Night-The Spread of the
Strike.
WASHINGTON. July 2-Evcrything, includ-
ing the mails, is detained at liorneliSVlllc;
small tumults n great anxiety prevail
throughout the State Of New York.
Thirty-ivc or forty oil cars, ana some oth-
or property, were burned by the rioters AT
Viaduct Station, a short distance from the
city.
honted ut Harrisburg, and rs Inc train started
showers Of stones struck IT,.
The strikers at Newark, Ohio, are still RAM
/ The western part Of Pittsburg is, in the
hands of the rioters. The control OF affairs
has passed FROM the strikers into the hands
ofthe ]discontentcd laborers of all classes, ana
among them. Oil cars are set ON fire and
pushed from point to point for inccndiary
purposes. Tho portions OF knapps battery
which the rioters captured arc stratcgically
placed to prevent the soldiers o aprroa ailInd
Gen. Pearson Is said to be dying in the
R%0undhouse where the soldiers are bcSicged.
They owe their present safety from massacre
to having u Gatling gun in the Roundhouse
which the troops seem to handle with discre-
ton and effect. Dead bodies arc lying in the
vicinity which the rioters are afraid to
move.
soldiers reached here this morning, ell route
for P%ittSburg and was stopped by the strikers
and the engines taken from the train. one
company stacked arms and refused TO 40
i.,, Ay,NfI,ny, a. 1rn11y trinl IN pOnnnrf
the engine to the train, but was attacked and
driven off by the strikers. The whole train
of soldiers remains here under complete con-
.SALriMonE. July &.-l2:1O P. M.-Notwith-
standing the apparent quiet at this hourthcc
most excited feeling prevails. -Four hundred
regular troops, arrived this morning, and arc
under the immediate command Of Gen.
Hancock.
C~CMBEILAND, MD., July 22.-The strikers,
supported by the bOatmcn, are bold and dell
ant and threaten serious work should the
company attempt to move the ctrs tonight.
JLPIrrsBURG, July 2l-l =. M.-Thc outer de-
pot and yards Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
have been abandoned by all the troops. The
Philadelphia men went down PennsylVanl
avenue and the PittSburg battery boys spiked
their guns and came down to the Union de-
pot. The mob have things all their own way.
ROundhouse and shops, together with
tirely destroyed by fire. 1t Is reported about
twenty were killed and II number wounded,
PoKT JERvIs, n. y, July 2.-Things look
serious here. ~ -,
the railway Strike in thisc city, as indicated
In these dispatches Saturday night, was
reached yesterday evening about 5o'clock,
when the Philadelphia troops who had been
sent here to suppress Inc STRIKERS tiR, etri irse %p ,ho
shots fired by the troops eHaspcratcd citizens
as well as strikers, and in less than an hour
the band Of workingmcn from the rolling
,-;lI ,.Nn1 ri, nc n nd Nnrin1Is m1nnElttlrln
establishments established n scene Ofcontiict,
determined to have revenge on the troops
and railroad officials. 1t was stated that
Gen. Pearson, commander OF the sixth dlvls-
ion of the State Guards, had directed the
troops to fire before any resistance had been
been made, and the fact that many Of those
killed and wounded Ind gathered on the hill
side merely as spectators, served TO increase
the bitterness OF the crowd. BY eight O'Clock
in the evening mObs were moving about the
city in various directions, sucking stores to
secure arms, breaking into the arlnories Of
the military companies and preparing them
of maSSacrcing the entire Philadelphia COLI
mand, BY this tlinc the military had with
drawn from the railroad, crossing at twenty
eighth street, where the first conflict TOOK
place, and wore ordered to one of the round
houses where they could find better protct.'
ton. About 10 o'clock In the evening II mob
numbering several thousand had congrcGntcd
about the HoGndhouse. They h1d RrGH. %M
" NftDldlCl tllS tAbS
sons Battery, n local organization and
planted them so rs TO command the Round.
house. Several solid shots were fired At the
building and q breach made In the walls. but
| when the Infatuated mob attempted to rush
In the military were ordered to fire. Tho
vollcy of musketry which followed, and tho
rumOr that the Calling guns of the command
were being brought into requisitiOn, caused
a panic, and the mob fled prccipitateIy 1ol
several squares, the military meanwhile
Keeping up the firing. The rioters returned
however, but were again driven back.
Finding IL difficult to dislodgc the military
from the building, the crowd resolved u burr
them out. An order to this effect was issued
and It was carried into execution with Il
fiendish alncrity by the rioters. In cnnsc'
quence of the blockade which has existed fol
two days, the sidines IN the outer depot yard
us well as those extending eastward some
three or four miles, were crowded with freiSh'
cars filled with grain. produce and merchan'
disc Of all kinds, besides. which q number o.
ladened oil cake and coal cars were piled W
in mass. While Il portion of the mob sur
rounded the building in which the military
had taken refuge, large bodies proceeded Il
set fire to the oil cars. and in u moment the
huge volumes Of black smoke which rollet
upwards and out in every direction told tina
the work of destruction had commence
The sight OF the flames seemed to literally
craze the rioters, some Of whom rushed wild
~ about with flaming torches in their hands
applying them TO cars Unfortunately. All
alarm was sounded. and the fire department
| promptly TeSpOlucu, OUT tilC IlOlcIS, WIN llul
complete control of the city, refused to permit
them TO 60 or to make any effort to eXtil.
gulsh the flames. They said they were deter
mined to destroy the railroad companys
property, but TO do no injury to that belong
ing to private citizens. They KEEP. thcil
word, too, and when u lumber pile belonging
to a citizen tool fire, the rioters themselves
turned in and helped to cXtingui5h the
Train after train was fired by The Infatuated
crowd, but the cars were SO far distant from
the Roundhouse that the heat did not serious
ly affect the military. although their position
strikers captured q car filled with coke
which they ran from the Allegheny Valley
Railroad track to a. siding connecting with
the Pennsylvania Railroad. They then pro,
cured large quantities Of petroleum oil, and
pouring 1t over the coke, ignitcd the mate
rails. In Il very few moments the car was n
mass of fire, and it was then pushed alOnr
the tracks and forced against the RouDI
house. The building was soon ignited, a9c
the soldiers were now compelled 10 PREF arc
to fight their way out through the iren::ieC
mass of humanity clamoring for their blood
The building did not burn as rapidly as dc,
sired, and the mob, bent on revenge, rushed
out or the road and sent burning trains to-
wards the doomcd building. From midnight
until 5 O'Clock this morning the main efforts
of the crowd were directed to firing the build
ings and cars, but, about half an hour later
the mob which had been besciging the mill
tary left for some unexplained reason. TIKI!
afforded the troops, who were In actual DANCE
Of being roasted alive an opportunity tt
emerge from the building, and they succeed
ed In reaching Liberty street. III Il very few
moments they quickly formed in line 'aId
marched up to Thirty-third street, and
thence to pennsylvania avenue and ButlcI
street. Their objective point was the United
States arsenal OH Butler street, where they
expected to gain shelter. When they ~reaclc,
| the arsenal the commander refused to admit
them. He said he had but ten men, anC
would be powerless to hold the place If the
mob should attack it. He consented, howev
er, to take care of the wounded, and they
were accordingly carried 10 the hospitals.
In the mean time the city was in q state o
anarchy. Thousands who had not Joined ir
the pursuit Of the fleeing troops gathered
about the burning buildings and trains, ant
assisted in spreading the flames wherevcl
they had not been applied. BY Z O'Clock I'll,
lire had extended from Millville station L
Twentieth street, and cnvclOpcd hundreds o
cars, the extensive machine shops, two
r~oundhouSes, the depots and office OF the IN
ion Transfer Company, blacksmith shops
store houses, and numerous other building
making up the terminal facilities OF thu
mammoth corporation. In the r~oundhouse
were l25 tirst-class engines, which had beel
housed In consequence Of the strike. These
were totally destroyed, but even the I'M
nlense loss which will be sustained IN thu:
item Is but a trifc in the aggregate of dam
age done. The scenes transporting on Llbcrt!
street, along the line Of which the track o
The railroads run simply bcggars description