The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-08-02
RAILWAY TROUBLES.

PITTSBURGH, Pa, July 2l.--The railroad
strike reached a tragical climax this after
noon. Nearly 1900 troops from Philadel
phia arrived at 3 o'clock. At 9;t0 O'CLOCK
they left the Union Depot for the scene of
disturbance at the Twenty eighth Street
crossing, marching out along the track, pre-
coded by the Sheriff and his posse comitatus.
The crossing was reached shortly after 4, at
which time an immense crowd had congre
gated at that point. The hillside was liter
ally black with people, vast majority
spot by mere curiosity. Sp demonstration
was made until the Pfack Hussars, of Phil
adeiphia, were dismounted, and ordered to
clear the Twenty eighth Street crossing of
the crowds. The moment the Hussars at
tempted to execute the order they were as
sailed by the crowd on the hillside, who sent
a shower of stones upon the soldiers. \
number of the latter were seriously injured,
and their companions, goadedt to desperation,
commenced firing The first shots were AIMED
above the heads OF the crowd, which had
now become a mob, but the shower of stones
continued, with an occasional shot from
I revolver. Then the soldiers fired another
vOlley, this time aimed directly into the
/ crowd, the result, ms was subsequently as
certained, being 20 killed and 10 wounded.
/ Three Of the killed were women, and Of the
wounded a large proportion were women
2
I tors on the hillside. Very few of the
/ strikers were among the killed or injured.
/ The military were soon left in undisturbed
7 possession of the crossing, the mob having
/ retreated toward the Arsenal, where they
succeeded i'm capturing two pieces of artillery.
| They also broke into number of gInshOps
and stores and helped themselves to arms
and ammunition.
The city at this time was in a eondi-
/ ton of complete anarchy, and The
! excitement WAS Understandable. The
fiOiefE, to the number of 5000 or more,
marched down Fifth Avenue with drums
/ beating and flags flying. The military and
| police were insufficient TO make the slightest
Roadway in suppressing the disorder, and
/ the larger portion of the Philadelphia
militia took refuge in the round house,
where they were besieged for several hours
/ by the Infatuated rabble, who diverted them
selves meanwhile by burning the company's
property. A number of the rioters
] who approached too close to the round
! house were shot by the soldiers, and several
of the latter were killed by the mob while
/ trying to escape from their perilous position
NtGhr or HbRRBRs.
PITTSBURGH, July 22.-The beleaguered
soldiers in the round-hOuse remained all
night without food, sleep or rest, the infuri
ated mcb ci,tting off all opportunity for re-
lief or escape. The soldiers took refuge in
the pits, which were an admirable
/ defense, and no one was allowed to
pass the deadline at the peril of his life.
/ During the night il is estimated that from 90
! to 10 locomotives and about 400 cars were
burned and destroyed. TIE cars being first
: Broken open and Quilted of their contents,
| which comprised provisions and valuable
merchandise of nearly every description.
At about s a. M, the soldiers, taking adj
vantage of the absence of a portion Of the
rioters, marched out of the round-hOuse with
fixed bayonets, and proceeded some
distance without SERIOUS opposition. They
marched directly towards the Arsenal where
they expected to take refuge, but finding
the gates closed against them, and being by
! this time holly pressed by TIE mob, they
ran across the Sharpsburg bridge, when
they broke up into small parties and scatter
ed for the woods and fields. During the
retreat a number of the soldiers were killed
| and wounded.
The work of destruction by the mob con-
tinued unchecked until about p. m, when,
having apparently become satlated Win
rapine, arson and r,urdef, the rioters grad
| ually dispersed. 1t is said that but COM
paratively few railroad men were engaged
in this work, the mob being composed main
ly of the dregs of the population-tramps,
loafers, thieves, etc.
The railroad buildings destroyed were as
follows: Two round houses, one machine
shop, superintendent office, car-repair
shops, blacksmith shoI, three or four oil
houses; Union Transfer Depot and offices of
! the Pullman Car Company, laundry and
offices, dispatcher's office, powder house,
Union Depot Hotel, Panhandle Railroad
| engine house, general Offices and freight
depot of the Adams Express Company. The
| last building burned was an immense grain
elevator, corner of Grant and Washington
| Streets.
vIGILANC. COMMITTEE FCRMEr.
PirTsBURGH, July 22.--At meeting of
/ citizens, at ) p. m, vigilance committee
was organized for the protection of life and
property. The indications now are that the
reign of the mob is over, although threats
have been made that the buildings belong
ing to the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chi
cago Railroad and Cleveland and Pitts
burgh Road, will be fired this even
ing. A large number of the Nigi-
lance Committee will guard these
depots through the night, and It Is thought
| thet VII be saved. 1t IS stated that the
/ Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Com
pany have notified their men that they have
acceded to the demands, and will pay
wages as before the reduction of June 10.
The men are now buSily engaged in getting
the road in running order. The situation
! on the other roads remains unchanged.
The losses here within the past a hours
can only be estimated. Along the Pennsyl
vana Road, from Union Depot to East Lib
erty, the numerous tracks were filled with
loaded cars. These were burned. From
Millvale (Thirty-third STREET. to Thirteenth
Street, distance of twenty blocks, it is es-
timated that 1000 cars, loaded with oil, coal
and all kinds of merchandise, were totally
destroyed. All these, together with lOcomo-
tives, buildings and other property destroy
ed, swell the Pennsylvania Railroad Co.'s
losses to an aggregate amount yariOusly esti-
mated at from S3,OO0O 900 to $5,OOO,0OO.
AFTER THE BATTLE. .L.t
PITTSBURGH, July 23.-Throughout the
entire night the city was in q state of intense
excitement in consequence of the terrible
scenes which had been enacted during the
day. Although no attempts were made to
fire any additional property the citizens
were intensely alarmed. The force organ
lied to patrol the city remained on duty all
night. Up TO noon no further acts of YlO-
lence have been committed, but the work of
organizing for defense is progressing
vigorously. The rioters at Twenty first
Street have surrendered their arms, includ-
ing three pieces of artillery to the Citizens
Committee. The railroad men seem uni
Yersally disposed to assist 1aw-abiding citl-
zens in saving property from the thieves
and flames, and do not fraternize with the
Z IuOD titlutHl. Hc VI uOlh thC
Pennsylvania and Fort Wayne Roads de-
clare they will not compromise with the
strikers in any event. 1t is stated that when
this became known all the passenger engi-
neers and firemen quit their engines, thus
completing the entire suspension of railway
traffic.
. ORDER REIGNS.
PITTSBURGH, July 24.-The civil authori-
ties of the city have assumed complete con-
troll and every thing is running quietly.
The emergency police are arresting all sus-
picious persons and sending them to the
Pententiary. The railroad strikers proper
are aiding in making arrests, and working
men from various manufacturing establish
ments have joined with them. The situa-
/ ton on the different railroads remains I'M
changed-no compromise on any of them.
Gov. Hartranft arrived from the West to-
day. Strikes among the mills and factories
here continue hourly, and there are 10000
unemployed men in the city.
THE STRIKERS ABDICATE.
] PITTSBURGH, July 27.-The strikers on