Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-07-27

destruction had commenced, 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 indis-
criminately. An alarm was sounded,
and the Department promptly respond
ed, but the rioters, who had complete
control of the city, refused to permit
them to make any effort to extinguish
the flames. They said they were deter
mined to destroy the railroad company
property, but would do no injury to that
belonging to private citizens. They
kept their word, too, and when lumber
pile belonging to citizen took fire, the
rioters themselves turned in and helped
to extinguish the flames and remove the
lumber to safe place.
MOVING TRAINS OF FLAME.
Train after train was fired by the in
furiated crowd, but the cars were so far
distant from the round-houses that the
heat did not seriously affect the militia,
ry, although their position was one of
peril
Finally, a large party of strikers cap
tured car filled with coke, which they
ran from the Allegheny Valley Railway
track to a siding connecting with the
Pennsylvania Railroad. They then pro-
cured large quantities of petroleum oil
and, pouring it over the coke, ignited
the materials. In very few moments
the car was a mass of fire, and it was
then pushed along the track 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 clamor-
ing for their blood. The building did
not burn as rapidly as was desired, and
the mob, bent on revenge, rushed out on
the road and sent burning trains toward
the doomed buildings. From midnight
until five o'clock this morning the main
efforts of the crowd were directed to fir
ing the buildings and cars, but about
half an hour later the mob which had
been besieging the military left, for
some unexplained reason This afford
ed the troops, who were in actual dan
ger of being roasted alive, an opportuni-
ty to emerge from the building, and
they succeeded in reaching Liberty
street. In very few moment they qui-
city formed in line and marched up to
Thirty third street, and thence to Penn
sylvania: Avenue and Butler street.
Their objective point was the United
States Arsenal on Butler street, where
they expected to obtain shelter. While
turning into Butler street, however, the
leaders of the mob had discovered their
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 acct
dentally or Intentionally, as they were
moved along, and this added fury to the
cry for revenge.
THE ARMORY REACHED.
When they reached the arsenal the
Commandant refused to admit them.
He said he had but ten men, and would
be powerless to hold tho place If the
mob should attack it. He consented to
take care Of the wounded, and they
were accordingly carried into the hospi-
tails. The main body of the troops con-
tinued their march out Butler street, a
fusillade being kept up by the mob.
As they moved forward the shots fired
killed one of the soldiers before they
reached the arsenal, and nearly opposite
the cemetery gate, fully mile above
The arsenal, two others were killed, and
we're left lying on the sidewalk. They
continued their flight, and crossed over
10 tho no,tl, o:do ne +bo Alloulo,,, d.,
er on Sharpsburg bridge, the mob fol-
owing them as rapidly as possible.
After reaching the north side, the
troops scattered, and in this way the
mob was divided into very small bodies.
In the meantime, the city was in state
If anarchy. Thousands who had not
oined in pursuit of the fleeing troops
gathered about the burning buildings
md trains, and assisted in spreading the
lanes wherever they had not been APP
Piled. BY Z o'clock the fire had extend
I'd from Millvale station to Twentieth
street, and enyeloped hundreds of cars
The extensive machine shops, two round
houses, the depots and Office of the
Union Transfer Company, blacksmith
shops, storehouses and numerous build
ngs making up the terminal facilities
II the mammoth corporation. In the
were
)NE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE FIRST
CLASS LOCOMOTIVES,
WHICH had been housed in consequence
Of the strike, These were totally de-
but even the immense Joss
which will be sustained in this item
alone is but a trifie in the aggregate
damage done.
The scenes transpiring on Liberty
street, along the line of which the tracks
IF the railroads run, simply beggar de-
,cription. While hundreds were en-
gagged in firing the cars and making GER
tain of the destruction of the valuable
buildings at the outer depot, thousands
Of men, women and children were en-
gagged in
PILLAGING THE CARS.
Men armed with heavy sledges would
break open the cars, and then the con-
tents would be thrown out and carried
IF by those bent on profiting by the
.eign of terror existing. The street
vas almost entirely blockaded by per-
sons laboring to carry off the plumber
hey had gathered together In hun
lreds of instances wagons were pressed
nto service to enable the thieves to get
lway with their goods,
Mayor Mccarthy early in the day en-
leavored to stop the pillage, but the
handful Of men at his command were
Unable to control the crowd, who were
desperate in their anxiety to secure
goods. At one time the pillage was
checked, but the mob fired the cars, and
hen proceeded with the work of de-
,truction. 1t is impossible to form any
dea of the amount of goods stolen, but
hundreds of thousands will not cover
he loss.
GRIM HUM0R.
Some of the scenes, notwithstanding
he terror which seemed to paralyze
Deaceable and orderly citizens, were
udicrous in the highest degree, and no
me seemed to enjoy them with greater
lest than those engaged in the whole
sale plumber. Here a brawny woman
could be seen h4rryi4g away with pairs
If white kid slippers under her arms;
carrying an infant, would be
'olling barrel of -four along the side
walk, using her feet as the propelling
power. Here man pushing a wheel
loaded with white lead boys
hurried through the crowds with large
'ized Family Bibles as their share of
he plumber, while scores of females