St. Landry democrat., 1886-03-13
STRIKING TIMES IN GOTHAM

STRIKING TIMES IN GOTHAM
An Exciting Day Oh the Dry DOCKS street
Car Line-The Company's Efforts to Pre-
serve Their Charter Requires Heavy 20
lice Assistance-Passenger Trafhc az ID
Standstill-More Trouble Anticipated.
New YORK, March 5.-Early yesterday
morning hundreds of strikers and others
collected along the sidewalk IN the east
ery part of Grand street, near the loot OF
which are the offices and stables OF the
Dry Dock, East Broadway and Battery
railroad 1t was expected that the COM
pany whose employees struck would at
tempt to run car over the line, and the
strikers determined to prevent it. A total
of 500 police were stationed in the vicin-
ity.
About eleven O'Clock a car was run out
of the company's stables with two of the
office employees as driver and conductor
Inspector Steers stood beside the driver
and four policemen were with the con-
ductor. A squad of police surrounded
the car, which ran down from the stables
to Grand street ferry without Interrupt
ton.
As the car started on it's way across
town the strikers and rOughs in the
crowd made preparations to obStruct it,
and two green cars of the Forty second
street inc loaded with passengers were
dragged across the track in front of the
Dry Dock cars. One of the strikers en-
tered the cars and politely requested the
passengers to leave, and, as the last one
alighted, he cried, "All right" The two
cars were quickly turned over.
These cars were removed from the
track, and the Dry Dock car started
on it's way, but going up Grand street,
the obstacles multiplied. Tons of coal
were dumped on the track, and other
cars and all sorts of heavy articles
were placed in position to stop the un-
lucky car.
At the corner of Cannon street, tw
brewery wagons loaded with empty Kegs
were upset across the line. A wheel was
taken off the heavier Of the wagons, and
the horses were led away by the helpless
drivers These obstacles were established
by sudden movements of crowds of men,
evidently directed by leaders, and could
not be prevented.by the police without
resort to forcible clearance of the entire
roadway.
The crowds of strikers and their SYM
pathizers, who swarmed in the roadway
and along the sidewalks, appeared to be
very good natured, aud to regard their
success in blocking the car as capital
Joke. The only anger shown was directed
against the driver aud conductor OF the
car, They were Kissed and cursed as
they rode slowly along. The policemen,
too, were generally good natured, but
| grumbled a little at the labor of removing
| the heavy distractions.
Finally, at -: 80 a. M, the attempt to
| run the car was abandoned, and it was
sent back to the stables, while the strikers
| cheered over their victory.
At 2:3O it was determined to make an
other attempt to run a car over the route,
this being necessary to save the COM
| pany's charter.
| Superintendent Murray, under orders
| from the police commissioners, had Or
| dered out the reserves from fifteen
precincts, and 1000 policemen were as
sembled when the car started. Notice
| having been circulated very publicly that
| this attempt was to be made, Grand street
| was filled with sullen and determined
| looking men. Shop-keepers had taken i'm
| their stands all along the streets, and at
| the Bowery and Grand street some shops
| closed and two banks locked their DOORS
| When the procession of policemen pre-
| cedine the car came up the street every
| window and house-top was crowded.
Derisive and angry ye1ls filed the air.
| When the car reached E4dridge street
| there was a stop for some unknown rea-
| son, and 400 policemen directly in front
| Of the car broke ranks and made dash
| toward the dense crowd. "Some one
| threw stone," exclaimed the sergeant.
| The crowd gave way and fell back into
| Eldridge street under the blows OF
| the policemens' clubs. Vindictive shouts
and execrations filled the air. Many
| bloody faces were seen. The police
dropped back into marching order, and
had hardly started when bottle crashed
through window of the cars. At
| Forsythe street another missile took Eff
| feet on side window. This ocea-
| stoned yelling and great excitement, and
vigorous attempts were made to break
| through the police ranks and get at the
| driver and conductor. Both were pale
but apparently determined.
A delay was occasioned at the Bowery.
where many cars of the Bowery lines
blocked the streets. One of them was
upside down, and when righted by the
police it suddenly burst into flames.
There was mighty shout at this, but the
fire was soon extinguished. The car was
then dragged out of the way, the crowd
was dubbed back and the Dry Dock car
proceeded, with frequent stops on account
of barricaded trucks, cars upside down
and loads of refuse dumped on the track.
1t reached the Desbrosses street ferry ut
$40 p. m.
The same obstacles were met with on
the return trip, and at several points the
crowd became so large and demonstra-