New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-12
A SWITCH TOWER DAMAGED.
DYNAMITE USED BY CHICAGO STRIKERS
NARROW ESCAPE OF A PASSENGER TRiIN-sEARcH-

NARROW ESCAPE OF PASSENGER TRiIN-sEARcH-
ING FOR THE CONsPIRArORs,
CHICAGO, Sept 1.-THE war against the
Lake Shore Railroad Company in the Town of Lake hss
broken out afresn Ia Q now and dangerous manner
The latest method IL tho use OF explosives, snd
an attempt made to destroy the property Of the
company might have involved loss Of life. few
moments before IL o'ciocks last night James Calvin.
the night operator, sitting In the signal tower Of
the Lake Shore Company at tho intersection the aia
and stock yards tracks Toe tower h thirty feet hss
and in it is machinery BY wbion tho switcnes.
sgnals and gates for long distance along the line OF
the road are turned Calvin alone the top Of tbs
tower and had noticed nothing unusual. when he vac
suddenly startled BY seeing column OF
slde Of the structure. II WAS bright moonlight 60
that he was aware of the OF the cloai in
stant. A moment later his iitsls room was eonps,ey
filed with u bIndin, smoke which almost safocstei
him. lie started to down the stars 10 invssuxaS
the cause Of tho unusual phenomcna As he
reached the landing below . deafeains explosion
took place. At tho same moment Calvin sa"
tall, slender dart away from the building; ne
west towari ths stock Yards ana was .ost Va
OF occar Gavin va,
to the ground with groat force ana us ,as ,ms
force Of the explosion that a number OF tools
were lifted from the floor ana thrown tlroisaa
the windows. Calvin did not loo consciousness ana
after pulling himself together rushed tho tracks
Officers Donovan and Costello guard at the time
at tie Roost crossing TDey heard the sound aud rat
tho tower they found Calvin terribly fright
ened. Then search OF the tower was made an II was
rewarded by the finding OF twentynch piece Of shat
tered gaspipe. Close to it package OF something
which looked like cotton which had been soaked In some
kind of dark liquid. Smoke was coming from II AID
bright sparks we're thrown OF. bottle containing
what supposed to be acid picked up near BY
The door OF the signal ajar and the danger
Gus explosive had been thrown on the foor. The OK
,,ln naI,a all fhs traq ~
the batteries used for the electric signals
There 100 battery cells in the and Of these
thirty -four broken. The pneumatic tuoes. also
used in the signalling. were torn aud twistei
On trial Of the switches this morning 1t was found
that the damage serious was at hrst sup
posed. Several CT the pneumatic tubes were replaced
and temporary repairs. the company was en-
abled trains In Its yards usual by noon. IL
first thought that the bomb was OF The gas pipe pat
tern, examination Of the scraps proves TO have
been OF spherical shape The damage could not be
certaned until this morning, when tho police again Wis.,
tied the In shed at the OF tho tower was
found small bundle. The window OF the shed had
been removed AMI bundle had been carefully placed
1t is wrapped IN piece Of tar paper tied
With black cord. IL had also been saturated with an
acid that drippod and stained tho mattress. This D0x
was atterwart opeGed by the Lake police. and was
found 10 contain round roll Of cotton saturated wth
Kerosene in the middle of which lot Of powder
box also In tho box It was evidently ths
design to set re indamnabe stuff at tho time OF
touching xplosive, aud thus TO make sure OF ars
to complete the Of the explosive Calvin had onT
been In charge of the tower ltte
while having relieved william Nevlns. What makes
the attempt moro dastay is tho fact that the outward
bound passenger train, No II, was due az the town
few minutes after the explosion occurred The theory
police is that the wreckers hop,i to blow "a tno
tower and when train came along to throw
switch and thus the train woad nave puaged into tn,
NJ fr.f.r tlk ma
plosion would have greater damage hal tho door
been closed after the package was ignitei
There we're other attempts at destroying properly
on the Lake shore road last night, Que OF which was
u the resulting in the arrest OF tns men
concerned in the affaL About p. tue Lake shore
road received from Illinois Central train OF wenty-
eight cars While these being taken over tho
Root-st crossing switch was thrown after hall the
cars had passed, causing = general wreck fitteeh Of
the cars thrown from the rails. aud although no
loss OF life o serious damage resulted, the coa-
tents Of badly shaken up About
midni ght John Fagin, an ex switchman OF the Lake
Shore Road arrested at Forsy-hrd-st just as hs
was abou 10 charged, TO throw swtch win tnc IN
tention OF derailing train drawn by engine No o52
The arrest was 10 by Plakerton ocer' who are still
guarding the Lake shore tracks AZ that point ins
prisoner was taken to Harrison street lookup.
Fagin's explanation Of the offence Is lu
company with ono Murphy, who is also an
ex-LaKe shore switchmau. no was walking aloas ths
train un I'll IL WAS 90 them that they were seps
rated by it. When arrested by the Pnkerton officer ns
looking under tue train AS i passed. " SEQ IL any
harm had come to Murphy. 49,
The Lake Shore officials, when they heard OF tne AZ
tempt 10 blow up signal tower. were greatly dis
turGeJ. Superintendent A'nsden immediately went 70
Furetn-.t to make investigation. W. IA. Mclntosn,
cnsf of the detective force OF the company this norn-
lug said yesterday the attempts 10 destroy the
company mad been conhned TO points zt some dstahce
north or south of the Forty-third|st. yards.
Ihe poce had confined themselves to surveillance "
rho ,oIpis At which these attacks mad ide ant
the signal tower Lad left entirely unprotectei
Mr. Mcintosh said sure he knew who cominittei
the outrage last night he would nave them al
under arrest within forty eight hours.