Western cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Kan.) 1886-1887, 1886-09-23
MORE DYNAMITE OUrRAGES.
Bomb Throwing Resorted to Once Again
I'm Chicago.


CHICAGO, ILL, September 1.-THE war
against the Lake Shore Railroad company
IN the town of Lake has broken ont afresh,
this time in new and dangerous manner
The latest method is the use of explosives,
and an attempt to destroy the property OF
the company which might have involved a
loss of life. A few moments before u last
night James Calvin, night operator, was sit
ting In the signal tower of the Lake Shore
company at the intersection of the main and
stock yard tracks. The tower is thirty feet
high, and in it is the machinery by which
the switches, signals and gates for a long
distance along the line of the road are
turned. Calvin was alone in the top of the
tower. He had noticed nothing unusual
when he was suddenly startled by seeing
column OF smoke arise at one side of the
structure. 1t was bright moonlight, 50 that
he was aware of the nature of the cloud
and in an instant later the little room
was completely filled with binding
smoke which almost suffocated him. Cal
vim started to rush down stairs to inves-
tigate the cause of the unusual phenomena.
As he reached the landing below, deafen-
ing explosion took place, and at that
moment Calvin saw the figure of tall,
slender man dart away from the building.
He went toward the stock yards, and was
lost in labyrinth of cars, which cover the
tracks. At the instant the ey Jlosion oc-
Cured, Calvin was thrown to the ground
with extreme force. Such was the force of
the explosion that number of tools were
lifted from the floor and crashed through
the windows. Calvin did not loose con-
sciOusness, and after pulling himself to-
gether, rushed out on the tracks. Officers
Donovan and Costello were on guard at the
time at the Root street crossing. A search
of the tower was made, and twenty inch
piece of shattered gas pipe and package of
something, which looked like cotton soaked
in some kind of dark liquid, was found with
smoke coming from it, and bright sparks
were thrywn of. bottle. containing what
is supposed to be acid, was picked up near
by. The door of the signal tower was ajar,
and the dangerous explosive had been thrown
on the floor. The explosion shattered all the
glass front of the house. In the cellar are
batteries used for the electric signals. There
were 100 battery cells in the room, and of
these thirty four were broken. Not only this
but the pneumatic tubes, also used in sig
mailing, were twisted, and the whole system
is utterly ruined. 1t will take thousands of
dollars to repair the damage.
When daylight came unother search was
made for more explosives. In little shed
at the rear of the tower, bundle, supposed
to contain another explosive, was picked up.
1t was wrapped In paper and tied with a
black cord. The police were afraid to open
it. 1t was removed to the town hall. What
makes the attempt more dastardly is the
fact that an outward bound passenger train
was due at the town few minutes after the
explosion occurred. The theory of the police
is that the wreckers hoped to blow up the
tower, and when the passenger train came
along to throw the switch. Thus the train
would have plunged into mass of freight
cars that line the side tracks. There we're
also other attempts at destroying property
on the Lake Shore road. About O'Clock
the Lake Shore road received from the ILL
nOis Central a train of twenty cars. While
these were being taken over the Rock bland
crossing a switch was thrown after about
half of the cars had passed, causing a gen.
eral wreck. About midnight John Fagin, an
ex-switchman of the Lake Shore road, was
about to throw switch with the purpose of
derailing train.