The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-15
Erie and Lehigh Switchmen Determined that
No Cars Shall Be Moved, and that ''Scabs"
Shall Not Fill Their Old Places.
One Passenger Train Derailed and An
other Stopped and Searched.
Alleged Nom -Unionists Put to Flight-Many
Switches Turned and Several Fires Started
The Homestead and Other Troubles
MOB RULE AT BUFFALO.


Striking switchmen Commit Many Unlawful
Acts-Cars Thrown from the Track
BUFFALO, N. Y, Aug. 14.-There is no
further disguIsing the fact that the
strike of the Erie and the Lehigh valley
switchmen Is q serious matter. Riot and
incendiarism mark its tidal wave.
Whether 1t would have proved
90 very serious to the railroads
TO have $50 or zoo men leave their posts of
duty without warning is not now the Ques-
tion. Property belonging to tho railroad
company has been destroyed by IN
cendiary fires, men engaged in the
peaceful performance of their duties
in the companies service have been
movement of trains has been seriously
interfered with. and the lives of innocent
persons, who were In no way connected
with the strike, and had not even heard of
it, have been endangered by the derail-
ment of passenger train on one OF the
roads. Such is the indlctment up to the
hour of writing.
There had been more or less trouble Sat-
urday between the strikers and their SYM
pathizers and the men who were doing the
strikers work. and q few desultory as
eaults had occurred. Things began to put
On q more serious aspect at o'clock
this morning. when series of in
cendinry fires broke out simulta-
neously In the LehIgh Valley yards. Eight
cen or twenty freight oars filled with wool.
cotton, hay and various other merchan-
disc. two passenger coaches and two watch
mems houses were burned. The fires oc-
CURED at places where the firemen could
not successfully stay the flames on
account of an absence of water, besides
the difficulty of access to the fires. The
water-tank adjacent to the coal trestles
was smashed and an engine that was tax
ing water there was wrecked by a string
of ten runaway coal-Cars that had been
turned loose from the trestle.
FIREMEN FIGHT THE FLAMES.
Fire was first discovered in the east
bound yards east of Dingens street. Here
o little Office building and two or three
freight cars were destroyed. At this
.sne .yardmaster Mead discovered flames
in two passenger coaches used for the
conveyance of workmen, and turned in an
alarm from William and Dingens streets
In the yards east of Dingens street, fire
ragged among the cars of merchandise. 1t
took the hose from three carts to
reach the flames from the near
est bydrant. The fremen. however,
prevented the destruction of great num-
Der of cars and the loss of perhaps hpn-
dreds of thousands of dollars worth of
property. The cars destroyed were
in the midst of great number of
other cars. The fremen uncoupled
n number of cars and removed
them from danger. A dozen or so cars
were thrown from the Lehigh tracks. and
q similar number through misplaced
switches. The first animation of
any thing wrong was when the coal
cars were sst loose. and demolished
the water-,ank. Then the fires
broke out simultaneously. Capt. Wurtz,
dozen officers in the yard as soon as the
alarm was gwen. The officers were un-
able to find any suspicious characters.
The above briefly, is what had happened
up TO daylight this morning. But that was
only the beginning, the strikers, or their
sympathizers, have pulled plns turned
switches and driven OFT crews. Three
men are at the hospital badly
hurt One was assaulted at o'clock this
morning, TWO others at IL and another at
this afternoon. The man who was assault
ed at the Western New York n Pennsyl-
vanla crossing was on his way for the
wreck-car at tho time. and was turning u
switch. The strikers had turned switches
and thrown six cars from his train before
that. He was struck on the head. When
he as taken TO the hospital he was CON-
pletely dazed and did not know what had
occurred. One of the men was assaulted
at the passenger station and two at WILL
lam street.
PASSENGER TRAIN DERAJLED.
One of the most cowardly things done
was the throwing OF switches under pas
senRer train No. II at William street, at
7:30 O'clock tonight. Two passenger
coaches were thrown from the track, but
the conductor does not think any body was
hurt, though many were badly frightened.
Fifty men boarded passenger train No, 8
at IL clock this morning. AS the train
stopped number of strikers drove some.
thing over carload of men from the
cars. The supposed "scabs' ran or
ons at aFEsn .ast mas Ssay ssIy hu1s and
removed to the hospital. His name is
Henry Schrader. When the in-comers had
been scattered the strikers let the train go
on Its way. The men who were driven out
were being brought here to take tho
strikers' places
Superintendent Brunn. of the Erie, on
being asked about the passenger tram
and the clearing cut of the passen gers. ad-
mitted that the train had been stopped.
They were passengers. and l suppose the
strikers had an idea they were men coming
here TO take their places" While at the
hospital Shrader was very anxious that
Superintendent Brunn. Of the Erie. shoul
know of his condition, saying he and his
mon had been sent for from New Jersey to
take the strikers places. His wounds are
not serious, being only scalp injuries and
kicked face.
mob took possession of the Seneca
street switches three or four times during
the day and drove oil the signal men.
In the Lehigh yards. at Cheektowago to-
night the scenes of last night wore repeat
ed. 1t is plainly intimated by the Erie
officials that workmen from the East have
been engaged to take the place of
the strikers Three stalwart policemen
were stationed at the landing. and in the
hallway leading to the offices of superin-
tendent Brunn and his associates to-day.
The strikers say they are determined to
WIN the light AMI they assert the roads are
losing heavily by not having men To per-
form the work of tho strikers. They say
the Erie is thoroughly demoralized on ac-
count of the strike. and that every side
track on the Buffalo division is blocked.
Two trains of freight cars standing on
sidings in Cheektowaga. the railroad
snburb of Buffalo. were burned tonight.