The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-29
MILWAUKEE PIREBUGS.
A Reward Offered by the Mayor for the
Arrest of Incendiaries.

n heWarQ O1ered by the Mayor Tor The
Arrest of Incendiaries
MILWAUKEE, Wis. Dec. 2S.-At O'Clock
this morning bomb was thrown into the
main building OF the south side plant of
the Milwaukee street railway company.
There was tremendous explosion and in
a moment the interior of the building was
IN blaze. In few minutes the fire was
beyond control and in less than an hour
the entire plant WAS consumed, entailing
a loss of $4,000 The street railway com
pany's south side plant is located on Kin
| niKuIck avenue. Besides the immense
storage stables tOr electric motors. the ma
chine shops and the stables, in the barn
were fifty new electric motors and nearly
all the summer cars owned by the com
pany. The machine shops were built dur
| ing the past season and were fitted with
very nne machinery for the rebuiling and
repairing of cars. In the stables were
sixty horses, but these were gotten out
alive. The cars stored in thu building
were valued at $3.50 600, while the structure
itself was worth at least $4,000 The ma.
chlnery was valued at fully $4,000. The
stores OF the company were kept in the
building and were worth S25, 900. The
only insurance carried was on the build
ing and amounts to about $40, 600. The
barns which were destroyed were the prin-
cIpaI depot of the Milwaukee street rail-
way company, and the fire greatly cripples
the company
Who threw the bomb is not known. The
man Is supposed TO be the firebug who has
started fully dozen other disastrous
bIsEes within a month. The grand jury
Will be summoned to investigate
The only person who saw the alleged
DOmO throwing wa hn nj h fpbT
lie says lie was standing near the main i
doorway OF the barn In which the motors |
and cars were stored, There was a whiz- |
ZIng through the air, crash and tire |
nendous eXposion If there was bomb |
thrown, which many doubt, il came |
through the main doorway and struck in |
the car nearest the entrance. The projec-
tile mast have been filled with some high
ly inflammable substance, AS hardly ten
seconds elapsed, according to the night
Watchman's s story, before nearly ali the
cars In the building were in flames Man
ager flynn OF the company Is convinced of
the LruthfulnesS OF the watchman'S story. /
hat there was an explosion everyone In
the neighbOrhOod will testify. There was
nothing OF an explosive nature about the
plant, and the electric current was not on
the machinery, the power house not being
In operation.
At $40 o'clock this morning the fire was
(
hard work upon the part OF the firemen TO
Jhe buildings of the street railway com
pany. Investigation today shows beyond
4 doubt that the fire which yesterday de-
'troyed the two tanueries, causing Ii loss
1t $50, 900, and which two lives were lost,
was incendiary. This is also the case with I
he two fires on Sunday when Sl25, coo !
worth OF property was burned.
This afternoon Mayor Somers issued a !
proclamation, Offering reward of 8. 500
or the arrest of any one guilty of incen- '
ilarlSm since the great Couhagration of
Oct. p, or for any person who shall start
my fire in the city within the next thirty
lays. It has been decided to at once add
90 sps cial policemen 10 The regular force
or night service.
Today two more bodies were found in I
he ruins of the tanUery fire of Yesterday. '
Increasing the number of lives lost TO four. t
)ne Is the body of Stephen Reader. a tan t
Ter. The other has not been Identified :
Today number of insurance agents. t
epreSenting the leading Insurance com c
'aules, received orders from their several
ompanies 20 cease writing Insurance on
manufacturing plants at Milwaukee
The police have thoroughly examined
he employees at the railway barus. Chief e
anSen says that he is satisfied that the o
Xploson was caused by au overheated L
tOVe on one of the Ga rs in the harm II