The Jasper weekly courier., 1892-07-15
WAR AT HONEsTEAh
a ussody Hattie. Lasting ~ DAY :"
which the finksrtons we're Finally
losapeIIed Ia ~urrsndrr-A
Most lscpiorzsble Anstr.


Homestead from the scouts stationed
at lock No. I. on the Nonongahela river
bank. that two huat Loads 81 strange
men had arrived there in charge 81 the
stca mer. Little Bill. aud were On their
way 90 Homestead.
The information had no sooner been
received than the large steam whistie
al the electric light plant was blown
and its mournful. far-rcaching voice
rose and fell on the morning air. wax
ing the weary slecpers within radius
~ many miles and telling them that
the pinksrton~ Were coming. The per-
fiction of the unparalleled system
of signaling which had boon adopted
by the Homestead men. was well
demonstrated for the moment the
whistles were heard flash lights were
brought into play from different points
on the sursou nding hills.
The little battleship Edna. which Is
ever ready for datv. joined her >hrill.
small voice in the call TO arms. but AZ
ter shrieking for few seconds put on
down the river in search Of her enemy.
The scntnels on the outposts In the
meantime were not idle. as hundreds of
sixy-roekcts were sent towards the
heavens TO make assurance donbly sure
that no man. woman or child in Home
stead would sleep while their town was
menaced.
Within two minutes after the first
blast of the large whistle. 1000 half
clothed but wideawakc people were on
the streets hurrying towards the river.
jostling each other in their eagerncss
To ret the first glimpse ~ the Pinkcr-
ton fleet They peered into the dense
fog which ovcrhung the Monongahela
waters in vain. and no sound was
heard save the calls and answers of the
water. scouts who were plying the
river in forty skiffs searching for the
enemy. For fully an hour il seemed
as though the people had been hanled
from their beds for no purpose and
many Of the tired ones returned to
their homes.
At o'clock the streets Of Homestead
were almost deserted when three
men. their steeds bathed in foam.
ine fying up the river road into
Homestead. and separated in different
directions. shouted wildly: ITO the
river. to the river: the Pinlertons are
coming"
At the same moment the whistle for
the second time since the sun had set
sent out its dismal warning, this time
sounding the death call Of many Home
stead people who had sprung from their
beds but two hours before
This time the alarm was = general
one. and as the 10000 people scurried
through the streets toward the river. a
shrill whistle from the bend below the
town announced the coming Of the lit
tie boat Edna and her peculiarly
plaintive cry carried with il an awful
significance
Nearer and nearer came the little
boat Then IL was seen that she was
followed closely BY a long. iow-lyinc
float being pushed rapidly up stream
hy a steamer The vast army Of men
women and children on shore were no'
long in learning the character Of ths
strange craft. and the cry of Tive
model harg-s full Of Pinkertons'
was raised Then there was ;
rush made toward the mill fence
Rushing. screaming and fallin.
over each other. tho crowd reachef
the twcnty-foot fence. which ex
tended down into the water. and th'
advance guard began tearing down th.
boards. They we're for getting in tn
4 mill. for il was seen that the Pinker
tons intended landing inside the works
I Every nerve Of the $500 workmcn ans
/ their families was strained towar'
reaching the only landing place IN ad
vance Of the PinkertonS In less tim
than il takes 10 tell il. they had tori
down the fence. through which the an
gry crowd had poured in stream
Along the foot-path skirting the rive
bank they rushed peil nell. ant
though in some places il was ncccssar,
to 60 one at a time. the mad pace set b,
the lightfootcd leaders was not relaxe,
and those who were unable 70 keep ol
the path rolled into the river Tn
noise az the wild assembly was like tn
rumbling Of a storm The shrill erie
OF the foremost ones were answered b
rAAUAl1 VI tllIBlto NAA4tnt ~ tAtfr| ~
hind Every man was armed with
club At least and fully eight out D
every ten carried revolverS womci
with babes in arms ran fieetly alon,
the foot paths bent on reaching tn
scene ~ the struggle.
A. soon aS dly broke the workmen =
cured small brass ten-pound canno
aud planted IL within steel billet em
hrasurc, - as to command the barge
which were noorcd at the bank d
the river. Al the same tim
force of more than 900 men too
mp position % the opposite side 81 th
river. aud also placed cannon whicl
they protected with hrcastw0rk y
railroad tics The fire from both side
was KEEP, up. the barges being pierce
along the sides
Shortly after . o'clock the canno
were trained on the boats. and for -,
cral hours an awful .bomba ar,lment wa
kept up. The stout oaken timber
forming the sides Of the boat wer
splinterci. but the heavy steel plac
on the inside prevented the balls froi
penetrating the interior. Many of III
strikers. however. were expert mark
men. and they sent shot after shc
txt.. <h. r-,.<-< r.e.in. - 49,. 49,. - - :.