The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-07-15
WAR AT HOMESTEAD.
Carnegie's I,ocked-Out Men Resist
Pinkerton Interference.
Eloody Battle, Lasting All Day, In
which the Pfnkertons were Finally
Compelled to Surrender-A
Most DepIorable Affair.

HOMESTEAD, Pa, July About 2:3O
this morning word was received at
Homestead from the scouts stationed
at lock No. I, on the Monongahela river
bank. that two boat loads of strange
men had arrived there in charge of the
steamer Little Bill, and were on their
way to Homestead.
The information had no sooner been
received than the large steam whistle
at the electric light plant was blown
and It's mournful, far-reaching voice
rose and fell on the morning air, walk
ipg the weary sleepers within radius
OF many miles and telling them that
the Pinkertons were coming. The per-
fection of the unparalleled system
of signaling which had been 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 surrounding hills.
The little battleship Edna, which is
ever ready for duty, Joined her shrill
small voice in the call to arms, but af-
ter shrielxing for few seconds put off
down the river in search of her enemy.
The sentinels on the outposts in the
mSsntime were not idle, as hundreds of
sky-rockets were sent towards the
heavens to make assurance doubly 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 wideawake people were on
the streets hurrying towards the river,
jostling each other in their eagerness
to get the first glimpse of the Pinker-
ton feet They peered into the dense
fog which overhung 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 it seemed
es though the people had been hauled
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
horsemen, their steeds bathed in foam,
came flying mp the river road into
Homestead, and separated in different
directions, shouted wildly: "To the
river, to the river; the Pinkertons 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 Int two hours before
This time the alarm was a 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 it an awful
significance.
Nearer and nearer came the little
boat. Then it was seen that she was
followed closely by a long, low-lying
float being pushed rapidly up stream
by a steamer. The vast army of men
women and children on shore were not
long in learning the character of the
strange craft, and the cry of "Twc
model barges full of Pinkcrtons'
was raised. Then there was g
Rushing, screaming and falling
over each other, the crowd reached
the twenty-foot fence, which eX
tended down into the water, and tn,
advance guard began tearing down the
boards. They were for getting in the
mill, for il was seen that the Pinker
tons intended landing inside the works
Every nerve of the 4, 500 workmen and
their families was strained toward
reaching the only landing place in ad
vance of the Pinkertons. In less tins
than il takes to tell it, they had tori
down the fence, through which the an
CRY crowd had poured in stream
Along the foot-path skirt1g the river
bank they rushed pelI NELL, anC
though in some places it was necessar,
TO go one at time, the mad pace set by
the lightfooted leaders was not relaxed
and those who were unable to keep OF
the path rolled into the river. Tn,
noise of the wild assembly was like th'
rumbling of a storm. The shrill cries
| of the foremost ones were answered by
| shouts of encouragement by those be
hind. Every man was armed with Z
club at least and fully eight out o
every ten carried revolvers Women
with babes in arms ran fleetly along
the foot paths bent on reaching th'
scene of the struggle.
AS soon as day broke the workmen Sc
cured small brass ten-pound cannon
and planted il within a steel billet EN-
| brasure, so as to command the barge.
which were moored at the bank o.
the river. At the same time
a force of more than 1000 men tool
up a position on the opposite side of th'
river, and also placed cannon which
| they protected with breastwork o
railroad ties. The fire from both side
was kept up, the barges being pierces
along the sides
Shortly after Q o'clock the cannol
were trained ON the boats, and for sew
eral hours an awful bonn mbardment wa
kept up. The stout oaken timber
forming the sides of the boat wer
splintered, but the heavy steel plate
on the inside prevented the balls from
penetrating the interior. Many of tn
strikers, however, were expert marks
men, and they sent shot after sho
into the portfolios of the boat and in
ficted terrible injury to the imprisone'
men,
The first shot of the engagement
came from the barge. It was aimed a