Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-12-29
FIRED BY A BOMB.
The Milwaukee Street Railway Company
Loses BALI a Million Dollars.

Loses Bali Million Dollars.
MILWAUKEE, WIS, December 2S.-At
O'clock this morning q oomo was thrown
into the main building of the South Side
plant OF the Milwaukee Street Railroad
Company. There was a tremendous ex-
plosion, and in a moment the interior OF
the building was in blaze. In few min
utes the fire was beyond control, and in
less than an hour the entire plant was con-
sumed, entailing a loss of $4,000.
The street railway company's South
Side plant is located on Minnikennic ave-
nue.. 1t includes the immense storage sta
bles for electric motors, the machine shops
and the stables. In the barn were fifty
new electric motors and nearly AL the sum-
mer cars owned by the company. The ma
chine shops were built the past season and
were fitted with very fine machinery for
the rebuilding and repairing of cars. In
the stables were sixty horses, but
these were gotten out alive.
The cars stored in the build
ing were valued at $350000.
while the structure itself is worth at least
$4,000. The machinery is valued at fully
$75, 600, while the stores of the company
were kept In the building and were worth
5000, The insurance carried was on the
building and amounted to Zoo. The
barns which were DESTROYED were the prin-
cipal depot of the company and the Ore
greatly cripples the company.
Who the man is who threw the bomb is
not known. He is not supposed TO be the
firebug who has started fully dozen other
disasi rous fires within a month. A grand
jury will be summoned 10 investigate.
Toe only person who saw the alleged
bomb thrown was Nightwatchman Wor
den. He says that he was standing near
the main doorway of the barn in which the
motors and cars were stored. There was
q whiz of something through the air, a
flash and a tremendous explosion. If there
was q bomb thrown, which many doubt, it
came through the main doorway and
struck in the car nearest this entrance
The projectile must have been filled with
some highly inhammable substance, as
hardly ten seconds elapsed, according TO
the niehtwatchman'S story, till the build
inc was in flames Manager Lynn, of the
company is convinced of the truthfulness
OF the watchman's story; that there was an
explosion, everyone in the neighbOrhood
will testify. There was nothing of an eX
plosive nature about the plant and the cleo
tric current was not on, the machinery at
the power house not being in operation.
investigation today shows beyond doubt
that the ire when yesterday destroyed
two tanuerieS, causing q loss o. S35O,OOO,
ana DN WHICH Two llhtS WtIt LoSl, was III
cendiary This is also the case with the
two tires on Sunday, when 1925, 600 worth
Of property was burned.
Manager Lynn places the loss on cars
alone at $500 900. This afternoon Mayor
Somers issued proclamation offering a re-
ward OF &, 800 for the arrest OF the persons
who started any of the fires beginning with
the great cOn1agratiOn of October %, or
who shall start any fires in the city within
the next thirty days. 1t has also been de-
cided 10 at once add one hundred special
policemen 70 the regular force for night
service. If the incendiaries are arrested
it will require military protection to pre-
vent a lynching with excitement running
as high as it does to-day.
To-day two more bodies were found in
the ruins of the tannery fire of yesterday,
increasing the number of lives lost TO four.
One body is that of Stephen Treader, a
tanner. the other has not been identified
To-day a number OF insurance agents,
representing leading companies, received
orders from their several companies to
cease writing insurance on manufacturing
plants in Milwaukee. The fire bug who is
operating in Milwaukee has cost the city
over S5,O00.0O0 in two months.
A meeting was held oy the Chamber OF
Commerce at noon to-day, when COM
mittee of six were appointed to arrange
for a mass meeting of citizens to be held
IN morrow. TO take action on incendiarism.