Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-08-15
RIOT AND FIRE
Are Weapons Of the Railroad
Strikers at Buffalo.
Trains Wrecked, Cars Burned and
Railroad Men Assaulted.
Police and Fircmen Unable 10 Preserve Peace
or Quell the Flames.

III frNin, y. \ =, Aug if---t ne stflke ot
the Erie and Lehigh Valley switchmen has
hecomc serious matter, involving riot
iiacendiarism and other wrong dpings. There
was more or less trouble Saturday between
he strikers and sympathizers and men who
are doing strikers work, and n few desul-
tory assaults occurred.
| At o'clock this morning series OF
ineen,iiary fires broke out simultaneously
/ in the Lehigh Valley yards, Eighteen or
twenty freight ears tilled with wool, cotton,
hay and other merchandise, two passenger
coaches and two watchmcn's houses were
burned.
| The fires occurred at places where the
/ tircmeu could not stay the flames ON ae-
! lount OF the absence of wster ami diihcuii,
/ of access 20 the fires.
The water tank adjacent to the coal tres
| ties was smashed and an engine taking
water there was wrecked by a string of ten
runaway coal cars turned loose from the
| trcsilc,
1 The fire was first discovered in the east
bound yards, east of Dingcns street. Here,
a h,le office building and two or three
! fcight cars were destroyed.
| Al this time lardmaster Mead discovered
| the flames III two passenger coaches used
/ for the conveyance of worhmen, and
| turned in an alarm. In the yard east of
! plngcus street the fire ragged among cars
| of merchandise,
| /, took the hose from three carts to reach
! the flames from the ncrrcst hNdrant. The
/ ircmcn prevented the destruction OF great
number of ears and the loss of perhaps
! hundreds of thousands of dollars worth OF
I properth
| The ears DESTROYED were in the midst ot "A
| great number of other ears. The tirem,E nm
coupled several cars and removed them from
| danger. 4 dozen or more cars were throw u
from the Lehigh tracks, and a similar mum
ber from thu Erie by misplaced switches.
The first intimation that anything was
hen the coal cars were set loose and de
molishel the water tank. Then the flames
broke out,
Can't Wurtz of the fifth precinct put a
force of u dozen officers in the yard as soon
AS the alarm was given, The officers were
unable TO find any suspicious characters
That is what happened up 10 daylight this
morning.
The strikers, or their sympathicrS, pulled
pins turned switches and drove oil the
crews. Three men are Mt the hospital
badly hurt A man was assaulted at the
Western New York and Pennsylvania
crossing who was on the way for n wreckcr
ut the time, and was turning switch. The
strikers had turned switches, and throw n
II, ears from track before that,
| one of tn. most cowardly things done
WAS the throwing of switches under pasScn
ger train No, II at WILLIAMS street, at 80
tonight. Two passenger coaches were
tcrown from the track, but the conductor
/ does not think auyhoiy was hurt though
/ many were badly frightened.
| Fifty men boarded the passenger train
! No. , at II this morning, aud molestcd the
employees, driving them of. The crew
/ finally succeeded IN getting the train to the
station.
/ The mob took possession of the Scnaca
| street switches three or four times during
| the day aud sometimes drove Of the signal
| men. In the Lchigh yards at Chccktow ara
| tonight the scenes of last hight were
| repeated.
1 It is plainly iutimatel by the Erie oil
cials that workmcn from the East have
been engaged to take the place of til,
strikers. Three policemen were stationed
at the landing and IN the hallway leading to
the Offices of Superintendent Brunn and his
associates today.
Thc strikers say they are determined to
win the fight and assert that the roads are
losing heavily by not having men TO per
form the work of the strikers.
They say the Ere is thoroughly domoral
ilrd on account Of the strike and every
silc track on the Buffalo division Is com
pIetcly blocked.
Two trains of freight cars ON sldings IL
Checktowaga, a railroad suburb of Buffalo
were burned tonight. lchigh has callet
on the sheriff for protection.
He sent six deputies 10 the scene and vii
swear in fifty more tomorrow morning
The police have yards in seven OF the II
precincts of the city to guard, and all th'
reserves are called out.
A man was arrested today for assault an'
charged with rioting.
Atl 4. NJ. FIRE broke out in three place
10 the Lehigh yards simultaneously. Th
fire department seem unable to quench it