The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-29
REIGN OF 0FINCENDIARISM
ANOTHER CONFLAGRdTTON ADDED
10 MTLWAUkEE'S LONG LIST.
A Bomb Thrown IN The Plant Of the Mil
waukoc Street Railway Company
Causes @5fO,O0O Damage.

M1LWAUKEE. WIS. Dec 2S.-A bomb
was thrown into the main building OF
the sou,hsidc plant OF the Milwaukee
Street Railway Company at o'clock
this morning There was "a tremendous
explosion. and I'm moment the interior
O. The building was in a blaze In "a few
minutes the fire was beyond control, and
in less than an hour the entire plant
was consumed. cntailing "a loss of $4,000
The plant is located on KnniCkinnick
avenue. lt includes immense storage
stables for electric motors. machine shops
and stables.
lu barn were fifty new electric motors
and nearly au the summer cars owned by
the company. The machine shops We're
built the past season and were fitted uD
with very fine machinery for rebuild
ing and repairing of cars. The buildings
were principally the depot of the Mil
0aukee Street Railway Company, and
the fire greatly cripples the company.
The bomb-thrower is not known, but is
supposed 10 be a man who has started
fully "a dozen other disastrous fires with
d. month. The grand jury Will be sum-
m0ncI TO investigate.
The only person who saw the alleged
bomb thrown was Night Watchman Wor-
den. Ile says that he was standing near
the main doorway of the barn. I'M which
the motor cars were stored There was
Whiz flash and q terrific explosion. If
there was "a bomb thrown. which many
doubt, it came through the main door
way, and struck "a car near the entrance.
Hardly ten seconds elapsed according 10
the night WatChman's story. before the
cars in The building were i'm flames Man
ager Lynn. of the company is convinced
Cf the tUthulucss OF the Watcnman's
story. That there was am explosion, every
one I'm the ncighborh00d viii testify. A
small cottage next TO the plant of the
street railway company was also wrecked.
AT $3.50 O'Clock this morning the fire was
under control. having been confined 90 the
buildings OF the Milwaukee Street Rail-
road Company.
The mayor this afternoon issued a
proclamation Offering $500 reward for
evidence that VIII lead TO the detection
OF the iucendiaries The entire police
force has been set TO work, and private
detective agencies viii probably go after
the reward also. one hundred special
police have been placed on duty, and Will
remain for two weeks.
The iuceud.ary theory, at first lausAed
at. or at least doubted. except by the i'm
sarauce men. is now gen rally accepted
To-day "a number of insurance agents,
repre- seuuug leading companies, received
orders t0 cease writing insurance on man
ufactWine plants in this city. The fire.
lu4 operating in Milwaukee has cost the
city more than 5000 900 in two months
The trouble began on the night OF Octo-
ber 29th when 800 buildings were de-
stroyed and Sf0oo00 worth Of property
consumed While the confagration was
raging ON the east side an attempt was
made 90 burn the west side
The week following Kock & L0eber's
woodeuware auction store was fired. the
loss being $4,000. a week later IF. l..
Eely's dry goods store was destroyed,
with 90 loss of SlN5No. The Milwaukee
Mattress Company was burned out a few
DAYS later. with $4,000 loss. The Hennrek
Company's art store came neXt, with
loss Of $4,000. The origin OF this fire was
uncertain. An attempt was made to de
ftr0y the great Alhs works. and later in
the week the pabst Theatre was fired
with loss Of $4,000. The Keenan, mill
was burned at the same time where the
loss was $4,000. Then came the fire yes
tfrday, whereby $4,000 worth of prop
crtv was consumed, and to-day the car
barn fire.
a special meeting Of the city council is
o. be held To take action toward stopping
the reign of inccndiarism, and it is likely
that special grand jury will be called
L. investigate the matter.
MILWAUkEE. WIS, Dec &-The
search in the ruins Of the Conrad tannery
fire for the remains Of Fireman Sullivan
brought TO light the body of tanner
named Stephen Nroavcr. lie had not
been missed. This makes four known
deaths from Yesterdays fire.
MUNCIE. IND. Dec. 2S.-At A. NJ.
fre broke out i'm Delaware county's ele-
CANT new court house. and the building.
valued at $4,000 was ruined. The fire
originated in the courtroom.
Property Owners the Firebugs.
lIILWAUKEE, WIS, Dec. 28.-Chief
Jansen. Of the police department, be-
lievos the only hrchuss at work here are
dishonest ovIers of property, who have
taken advantage of excessive insurance
t. burn their buildings for the insurance.
Chief Janssen's investigation Will be
mainly along this line
President James, of the Northwestern
National Insurance Company, believes
with chief Janssen that about half the
fires have been purely accidental, perhaps
one or two set by thieves or tramps look
ing for plunder. and an the rest started by
the owners of the buildings burned. It
is probable that in almost every case the
insurance has been as great or greater
than the loss.