The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-01-04

MILWAUKEE, Dec. 2S.-At o'clock this
morning a bomb was thrown into the
main building of the South side plant OF
the Milwaukee street railway company.
There was a tremendous explosion and in
q moment the interior of the building was
In b axe. In few minutes the fire was
beyond control, and in less than an hour
the entire plant was consumed, mourning
q loss of 100000
The street company's South Side plant
is located on Kinnikinick-aye. II in
cludes the immense storage stables for
electric motors, the machine shops and
the stables. In the barn were fifty new
electric motors and nearly all the summer
cars owned by the company. The ma
chine shops were built the past season
and we're 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 building were valued at S35000
while the structure itself was worth at
least $4,000.
The machinery was valued at fully S75,-
600. while the stores OF the company were
kept in the building and were worth S25,-
900. The insurance carried was on the
buildings, and amounted to $4,000. The
barns which were destroyed were the
principal depot of the Milwaukee street
railway company, and the fire greatly
crippled the company.
The identity OF the man who threw the
bomb is not known. He is supposed to
be the frebug who has started fully q
dozen other disastrous fires within a
month. A grand jury will be summoned
10 investigate.
The only person who saw the alleged
bomb thrown was Night Waterman Wor-
den. He saws that he was standing near
the main doorway OF the barn in which
the motors and cars were stored. There
was whiz of something through the air.
fash and a tremendous explosion. II
there was a bomb thrown, which many
doubt, it came through the main doorway
and struck In the car nearest this en-
trance. The projectiie must have been
filled with some highly inflam unable sub
stance, as hardly ten minutes passed, &C
cording TO the night watchman's story
before nearly all the cars in the building
were in flames. Manager Linn of the
company is convinced OF the truthfulness
OF the watchman's story. That there was
an explosion every one in the neighbor-
hood will testify. There was nothing OF
an explosive nature about the plant and
the electric current was not on, the ma
chinery at the power house not being in
operation.
The watchman's Story.
The Waterman is very positive about
the explosion. He said: 81 was not
twenty feet away when it occurred and l
saw il all. The explosion was terrific. 1t
blew every window out of the car and il
was not q second before the car was on
fire. tried to get the car out, but l could
not do it. tried the electricity but the
power was of. II it had been on could
have run the car out, think. and saved
the ui.ding don't think the fire started
from the stove. / am sure there must
have been some sort of bomb or some
.hing like that in the cal"
In the car barn proper we're all the Rus
Bell-ave. and Forest Home cars and the
ear shop, Occupying the south half of the
building was filled with lot OF new cars
which were being fitted out for the various
branches OF the road. On the second
floor were stored a large number OF sum-
mer cars, which burned. The cars that
burned, seventv-nine in number. we're
about half OF the entire equipment of
the road. The larger part of them were
new cars. The most of them belonged to
the Becker line, and there were some
amongst them from the North line of the
city. Every car of the Bay View and
Forest Home lines was destroyed Mana
ger Linn places the loss on the cars alone
at S6OO.OOO.
A small cottage next to the plant Of the
street railway company was also de-
stroyed. A woman residing in the house
became paralyzed and mad to be carried
out of the house after it was in flames
The rear end of the plant of the butcher
stove company, which had been leased by
the Milwaukee street railway company,
was slightly damaged.
At $3.50 o'clock this morning the fire
was under control, having been mime
by hard work upon the part OF the fire.
men. TO the buildings of the Milwaukee
street railway company.
other Incendiarism.
Investigation today shows beyond dou bt
thatthe fire which on yesterday destroyed
two tannsries, causing q loss of $40,
and by which two lives were lost, was in
cendiary. This is also the case the
win tiic Two uToS On MOn0aY, W0en
fl25.000 worth OF property burned.
Today two more bodies were found in
the ruins of the tannery, increasing the
number lost to four One body is that OF
Stephen Tresder. a tanner The other
has not been identified.
Insurance Men Scared.
Today q 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 100000 in two months. He
began his work OF destruction on the
night OF Oct 2S. when 900 buildings were
consumed and 100000 worth of prop
srty DESTROYED. While the conflagration
was raging in the east side an attempt was
made to burn the west side. Here the
loss was $4,000. The week follow
ing Kock & Loebers wooden ware and