Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-07
PANHANDLE PROPERTY DESTROYED.
Two Hundred and Twenty five Cars Burn
ed-Water UnobfainabJe

Two Hnhure" anu twenty-five tars Burn
ed-Water UnobtainabIe.
CHICAGO, July 6.-Two hundred and
twenty-five freight-cars on the Panhandle
tracks between Forty-fifth and Fifty
ninth streets. distance OF one mile, Were
totally destroyed by fire between the hours
OF and o'clock tonight.
Shortly after O'Clock this evening I'M |
mense crowds OF men. women, and boys |
were seen coming from the stOck-yards |
towards the network Of tracks at the |
crossing Of Forty seventh street. The |
mob was augmented every minute by "A
seemingly never-ending string Of strikers
and their sympathizers, and about 6
o'clock fully 1900 people were massed |
along the tracks from Forty-nfth street
south. They were the stOck-yards crowd, |
and intent upon repetition Of last night s
destruction. and the few police who re-
mained on duty were utterly pOwerless. |
They were not even noticed By the
strikers. who went TO work at once !
down the tracks" was the cry, and, with
a rush, the mob started southwark |
lunches Of waste. stolen from switch |
mems shanties, and soaked with the |
dope" used In oiling the cars, made |
excellent torches. At Forty-seventh street
five cars. standing on the Grand-lrunk
tracks, were the first 10 meet destruction |
Some OF them were loaded This did not |
deter the frenzied crowd from their work !
and the seals were broken and the doors |
slid back bunch of the burning waste |
thrown inside quickly ignitod the contents, |
and in less than three minutes the I'VE
cars were blazing hercely. Without wait |
ing 10 see that their work was complete |
the crowd surged on. They kept 10 the |
Panhandle tracks. and at Forty-ninth |
hlaa
were fired in twinkling. and on went
the crowd.
SWITCHMAN'S TOWER FIRED.
In the Garfield Boulevard yards Of the |
Handle four OF the tracks were full Of
frcight-cars, more than half Of which were
loaded. At this crossing IS located a
switchman's tower. and this was first
fred Then the mob turned its attention !
10 the cars on the sidings. but for some |
reason fired but one Of them-a car of |
dressed beef which had been started east
ward several days ago.
They suddenly stopped their inccndia- |
rtsm and turned their attention 10 tear |
ing up switches. After number had |
been rendered useless the mob continued |
on rs way southwark.
At Fifty-eighth street Is situated the |
station house Of the combined roads. This |
was fired and quickly destroyed A strong |
wind was blowing and the flames were |
quickly spread across three or four |
tracks which were filed with cars. The |
railroad people say that there were fifty |
cars there. forty OF which were loaded. |
All were soon a mass Of flames About |
thirty Of the cars were filed with coal. |
and the heat was intense. Fifteen Of the !
ears contained meat from the big packing |
houses Of Armour, Swift, and Nelson |
Morris.
FIREMEN ARRIVE.
by this time the Fire Department had |
been advised Of the fires further north |
on the tracks and had sent their forces |
there. but on learning OF the seriousness |
Of the situation at Fifty-eighth street |
thoy abandoned their fight further north ,
ward and came TO the scene OF the con-
fasration. which promised to be serious.
Upon the approach OF the Fire and Po-
lice departments the mob turned about |
and started for the city. on their way TO
Forty-seventh street they set fire to all |
the cars that they had missed in their
hurried trip southwark. No water could |
be obtained near the Garfield boulevard |
yards. and the cars were Slowly burning |
up.
j. was noticed that the leaders Of the |
mob were mostly foreigners. and as they |
retraced Their steps a few Of the leaders, |
accompanied by hundreds. started OF in |
the direction Of the stock-yards.
There are $50 cars in tho district now in /
possession Of the mob. and it is probable |
that all viii be destroyed 10y midnight a |
number Of hoodiums were In The gang. |
and they seemed especially proficient in |
the use OF the torch.
PACKING-HOCSES THREATENED |
The mob continued its work OF destruc- |
t. IL
Both gangs again met at Forty-ninth and |
IIalstoad streets. and continued their |
march 10 the yards Tho $50 cars in the |
yards We're completely destroyed, ard |
when the mob reached the stock-yards |
they divided up into small gangs and |
separated among the big packing-houscs. |
II is feared that the worst is to come. |
and that the crazed mob will destroy the !
lig packing-houses during the night
ON its return march the rioters set fire |
u four ears standing on the Grand-Trunk |
tracks. Just west Of Ashland avenue /
The cars were loaded with bll'd tWinc. |
An alarm OF fire was sent in from Forty !
ninth street ana Ashland avenue. but it J
was several minutes before the fromen /,
reached the scene. Thu over worked !
horses were so exhausted that IL was with !
difficulty that they could be- forced out OF |
q walk The hremen In this district had |
responded to nearly sixty calls during /
the past tWenty-fOur hours. and as they !
reached the tracks they were received |
with jocrs and curses by a mob of BO- |
hemian~ Poles and Italians The hremen |
succeeded in quenching the flames before |
the ears were completely destroyed. but |
had hardly reached the engine-hOuse |
again when they were called out from !
the same box. The mob had set fire 10 |
the cars again. This time the worn-out |
flremen made but feeble efforts To eXtin- |
gush the blaze. At O'Clock the cars |
had been reduced TO ashes.
After destroying those cars the moh |
disbandcd into small gangs. and started |
into Ia, stock-yards in "a half dozen dill !
ferent directions. 1t is feared that the |
big packing houses Of Armour, Swift, Nor |
ris, and others will fan a prey to mob |
violence during the night
RAILWAY-MEN BEATEN.
At s o'clock the Lake-ShOre Railway |
Company sent out a train-load Of men 10 |
repair the tracks between Thirty-nnth |
and Fifty first streets. At Forty-seventh |
street two men dropped from the train |
with the intention Of repairing some |
switches which had been wrecked by the |
mob last night. They had hardly com |
menced work when strikers and sympa- |
thizers to the number OF 800 rushed down
upon them, and beat them numerically
with clubs and coupling-pins. Both men
were severely cut about the face and
head before they were rescued by the |
police.
WORK OF DESTRUCTION.