New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-07
BURNING FREIGHT CARS.
WHOLESALE DESTRUCTION OF RAILROAD
PROPERTY BY FRENzIED MOBS.

HUNDREDS OF CARS DESTROYED OK PAN HANDLE
TRACKS IN CHICAGO-OTHERs FIRED BY
srRrKEEs At THE CHICAGO BrRLING'
TON AND Quincy YARDS
Chicago July Ga mob Of 200 or 400 men are
burning cars in the Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy yards at Hawthorne. seven miles out.
Four have beer. destroyed up - this hour NlSO
p. M, and it IS reported that there are many
other fires sprlnglng up in different parts Of the
yards. There Is absolutely No police protection
there beyond one or two officers. ana the militia
ara several miles away.
Two hundred ana twenty-five freight cars
on the Pan Handle tracks, between Forty
NTH and Forty-nlnth SITS. distance OF
abou. one mile. were totally destroyed by fire
between and s O'Clock tonight A little after
) O'Clock this evening immense crowds OF men,
women and boys were seen coming from the
Stock Yards toward the network Of tracks at the
crossing ~ Fcrty-sevcnth-st. The mob was aug
mcuteI every minute By an apparently never
ending string Of strikers and their sympathizers.
and about o'clock fully 1000 people were
nassed along the tracks from Forty hfth-st.
south. They were the stock Yards crowd and
intent on a repetition Of last nights destruction.
and the few police who remained on duty were
utterly powerless They were not even noticed
by the strikers. who went TO work a. once. Down
th. tracks, was the cry. and with rush the
mob started southwark Bunches Of waste were
stolen from the swtchmen's shanties and soaked
with the dope" used in ong the cars made an
excellent torch.
THE WORK OF DESTRUCTION BEGUN
Five cars standing on the Grand Trunks line
AZ Forty-seventh-st. were the first % meet de-
struc,ion Some of them were loaded. This did
not deter the frenzied crowd from their work.
and the ecals were broken and the doors pushed
back bunch Of the burning waste was thrown
inside. quickly ignlting the contents. and in
less than three minutes the Ave cars were blaz-
Ing 1er,ey Without waiting 10 see that their
work was complete the crowd surged on. They
kept 10 the Pan Handle tracks, and at Forty
ninth-st came upon SIX more cars. These were
fred IN A twinkng and on went the crowd
IN the Garfield Boulevard yards OF the Pan
Handle four tracks were full ot freight cars.
more than half Of which were loaded. AT this
crossing stands swlichman's tower, and this
was frs. set fire. Then the mob turned It's
attention e. the cars on the sidings but for some
reason set anre only one OF them-a car Of
dressed beef which had been started eastward
several days ago. They suddenly stopped their
incendiarisn and turned their attention 70 tear
ing up switches. After several had been rem
dered useless. the mob continued on its way
southwark.
A RAILWAY STATION BURNED
A. Fif'y-eigh,h-st Is the station Of the COM
h!rol roads This was fred and soon destroyed
4 strong wind was blowing and the flames were
quickly spread across three of four tracks which
were filed with cars. The railroad people say
that there were nfty cars there. forty Of which
were loaded All were soon a mass Of hames
About thirty ~ the cars were filled with coal,
anA tho heat was intense. Fifteen contained
mca. from the big packing houses of Armour
Swift and Nelson Morris BY this time the IRE
department had been advised OF the fires fur-
ther north on the tracks. and had sent their
forces there. But on learning Of the seriousness
NJ the situation at Fifty-eighth-st they aban-
doned their fight further nor;hward and came
10 the scene OF the connagraton, which promised
To be serious
Upon the approach of the fire ana ponce de-
nartnlerts he mob turned about and started for
the city. on their way 10 Forty-seventh-st. they
SO, fire to all the cars they had missed IN their
buried trim southwark. No water could be OBJ
,a,nod near the Garfield Boulevard yards. and
tho cars are slowly burning up. It was noticed
,hot the leaders OF the mob were mostly foreign
era and "a they retracei their steps few OF
rho leaders. accompanied by hundreds Of others.
s,,r,e1 off in the direction Of the Stock Yards
Tho inob continued its work OF destruction on
its march - the stock yards. Both gangs again
mot At rorty-nnth and lGalsted SITS and con-
tinued their march TO the yards The $50 cars
In Tho Yards were completely destroyed and
,,hen th, crowd reached the stock yards they
driIed no into small gangs. scattering among
ing hpt feared
,y.,ra, Is TO come and that the craZed mob Will
destroy the packing houses in the course or the
night.
The 18th Regiment ordered 10 the scene
~ soon as the news Of the trouble reached
Company was sent to FIFTY
,irst-st n there arc n large number OF Pullman
rars ri that point Other companies were placed
AT Flfty-eiGhth-st Garfield Boulevard and
Fortv-sevcnth-st. II IL thought that this move
ment will errectualy check any attempt OF the
-trlkers to return and finish their destructive