The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-07
Strike Centres.

Chicago, July 6.-Two hundred and twen-
ty-fve freight cars on the Panhandle track
in this city in a distance of about a mile
were burned between the hours of 6 and
s tonight. Shortly after five this evening
an immense crowd of men, women ard
boys were seen coming from the stock
yards toward the network of tracks at
the crossing of 47th street. The mob was
augmenteds every minute by seemingly
never ending string of strikers and their
sympathizers, and about six, fully 1000
people were massed along the tracks from
47th street south. They were the stock
yards crowd intent on a REPETITION of last
nights destruction.
THE POLICE POWERLESS.
The few police who remained 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 rush the
mob.started southwark. Bunches of waste
were stolen from the switchmen's ssshanties
and soaked in s'dope,f used in oiling cars,
made excellent torches. AT 47th street five
cars were standing on the Grand Trunks
line were first to meet destruction. Some
were loaded. The seals of these were brok-
en-, the doors sslid back and punches of
burning waste thrown inside, quickly ignit-
ing the contents sand lin less than three
minutes the five cars were blazing fiercely.
The crowd swept on. 1t kept the Pandle
tracks at 49th street and came upon six
more cars, and these were fired in a twink
ling and on went sthe crowd. In Garfield
boulevard the yards of the Pan Handle,
four tracks full of freight cars, more than
half loaded. At this crossing is located the
switchmen's tower, and this was first fired,
then.they turned their attention to the
carson the siding. For some reason they
| fired but one car of dressed beef that start
| ed eastward several days ago. The crowd
| suddenly stopped incendiarism and began
| to tear up the switches. After number
| had been rendered useless the mob contin-
ued it's way soutward. lon 5Sth street is
| situated the station of the combined roads,
| This was fired and quickly destroyed. A
! strong wind quickly spread the fire across
| four tracks filed with cars. The railroad
| peoplessay that fifty cars were there, forty
| loaded. All were soon mass of flames
| About thirty cars were loaded With coal
| and fifty contained meat from the big pack
| ing houses of Armour, Swi it and Nelson
| Morris. By this time the fire department
was advised of fires further.north on the
| track, and had sent forces there. On learn
| ing of the seriousness of the situation at
| 5Sth street, they gave up the fight furth-
| er northward and came to the scene of con-
| fiagation, which promised to be serious.
| Upon the approach sof the fire and police
| departments 1.-The mob started for the city.
| On the way to 41th street it set fire to all
! the cars it had missed in it's hurried trip
south. mo water could be obtained near
Garfield street yard, and the cars slowly
burned up. 1t was noticed the leaders of
the mob We're mostly foreigners, and as it
Ilretraced its steps, few leaders, accom-
| off in the direction of the stock yard s..
! There are $50 cars in the district now in
| possession of the mob, and probably all will
| be destroyed by midnight. A number of
| hoodlums Were in the gang.