The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-07-14
THE. roRcA.

I1e VOHCHs
Chicago Lighted Up with the Iuccndiaries
Torches Ruin Wrought lsy Mobs, Let
Mostly by Foreigners.
ClucAeo, July 1.-Two hundred and
twenty-five freight cars on the Pan
handle tracks, between Forty-fifth and
Foray-ninth streets, adistance of about
one mile, were totally destroyed by
fire between the hours of and clock
Friday night.
Shortly after s o'clock immense
crowds of men, women and boys were
seen coming from the stockyards to.
ward the net work of tracks at the
crossing of Forty-seventh street. The
mob was augmented every minute by a
seemingly never-ending string of strils.
ers and their sympathizers, and about
G o'clock fully 1000 people were massed
along the tracks from Forty-fifth
street. They were the stoclSyards
crowd and intent on repetition OF
Thursday 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 at once.
Down the tracks, was the cry, and
with a rush the mob started south
ward. Bunches of waste were stolen
from switchmen's shanties and soaked
with 'dope" used in oiling the cars,
made an excellent torch. At forty
seventh street five cars standing on
the Grand Trunk tracks were the
first to meet destruction. Some of
them were loaded This did not deter
the frcnzied crowd from their work,
and the seals were broken and the
doors slid back. A bunch of burning
waste thrown inside quickly ignited
she contents, and in less than three
minutes the Ave cars were blazing
| 6ercely.
| Without waiting to see that their
work was complete the crowd surged
on. They kept to the Panhandle
tracks, and at Forty-ninth street came
upon six more cars. These were fired
in twinlsling, and on went the crowd.
In the Garfield boulevard yards of the
Panhandle four tracks were full of
freight cars, more than half of which
we're loaded. AT this crossing is located a
,witchman's tower, and this was first
fred. Then the mob turned it's atten-
lion to the cars on the sidings, but for
some reason fired but one of them-a
,ar of dressed beef which had Eeen
started eastward several days ago.
They suddenly stopped their incen-
liarism and turned their attention to
earring up switches. After number
aad been rendered useless the mob con-
tinued on it's way southwark.
At Fifty-eighth street is situated the
station house of the combined roads.
This was fred and quickly destroyed.
A strong wind was blowing, and the
danes were quickly spread across
three or four tracks which were filled
with cars. The railroad people say
;hat there were fifty cars there, forty
IF which were loaded. All were soon
mass of flames. About thirty of the
cars were filed with coal, and
The heat was intense. Fifteen
If the cars contained meat
from the big packing houses of Armour,
Swift and Nelson Morris. By this time
she 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 stu
alton at Fifty-eighth street they aban.
aoned their fight further northward
and came to the scene of the confagra.
lion, which promised to be serious.
Upon the approach of the fRe and
police departments the mob turned
about and started for the city. On
their way to Forty-seventh street they
SET fire to all cars that they had missed
in their hurried trip southwark. Nc
water could be obtained near the Gar.
field boulevard yards, and the cars
slowly burned. 1t was noticed that
the leaders of the mob were mostly
foreigners, and, as they retraced theil
steps, few of the leaders started of
in the direction of the stockyards.
number of hoodlums were in the gang
and they seemed especially profcienr
in the use of the torch.
The mob continued it's work of de
struction on it's march to the stock
yards. Both gangs again met at Forty
ninth and Halstead and continued
their march to the yards. The $50 car
N the yards We're completely de
,troyed, and when the mobs reached
The stockyards they divided up int,
small gangs and separated among TIN
big packing houses. 1t is feared tina
The worst is to come, and that tn,
,razed mob will destroy the big pack
ng houses during the night.
The overworked horses were so ex
nausted that it was with difficulty tina
they could be forced to walk. Th,
iremen in this district had Responded
to nearly sixty calls during the pas
twenty-four hours, and as they reache,
the scene they were received with jeer
, and curses by a mob of Bohemians
, Poles and Italians.
, The fireman succeeded in quenchin)
the flames before the cars were com
pletely destroyed, but had hardl,
i reached the engine house again whel
, they We're called out from TIA
same box. The mob had set fire Il
cars again. This time the wornou
dremen made but feeble efforts to eS
tinguish the blaze. At o'clock tn
cars had been reduced to ashes.
,, After destroying these cars the mo-