The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1895-12-20
MANY CARS WRECKED
Riots Attend Philadelphia's
Traction Strike.

Not n Wheel of the Company In.
voivcd Turning This Morning and
Only One Line I'm the City in Oper-
ation-Mobs, Composed Mostly of
Boys, Wreck About 800 Cars.
Philadelphia, Dec. 1s.-Riot and de-
struction marked the opening day of
the great strike of the street car en-
ployes of the Union Traction company.
Aided by the mischievous, lawless ele-
ment, the strikers succeeded in com
pletely tieing up the lines of the Union
Traction company this morning, with
the exception of the one line not con-
trolled by the company involved in the
strike, not street car wheel was turn
ing in Philadelphia. Never before in
the history of the city has there been
witnessed such widespread disorder.
To the credit of the strikers it may be
said that the disorders were created by
too ardent sympathizers. Boys held
up cars and drove the motormen and
| conductors from their posts with vol
| leys of bricks and stones and then
| smashed the glass in the windows of
the cars, cut the trolley ropes, pulled
out the fuses, smashed in the cash
registers and tore off the tenders in
| front of the cars. In all about 300 cars
were badly wrecked, and last evening
the traction company gave up the eff
fort to run cars, and, with the aid of
the nnlipn tyit bHraxxy 4hair ha
and abandoned rolling stock back into
the car sheds.
Moro Trouble Anticipated.
The mayor issued a proclamation
calling upon all good citizens to pre-
serve the peace and asking them to
refrain from gathering in crowds on
the streets. He furthes added that
violence and riot would be met with
force and that the peace of the city
will be preserved at all hazards. While
the crowds attacked the cars, the
spirit of the mob seemed to be one Of
/ malicious mischief more than threaten
ing temper that marks real riot The
suddenness of the numerous outbreaks
seemed to take the police by surprise,
and for time cars were wrecked with
impunity in the very heart of the re-
tail shopping district Then the
| patrolmen were massed at every
threatened point and this morning
every policeman in the city is on
duty. The company made no attempt
to run cars last night, but under police
protection they will start the Market
street branch of their line some time
| to-day, and trouble is sure to follow,
and to-day may witness more serious
rioting than took place yesterday.
Strikers Made No Disturbance.
The strikers attempted no interfer-
ence with the cars, but confined their
efforts to trying to dissuade the motor
men and conductors who were not with
them from going out on the cars. They
met them as they went to work and
talked with them, and in many cases
were successful. Where man would
refuse to join them he might get sharp
ly spoken to, but beyond this he was
not threatened. In anticipation of any
trouble six squads of policemen were
massed arthe various car stables as the
most likely places where it would oc-
cur. The police allowed no congrega-
tions of men around the car stables,
but they met with the greatest annoy
ance from women and boys who stood
by and jeered and hooted at the motor
men and conductors as they went out.
There was no concerted movement to
attack the cars, but in dozen different
places at once obstructions were put
ON the track. When the cars came to q
stop some one would throw a stone.
Then missiles of every description
would strike the car until not a window
was left. In no case were the motor
men or conductors very roughly han
died, the crowds being content to
wreck the cars.
Boys tho Wreckers.
Some of the worst destruction oc-
Cured on Chestnut street. little
bootblack alongside a stalled car
swung his box and dashed it through
one Of the windows. Every boy in the
crowd Immediately proceeded to take a
hand in the destruction and in less
time than it takes to think of it every
| light In the car was broken. The STALL
ing of this car banked up behind it as
far as Thirteenth street thirteen other
cars. The mob swept up the street
with stones and clubs and drove the
conductors and motormen away and
wrecked the cars. Because a motor
man, who was being hooted at by a
store messenger boy, made kick at
the younster gang of his companions
dragged the motorman and conductor
from their platforms and wrecked the
car in twinlling just above Ninth
street policeman was standing be-
side one of the wrecked cars hemmed
in by the crowd. A boy about II years
of age jumped on the car and taking
a heavy iron switch rod proceeded to
deliberately wreck the interior. After