The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-22

have been intimidated. No punishment
can be imposed upon the offenders ex-
cept through a military court, and until
this is done we need not hope for peace
The miners, ON the other hand, deplore
the whole matter and seem disposed 20
lay the blame upon outsiders, rufians,
who have iocked to the scene of the trou-
BILE. The destruction of the Coronado has
finally aroused the lava biding citizens
to take steps for a summary treatment
of the trouble hereafter.
Thls AFTERNOON meeting was held in the
opera house and document received 200
signatures, which is practically an agree
ment to stand together to protect life and
property. In short, II Is a vigilance com
mittee.
There Is a rumor afoat that John Au-
burn, president of the miners union, has
left the city, and officers and citizens
unite in saying that many familiar faces
have suddenly disappeared. That there
was to be trouble last night was clearly
understood by the mine operators and
many of the miners, but they kept the
Information to themselves The report
WAS that the Emmett mine, being located
further out of the town limits than the
Coronado, was to be assaulted and the
men there were warned to be watchful
At the Coronado two officers were on
duty and they were warned to be vigilant
while within all preparations were made
for a warm reception of the strikers I'm
til midnight no evidence of trouble was
apparent. The streets were deserted and
all was quiet about the Coronado. But
midnight was evidently the time set by
the assailants to make an attempt to stop
the Coronado mine from working. The
residents near by were mysteriously
warned to get out of harms way. Small
groups OF men ran up the streets, or lurk-
ed in dark corners. 1t is said that a po-
liceSnan's warning whistle was heard just
as the attack began.
The first indication of danger to the
twenty men within was the dropping of
dark object within the enclosure near the
oil tank. There was a moment Of splutter-
ing fire and a terrific detonation. 1t was
a weapon which the miners know well
how to use-a stick of giant powder. An
other stick followed the first and then a
third, and with these a fuslade of small
arms. Volley after volley was poured
into the enclosure from two sides. The
high outer fence and the inner barricade,
however. were evidently designed wise
| ly, for no one within was injured. The
giant powder soon ignited the woodwork,
| broke the pipe which conveyed the crude
fuel of it from the reservoirs to the bat
terry of boilers, and the oil igniting, great
sheets of flames quickly illuminated the
| scene.
Then amidst a rain of bullets and giant
powder with the immediate danger of ex-
plosion of the tank and boilers, the twen-
ty men fought as only men
under such conditions could fight.
For fully half an hour the
shooting continued until 1:45 o'clock,
when the flames Of the engine house
spread SO rapidly that the defending party
had to take refuge in a tunnel under the
| cribbing, where they made a last stand
for defense. They were caught like rats
| in trap. 1T was, certain death to remain,
as fire would consume them If they were
not murdered by the enemy.
| There was only one alternative, and
they took it. Some made a rush, leaping
the fence; others took the trestle across
Orange street, running the gauntlet of
CALLING fire, to the dump, where they
| made their escape. The explosion of giant
powder and the rattle of small arms
aroused the whole city, and the glare of
| the flames brought the fire department
| to the scene. One line of hose was laid,
and Jerry O'Keefe. foreman Of hose com
| pany No 2, seized the nozzle. He stood
| on the corner of Seventh and Orange
| streets, and the stream had just begun to
| come, when a bullet fired from behind,
| sent O'Keefe to the earth, bleeding from
| a mortal wound. Armed men were hid
! den in various places about the CO.
ronada shaft and prevented the fire.
| men from working. The hose cart with
| Fire Marshal z. " Roder and one other
| fireman. drove along Orange street ana
when beneath the trestle started to reel
| off hose. They had gotten the line almost
| laid when three men leaped from behind
| the house at the northeast corner OF the
| a1lev ''Drop that hose" was the COM
| mand. and three revolvers were leveled
| at the marshal and his men. The three
| men were compelled to retire. The i'm.
| mense fuel oil tank was now mass or
| flames Already the houses in the vicin-
| ity were beginning to crack and blaze.
At this moment an armed force appeared
| on the scene. From the direction OF Har-
rison avenue rushed citizens of the town
| armed with Winchesters ready to protect
| life and property. The attacking party
| then disappeared
About 2:SO o'clock the sound of musketry
was heard in the direction Of the EN-
NETT mine and soon the thunder of dis
charged giant powder followed. The fight
made by the men there was so terrific
| that the assallants were soon ready TO
retire The only damage done at the EN-
| NETT was the destruction of small fence
enclosing the property
That several were wounded is certain.
| and after dark tonight the dead body or
| Mike Dougherty was found near by and
| taken to the undertakers. This makes
| death roll Of five OF the attacking party.
| The Coronado property Is but seven
| blocks from Harrison avenue, and is sur
rounded by small residences. Three OF
! these were totally destroyed al a loss of
| $4,000 The firemen and citizens worked
until the sun rose over Breeze hill before
the flames were stayed. The band OF dy-
namiters had not overlooked the Maid OF
Erin. 1t was doomed to destruction, but
the presence of mind of Sam McCumin
saved it. During the fight in the early
| morning some one set the shaft house
a-fre. Sam discovered it and extinguish-
ed the flames before any serious dam
age was done. An investigation showed
that there was sufficient giant gun pow
der beneath the floor to have blown the
| building to atoms.
mall cArTs OESTuOVED