The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-24
DYNAMITING THE CARS.
Powerful Explosives Placed Unde'
the Street Cars.
i VERY STARTLING COMMANDMENT
40 One Hurt, but the Running Gear
ON several street Cars WAS
Badly Damaged.

Between the hours OF 10 and II o'clock
| last night citizens OF Houston were startled
by several loud explosions, most Of which
seemed to be in tho Third ward.
There we're five very loud explosions and
several OF lesser force. Until the cause
became known the telephones throughout
the city were kent busy with inquiries,
many believing that Houston was becom-
ing the seat OF the pending international
| ho3tilities.
| The explosions were under street cars
and results lead to the conclusion that
the explosive used must have been dyna-
| mite.
! The lines upon which they occurred
| we're the Fannin and Travis. the LaBrenah
and Caroline and the Preston and Con-
gross. In every instance except one, the
cars were well loaded with passengers The
the cars were lifted off the track and
several wheels we're broken and ilauges
torn off. Fortunately no one was hart
but it created general panic among The
passengers, particularly among tho ladies.
The mounted officers were sent out as
soon as the reports were made to the
police, but no ono was found who could
give any information as to the perpetrators
of this malicious warfare against the street
car company and its operatives.
Nearly all the explosions occurred with
in period of forty-tye minutes. and
from the locations 1t was evident that
mere than one person was implicated in
the heinous work. evidently aimed with
malice at the destruction of life and prop
eity.
The first heavy explosion occurred about
lO:i5 p. IN. at the corner of Capitol aud
La Branch, The cars on that line, since
| round trip in and out of La Branch Last
night the car was in charge of Conductor
Daniels and Motorman Hill, both nom
union men, and was making its last trip
| for the night. 1t passed over Capitol ave-
| nue. at a lively clip, having only ono pas
senger aboard. Just as the front wheels
| cleared the crossing towards Texas ave-
ed the car from the track and broke the
wheel on the left as if it had been struck
by trip hammer. Before the motorman
| could APPLY the brake or shut off the cur
| rent the conveyance had forged ahead fully
forty feet. The pieces of the wheel laid
at tho side of the track, while on the in
side Of the left rail, full up against the
| foot crossing, was q hole in the
ground twelve inches deep The earth was
torn up for eighteen inches. The car was
! disabled, and was left standing for the
night where it mad stopced.
Hardly had the report of the first ex-
| plosion died away when car on the Audi
torlum line. operated by Motorman Boil
ton and Conductor Martin. was lifted from
the track near tho corner OF Mckinney ana
Travis. The ear was filled with smoke, at
tended by a smell OF powder. Very little
damage was done at that point. but be-
| fore the crew had time to make another
trip they were similarly assaulted while
| going out Fann!n street near the corner of
Walker avenue. The car carried forty
passengers. 1t Was lifted from the track
tho windows shaken down and the entire
scene envelored in smoke. The flange of
one OF the front wheels for several inches
was broken off. deep hole was torn in
the ground as was on the La Branch. These
Two explosions occurred about ten minutes
apart Both OF the employees on this car
! were non Union men.
! ABOUT iiye minutes to IL o'clock the ca,
| making the belt on the International and
| Great Northern and the Santa Fe line ex.
ploded either torpedo or a bomb at the
corner OF Congress avenue and Cheneycrt
street, There were but few passengers
aboard and but little damage was done.
| While going out Preston avenue twenty
minutes later, however. at the corner of
Crawford street. as in other instances cited
the car well filed with people was lifted
from tho rails by tho force o; an explosion
and dropped back into It's position. A ilange
was broken there also, but the car was nor
disabled. That ear was in charge OF Motor
man Spence and Conductor whi,morc, both
union men.
The prevailing opinion is that the ex-
plcsivo used was dynamite, especially on La
Branch and Fannin streets. The groana
was torn up. but no traces were left to give
clsw TO the perperator. An official of
the street car company and the police were
in consultation until late las, night, bu,
they were unable to offer any satisfactory
| solution TO the deed.
hiMENEAl