Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1899-05-04
MlNERSUSE DYNAMITE
bunker Hill & Sullivan Mill
Blown Up.
"AkDNER SHAKEN BY THE BLAST
property Worth From 5000 OOO to
100000 Shattered by the
Explosion.

spokane, May "A Wardner spe-
olal to the Spokesman- Review saws:
" ardner today has been the scene of
the worst riots since the ealy labor war
OF 1917. One man is dead, another is
thought to be mortally wounded. and
property valued at $3.50, 600 has been
nestoyed ny giant powder and fire. The
damage was done by union men and
sympathizers from Canyon creek,
about 20 miles from Wardner.
This morning mob of from 500 to
200 men, all of them armed and
many OF them masked seized train
at Burke, at TIE head OF Canyon creek.
There were nine box cars and a passen-
ger coach, and they were black with
the mob. The visitors brought with
them 5000 pounds of giant powder.
After parley of two hours, l4O
masked men armed with Winchesters,
Burke in the lead and Wardner follow
ing. started with yells for the Bunker
Hill d Sullivan mill and other build
ings. third of a mile from the depot.
They sent pickets ahead. and one of
these pickets fired a shot as signal
that the mill was abandoned.
This was misunderstood by the main
body OF the mob, who imagined that
nOn-union miners in the mills had
opened fire on them, and they began
firing on their own pickets. About
1000 shots were thus exchanged be-
tween the rioters and their pickets. and
Jack Smith. one of the pickets, for
merly of British Columbia, and a
noted figure in drill contests, was shot
dead. The fatal error was discoveie ed
after a few seconds firing and Smith 8
body brought down from the hillside.
BY this time the strikers had taken
possession of the Bunker Hill & Sulli-
van mill, which they found deserted,
the manager having directed his en-
ployes not to risk their lives by battl-
ing with the mob
Powder was called for, and 60 So
pound boxes We're carried from the
depot to the mill. The heaviest
charge was placed among the machinery
of the mill. Another charge was
placed under the brick office building.
| OlIlCI ClIdISto WcIo PitCcu uiouhu the
mill. Then the boarding house, a
1 frame structure, was fired. Fuses lead
ing to the charges were lighted, and
the strikers carrying the dead body OF
the picket, retired to safe distance.
At $3.50 p NJ. the first blast went
off. 1t shook the ground for miles,
and buildings in Wardner, two miles
away, trembled. AT intervals OF about
80 seconds four other charges went off,
the fifth being the largest and COM
pletely de,nolishIng the mill. The
| loss to the Bunker Hill q Sullivan
Company is estimated from $3.50, 900
to 100000
In a few minutes the strikers went
back to the station, the whistle was
blown for stragglers, the mob soon
climbed aboard and at 3 o'clock, just
three hours after its arrival, the train
pulled out for Canyon creek.
During the fusillade from the guns
of the mob, Jim Chayne, a Bunker
Hill & Sullivan millman, was severely
shot through the hips. 1t IS reported
that he was carried off by the strikers,
and his wound is probably fatal. j.
J. Rogers. a stenographer in the EN-
ploy of the company, was shot through
the lin. but his wound is trivial.