The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-07-22
STRIKERS ACCUSED.
Blamed for Dynamiting Brooklyn
81" Structure.
Explosion Causes Some Damage and
Creates Great Excitement-fhe
strike Continues 40 spread
I'm Brooklyn.


New York, July l9.--Dynamite placed
In two supporting pillars Of the Fifth
avenue structure OF the Brooklyn Il"
road, owned by the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit company, on whose surface sys-
tenn strike is In progress,was exploded
at 1880 O'Clock this "wednesday morn
ing IN Fifth avenue between Thirty
fifth and Thirty-siNth streets. Ten feet
OF one pillar and IL feet of the other
were blown 20 pieces. Houses for
blocks around were shaken by the
double explosion. Windows were
broken and fragments OF iron from
the battered pillars were hurled for
hundreds of feet. Many OF them struck
buildings, and i'm one case fragment
tore through the entire wall. passed
straight through a door and fell on
bed i'm which persons were lying.
Streets in the vicinity were jammed
with terrified throngs five minutes att
er the explosion. Men, women and
children poured from the dwellings,
nearly all Of them scantily clad.
Policemen who had been guarding
the trolley tracks rushed TO the scene
and attempted 10 drive the crowd back.
They were swept off their feet 10y fresh
hundreds. The structure was still quiv-
ering when fresh installments Of police
arrived, and in few minutes Chief
Devery and his aids reached the spot.
Fortunately no one was hurt. The po-
lice lines were spread in every direc-
ton and vigorous search for strikers
begun. but in the thousands that
blocked the streets the police could do
nothing. Officials OF the IL" road sent
out orders 10 stop all trains running
over the Fifth avenue structure. This
affected the Coney Island line and the
line TO Bay Ridge Police and IL road
officials branded the attempt TO blow
up the tracks as the work Of strikers.
some Cars Are Han.
The company did not run any ears
after dark Monday evening, but re-
sumed traffic at five o'clock Tuesday
morning. The time schedule, though,
was not lived up TO on any one OF the
lines. The cars on the Third avenue,
the Fifth avenue and the Fulton street
lines stopped running shortly after
seven o'clock Tuesday night. The cars
on all the other lines in operation
stopped at midnight.
No cars were run over the Flatbush
avenue line To Brighton Beach and the
patrons OF the race track were forced
To take steam cars over the old rail-
road routes or the Franklin avenue add
Smith street trolley cars, which are not
under the strikers ban. Great diff
Guilty was experienced by the manage
ment in running cars over the Nassau
system, and liberal estimate of the
cars run over the Nassau lines would
be about 30 per cent. Of the regular
number. The Fifth and Seventh avenue
lines were frequently blockaded, and
the company did not handle more than
Is per cent. OF the regular daily traffic.
The Douglas and Bergen street ears
were run at intervals Of Is and 20 min
utes, but each of the ears was manned
by AT least four policemen.
During the day the police made sew
eral arrests, but no serious outbreak
occurred until after six o'clock. At
that time mob OF 400 persons at
tackled Fifth avenue car at Sixth
street and Fifth avenue, and Motor
man A. Latham and Conductor w. +.
Mulcahy were roughly handled. The
former had an arm broken and the con
ductor's nose was fractured. The mob
was dispersed by the firing OF reyolvers
into the air. Three arrests were made.
Decided 20 strike.
The Journal and Advertiser says:
The employees on two lines OF the Met
ropolitan Street Railway company de-
cided TO strike at five o'clock this morn
ing. Mr.. Parsons argued with the men
and attempted TO convince them that
they were very foolish TO take any such
action. They replied that they felt il
was their duty TO aid the Brooklyn
strikers. The argument grew heated
Parsons finally refused 10 sanction
their proposed act, whereupon the mer
left, declaring they would go out with
out the authority of Mr. Parsons. Dur.
ing the conference the men told Mr.
Parsons that this was only the start o.
general strike of all employees OF IN,
Metropolitan railway system.