The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-01-03
POLICE CHASING Cars
Chicago Elevated Road officials Ig-
more a Commissioners Order.
THE POLICE WIN IN THE END.
A. the Company Persisted In Ran-
Aing Its "Ghost Train" the Track
was BarricadeA, the Train stop
ped and the Crew Arrested.


ped and the Crew Arrested.
Chicago, Jan. 3.-After an exciting
and grotesque struggle stretching over
miles of elevated railway track, the
police yesterday took entire possession
Of the whole line Of the new North
western Elevated railway In this city.
The police acted under orders Of the
commissioner Of public works, Exon
gresham Lawrence e. McGann. On
the outcome of the remarkable contest
between the city authorities and the
railway company is involved the pos
sible forfeiture Of the company's fran
chise, as we'll as the sum of 100000
posted by the railway company to
guarantee the completion Of the road
by Jan. l.
Last night, besides stopping the
work In progress at various points of
the structure, the police erected bar
rier of ties and rails at the juncture of
the Northwestern elevated tracks with
those of the Union loop at Fifth ave-
nue. and Lake street, and the regular
crew of the company's one train is
under arrest.
The arrests are the result of the re-
fusal Of the railway officials to COM
ply with an order from the commits
sioner of public works to cease train
running, Mr.. McGann claiming that
the company's structure was unsafe In
it's present alleged incomplete state,
and that 1t did not come within the
requirements of the ordinance that 1t
no cnpo nj ot od for onorotiou hv Ton I
The arrest of the train crew, which
took place at the suburban terminal
at Wilson avenue. did not, however,
for considerable time prevent the
running of the so-called ghost train"
and temporarily resulted in extraor-
binary discontinue of the police. AS
the crew was being led to the patrol
wagon, in waiting at the Wilson street
station, another crew and some Of the
officials of the road hurriedly boarded
the train, and before the police realized
the situation the train was speeding
on its way to the center of the city.
a distance of five and half miles.
The fact was Immediately telephoned
to the heart Of the city, and when the
train pulled over the Wells street
bridge across the Chicago river onto
the Union Loop tracks at Lake street,
in the business district of the city,
fully rs officers were waiting to halt |
the locomotives cars But the motor
man, In spite of frantic waving of |
clubs and commands to stop, only |
turned the lever farther, and the Of |
ficers made wild scramble for safety |
as the train swung across the switch |
to the loop tracks. Then the bridge |
across the river was swung open by
the police, and a Gordon of officers |
was stretched across the return track
on Fifth avenue But here again the !
train did not stop. A switch had been |
turned by some emissary of the rail- |
road and the train, instead Of plunging |
into the river If 1t proceeded, swung |
around to the tracks of the Lake |
Street Elevated Railroad company and |
sped westward over that structure.
The baflled police now gave up the
chase of the train and turned attention
to erecting barrier across the North
western tracks where they enter the
loop. A guard was stationed to pre-
vent the removal of the barrier, thus
effectually blocking train operations
30 far as Northwestern connections
with the loop were concerned. At
number Of other points workmen en-
gagged in riveting uncompleted portions
of the structure were ordered to stop
work and guards stationed to see the
order was enforced.
The railroad committee Of the COM
mon council will meet today and hear
the reports of Corporation Counsel
Walker and City Engineer Ericsson on
the construction of the road and the
ordinance. Both reports are expected
to be unfavorable to the road
The ordinance required the structure
to be complete and trains for the ac-
commodation Of passengers running
by Jan. l on penalty of 100000
Part of the franchise of the North
western elevated include the tracks on
Fifth avenue, used as one side of the
down town loop by the Union Loop
company, which recently repudiated its
compensation agreement with the city,
and it is expected that Corporation
Counsel Walker will advise the coun-
Gil it has authority to vacate the North
western elevated franchises, including
the Fifth avenue tracks, thus tying up
the Union Loop company also.