The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-03
Employees of the Road Pay No Atten-
tion to Waving Clubs and Force
the Police to Scramble for Safety.
FRANCHISE rs AT STAKE
ALSO A GUARANTEE OF 100000
POSTED BY THE RAILWAY.
Authorities Say the Structure Is I'm
1-Milwaukee Franchise Signed.

CHICAGO, Jan. 2-After an exciting and
grotesque struggle, stretching over miles of
elevated railway tracks, the police to-day
took entire possession Of the whole line
of the new Northwestern elevated railway
in this city. The police acted under orders
of the commissioner of public works, form
er Congressman Lawrence f. McGann. On
the outcome of the remarkable contest be-
tween the city authorities and the railway
company is involved the possible forfeiture
of the company's franchise, as we'll as the
sum of 100000 posted by the railway COM
pany to guarantee the completion of the
road by Jan. L.
Tonight, besides stopping the work in
progress at various points of the structure,
| the police have erected a barrier of ties
| and rails at the juncture of the Northwest
ern elevated tracks with those Of the
Union Loop at Fifth avenue and Lake
street, and the regular crew OF the COM
| pany's one train is under arrest. The ar,
rests are the result of the refusal of the
| railway officials to comply with an order
| from the commissioner 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 it did not come within the re-
| quirements that it be completed for opera
| ton by Jan. /.
| The arrest of the train crew, which took
| place at the suburban terminal at Wilson
avenue. did not, however. for a consider
able time prevent the running of the So
called "ghost train." and temporarily re-
| suited in extraordinary 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, distance or
| five and half miles. The fact was i'm
| mediately telephoned to the heart Of the
| city and when the train pulled over the
| Wells-street bridge, across the Chicago
| river on to the Union Loop tracks at Lake
street, in the business district Of the city,
| fully twenty-five officers were waiting to
| halt the locomotive and cars. But the mo-
torman, in spite of frantic waving of clubs
| and commands to stop, only turned the
lever farther and the officers made a wild
| scramble for safety as the train swung
across the switch to the loop tracks. Then
| the DTluBo dCIOSS tllC ANCA was o"uhS
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 railroad, and the
train. instead of plunging into the river,
as it would had it proceeded, swung around
| to the tracks of the Lake-street elevated
railway and sped westward over that
structure. The baffied police now gave up
| the chase of the train and turned atten-
ton to erecting barrier across the North
western tracks where they enter the loop.
| A guard was stationed to prevent the re-
| moval of the barrier thus effectually block
ing train operations, so far as Northwest
| ern connection with the loop was con-
cerned. At a number Of other points
workmen engaged in riveting uncomplet-
ed portions of the structure were ordered
to stop work and guards stationed to see
that the order was enforced.
The railroad committee of the Common
Council will meet tomorrow and hear the
reports of Corporation Counsel Walker and
City Engineer Ericsson the construc-
ton of the road and the ordinance. Both
reports are expected to be unfavorable to
the road. The ordinance required the struc-
ture to be complete and trains for the ac-
commodation of passengers running by
Jan. /. on penalty of 100000. Part of the
franchise of the Northwestern elevated
includes the tracks on Fifth avenue. used
as one side of the downtown loop by the
Union Loop Company, which recently re-
pudiated it's compensation agreement with
the city and it is expected that Corporation
Counsel Walker will advise the Council it
has authority to vacate the Northwestern
franchise, including the Fifth-avenue
tracks, thus tying UP the Union Loop Com
pany also.