The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-24
Explosives Shake and
Damage Cars.
ATTEMPT MADE TO
KILL MOTORMAN
Rifle Bullet Fired into First
Street Car.
A LADY is INJURED
BY ROCK THROWN
Was Riding on the Clay Street Line at
the Time-Huge Stone Thrown at
Another Cart Believed to Be
the Last Attempt to Rem
der People Afraid 10
Ride on Cars. s

Ride on Cars.
BY what seems to have been q precon.
certed plan by an organized gang of as.
sassings lawiesanees was resumed in Its
most vicious form In connection with the
street car strike last night, cars In several
parts of the city being attacked either
by means of some powerful explosive
placed on the tracks or by rifle or pistol
shots from concealed assassns in ths
dark. OF, by means OF large stones hurled
from the blackness Of night at motormen.
Two cars 8one near the Reservoir, and
another on the northeastern suburbs on
the lakewood line, We're almost stimuli
taneously damaged by some powerful exc
plosive, considerably shocking the motor.
man in one ca Sc. blowing off the traps In
the car floors over the motor on one car,
and shattering sixteen transom glasses
around the roof of another car. Motor
man Metersnith, In charge Of Lakeside Il
car No. 12o bound for the Broad Street
terminal. had a thrilling escape from
death by rifle bullet, fired from the
darkness as the car was approaching the
north end OF the first Street viaduct about
$3.50 o'clock.
a Lady is Injured. "a
About the same hour lady whose
name could not be learned and who was
a passenger on 2, Clay Street car was
struck on the ankle with a stone throNm
at the car soon after 1t turned from,
Broad into Twentyninth Street. She was
assisted to her home by a gentleman on
the car and, though painfully injured, is
not at all seriously hurt. A little later
on the same line large stone was thrown
at Motorman Lewis in charge Of a Clay
Street car, but the missile missed its
mark by several feet. Reports were ro-E
ceived also Of stone throwing in Fulton.
but no one was hurt.
Officials of the company are Of opinion
that the explosions which damaged the
cars in East and West End were OF u 4
bunch of torpedoes placed in such close
juxtaposition that all exploded smultan-
eously. It Is argued with force that had
dynamite been used. as was a t first sup
posed. Its force would have been .ex-
pended downward, and that hole would
have been torn In the earth. No such
manifestation of the force OF the explo-
sion was discovered. On the other hand
it seems hard to conceive how the explo-
sion of railway torpedoes could have been
so heavy as to break the flange OF the
wheel on the Oakwood car and to shatten
almost every transom glass on the Main
Street car
No Passengers Hurt.
The Main Street car had Just left the
Reservoir and was on the street leading
from near the Aquarama to Main Street,
Just after making the turn northward
toward Main. Motorman Wallace was In,
charge of this ear and was unhurt. Ths
fare register showed three fares when tho
car was examined In the barns after thu
accident, but who the passengers were
could not be learned. None of them were
Injured, however. 1t was said that there
was but one passenger on the Oakwood
car, man, and that he escaped injury.
Motorman Tutwiler. In charge OF. car No.
90, was suffering considerably from the
shook. and was relieved from further
duty last night.
1t is believed that this Is the last flicker
of lawlessness> and that hereafter, such
cases will entirely disappear
Considerable excitement and Indignation
was aroused last night about 10 o'clock
when 1t became known that an attempt
had been made to blow up Laurel Street
car on the Oakwood line In the extreme
northeastern suburb Almost mmediate5
ly came the not less startling announce,
ment that Main Street car had beer
attacked with explosives on Strawberry
Street, at almost precisely the same hour
was made From almost every point then
came reports of cars being stoned. and
of one being fired on. I
Police on the Scene.
AS soon as the explosion on the Oak.
wood line was reported a detail of police
from the First District was hurried to
the scene, which proved to be the vicinity
of Thrty-thrd and 9 Streets. The off,
GERS reported that the explosion appeared
to be of dynamite, From other sources,
however, 1t was learned that the force
of the explosion was eXerted upward. and
not downward, whereas dynamite exerts
is force downward. Had dynamite been
used the track would have been dams
aged and a hole blown In the earth. No.
such evidences We're found On the cons
trary, the track was blackened. as if a
large torpedo or several OF them had
been exploded simultaneously. Still, tors
pedoes would hardly have eSerted such
n powerful force upward as was shown
In the results OF the explosion. The trap
doors in the floor OF the car about the
center of the aisle, which are raised to
reach the motors. We're blown upward
and entirely off Of the openings they ara
designed to cover. A wheel under the
front truck had the fGnge broken by the
explosion, but the car was able with
diff,culty to get back to the Reservoir
barns. This was car No, 22 OF the Oak
wood line. The motors were not damaged
BY the blow-up Motorman Tutwiier. In
charge of the car, felt the force OF the
suffered somewhat from the shock. Thers
Ia no clue. so far as known, TO the Identity
OF the criminals who attempted TO wreck
the car
May be Giant Pow 'er.
T n. 49,. Ie,,9,asts5 TINT via rOy