The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-27
FIRE And TUMULT
IN STRIKE CENTER
Flames Attack Swift Refinery,
Pickets Assail Non Union
Men in Chicago.
Plans Are Laid for Another Peace
Conference Teamsters Join
Sympathy Strike.

Chicago, July 27.-Fire, tumult and
picketing contributed to stirring
scenes at the stockyards today, while
the packers, firm in their stand, went
ahead slaughtering stock and doing
1as much other work as was possible
in the circumstances.
Convinced of an improvements in the
situation, as far as available nom.
union help and capacity Of the plants
We're concerned, the packers had sent
word to shippers to Il be somewhat
more generous with their consign-
ments, and as result the receipts Of
cattle, hogs and sheep were consider
ably larger than had been the rule
during previous days FOR the strike.
There were more men working, ac-
cording to the employees, and more
work for them to do.
The chief excitement of the day
conferred about SWfft,s large refinery,
far in the interior Of the stockyards,
almost a, mile from the main en-
trance. Flames: were, seen bursting.
from the upper floors Of the building,
and before long the whole packing
town was in a turmoil.
Transfers by, the hundreds who had
failed to go to work as a result Of
the action Of their joint councils,
thousands of men, who had already
been on strike, and a large majority
of them were lettering about the yards
waiting for something to turn up.
The fire was enough Of an incentive
to cause a wild rush from all direc-
tons, and despite the efforts of the
police, the fire engines found great
difficulty in making a way thru the
crowds.
Fire Ragged for an Hour.
The flames ragged for about an hour,
but were kept from surrounding
structures, tho showers Of sparks fell.
the fire was the result Of incendiaries,
but this was later enlphatically de-
c1ared to be erroneous.
The top story Of the building was
of wood construction and burned like
finder. The contents of the building
were said to be valued at 100000.
The damage was principally con-
fined to the upper part Of the build
ing. According to Louis r. Swift, the
actual loss would be but a few thou
sand dollars, fully insured.
Not far away from the damaged
| building Is the centralized power
house from which above the hre-swept
| lard refinery ran a network Of eight
| cen electric cables which were dam
aged to a large extent.
A feature of the blaze was the tenn
porary Imprisonment Of nine young
women stenographers in an elevator
in Swift's office building. The cage
was caught between two floors and
| the young women were in a panic,
fearing the fire would spread from
| the burning refinery building before
they could be rescued by the office
| force, members Of which put up lad
| ders and, cutting the wirework of the
elevator cage, took the fair prisoners
I out and carried them down to safety.
Picketing by Wholesale.
Besides the fire another cause for
! tumult was the fact that today for
| the first time wholesale picketing was
| inaugurated. Hundreds of men were
scattered to various corners as pick
1 ets A clash occurred at the Root
street entrance to the yards. Francis
T.. O'Brien, secretary Of the Acme
Manufacturing company. approached
! the entrance on wagon, himself
/ holding the reins. He was delivering
union men, a large number Of whom
are being housed within the bounda-
ries of the yards.
A group of pickets accosted him
and told him that II he desired to
avoid unpleasantness he had better
turn around and go back to his fac
tory. Mr.. O'Brien, however, was not
4 10 NC 81 easily supp CSSCOA' - -
/ ried over to the so-called Watita
i stockade,'' the strikers headquarters
and insisted on a prompt interview
with President Donnelly. Mr.. O'Brien
got the interview, but it failed to yield
L him any satisfaction
"I don't see how we can help you,
Mr.. Donnelly is reported as saying
1.-THE transfers strike is on and none
but union drivers are supposed to be
i about the yards. !"
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