. Annals of the great strikes in the United States. A reliable history and graphic description of the causes and thrilling events of the labor strikes and riots of 1877 . Ashes. The condition of affairs at Pittsburgh had becomealarming in the extreme. The concentration of militaryforces instead of having a tendency to cool down theardor of the strikers, and overawe the vicious elements ofsociety, seemed to have a contrary effect. The malcon-tents had increased in numbers with astonishing bands of strikers which numbered no more than afew hundreds at most, the morning of the preced
. Annals of the great strikes in the United States. A reliable history and graphic description of the causes and thrilling events of the labor strikes and riots of 1877 . Ashes. The condition of affairs at Pittsburgh had becomealarming in the extreme. The concentration of militaryforces instead of having a tendency to cool down theardor of the strikers, and overawe the vicious elements ofsociety, seemed to have a contrary effect. The malcon-tents had increased in numbers with astonishing bands of strikers which numbered no more than afew hundreds at most, the morning of the preceding day,had been re-enforced by a mob of idlers and tramps num-bering many thousands. The law abiding citizens werein a state of alarm and trepidation. To employ the lan-guage of Statius: They stood in silent astonishmentand waited for the fall of the yet doubtful thunder-bolt.* But the surging masses of the strikers and themob were neither silent nor astonished. They wereintoxicated by an excitement which prevented neither knew when nor cared how the impending *Modified in translation. In the original, Mirantur taciti et dubiopro fulmine A NIGHT OF TERROR AT PITTSBURGH. 113 bolt would fall. They were ready to rejoice at thehavoc it would make. Vast multitudes of men of thelowest character, actuated by the most brutal passions,were assembled for the sole purpose of inaugurating areign of terror among the people, and to light the torchof destruction in the city. Glamoring for a redress of grievances which they wereunable to formulate, or distinctly specify, the mightythrongs of uneasy spirits who had been called intoaction in consequence of the railroad strikes, were pre-paring to commit the most heinous crimes against thepeace and order of society. These men had no grievancesto be redressed. They were the vagrants of our modern6ocial organization. They prated of the downfall of liber-ty, when in truth they did not have a comprehension ofthe meaning of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectrailroadstrikeus1877
