Troops Take the Yards as Seattle Braces for the Great Railroad Strike

The railroad strike was marked yesterday by more exciting incidents in this state than on any day since its opening, and these gave rise to many alarming rumors which on investigation proved to have only slight foundation. The later and more reliable reports proved there was no cause for alarm, and that the forces of disorder are disappearing before the regular troops at all points. The facts which gave rise to the scare were the burning of a trestle on each side of Sprague and the consequent shutting up of the militia train in that town with two companies on board; the mutiny of cavalry Troop A and the fear that the movement might spread further in the National Guard; reports that a Lake Shore station agent had been driven out and tracks torn up on that road, both of which stories proved false. On the railroads trains ran as usual, though rather late through cautious running, and their coming and going was devoid of incident. Freight business was resumed. Both roads are fully manned, and some of the strikers, seeing their cause hopeless, asked to be re-employed. Another reassuring fact was the arrival of a company of regular artillery, awaiting orders to move on any enemy who might show his head.

In regard to the railroad men's mass meeting in the armory, the authorities were not aware that such a meeting was to be held until they saw the announcement of it in the morning papers, when several timorous property-owners became convinced that it was only a ruse of the strikers to capture the arms and ammunition of the state troops stored there, after which it would have been an easy matter to go up the hill to the state university in the same block and capture the arms of the university cadets. Several of these persons called upon Gov. McGraw and explained the situation, and the governor, not seriously alarmed, but as a measure of precaution, sent for Capt. Elmer Brady, of Company B, and Col. S. W. Scott, assistant inspector general of the militia, and consulted with them. It was decided to remove the arms and ammunition, and Capt. Brady was ordered to notify all the members of the National Guard in the city. The arms and ammunition were taken to the state university at 7 o'clock in the evening, and a detail of twenty-five men, under Capt. Brady, Sergt. E. S. Lyons and Corp. J. H. Brown, took their cots with them and remained in the building all night.

A false rumor that Gov. McGraw had determined to prevent the assemblage at the Armory also excited the labor unionists. The labor leaders were indignant, because at the meeting on Sunday care was especially taken to keep the meeting in control, and the order of speaking was so arranged that those known to be conservative would speak last and counteract the work of any firebrands. The Armory hall is owned by the Armory Hall Association, of which Col. S. W. Scott is president, but renting of it is in charge of Capt. Hatfield as manager, who on leaving the city with the militia deputed his authority to T. H. Wagner, leader of the First Regiment band. Col. Scott yesterday ordered Mr. Wagner to not rent the Armory any more without previously obtaining the consent of himself or Capt. Hatfield, but placed no obstacles in the way of the meeting, and thus the indignation died down.

In view of the gravity of the news from Eastern Washington and the need of additional protection to the railroads in this city, Judge Hanford authorized Deputy United States Marshal Quilter to commission a lot more deputies, who will be sent out over the road to accompany the trains, and also stationed at different points in the yards and along the line to guard the company's property. In regard to the turning out of armed volunteers to guard the railroad property and preserve the peace, which was talked of at one time, Deputy Marshal Quilter and Police Capt. Royle both said such a course was unnecessary, as the organized forces already in the field were amply sufficient to handle any mob likely to arise in this city. Except for the presence of the policemen and deputy United States marshals around the Lake Shore passenger station there was not the least indication in the railroad yards that a strike was on. Passenger trains came and went on the Northern Pacific and Lake Shore routes, manned by non-union crews but running behind schedule time. The new yard force of the Lake Shore road started work early in the morning, and at about 5 o'clock a freight train of fifteen cars was sent out over the line to Sumas. This was the first freight train over the road since the strike was inaugurated on the 4th. The roads are now fully manned in every department and the officials expect traffic soon to resume its ordinary course.

Battery B, Fifth artillery, United States Army, fifty-three strong, under command of Lieut. McClellan, arrived in the city at 6:20 last night from Tacoma. The battery occupies two Pullman sleepers and is to remain in the city until further orders. The men left Fort Canby at 5 o'clock, took the boat to Kalama, and came through to Tacoma by train. While the train lay at Tacoma, the strikers and sympathizers began to "josh" the soldiers, thinking them state militiamen, but suddenly became quiet and very respectful when told they were regulars. The men report everything quiet along the road, and state that every train leaving Tacoma for Portland is guarded by a force of five regulars, and every bridge between Tacoma and Seattle is patrolled by three deputy marshals. The battery will occupy its cars, which have been side-tracked at the foot of Madison street.

The revenue cutter Grant left for Port Townsend yesterday morning to give some of her men an opportunity to vote at the city election there, but left again for this city in response to a telegram from the treasury department ordering her to assist the military forces in opening the Northern Pacific railroad.