A. Probably from a hundred to two hundred and fifty feet above them. And at Twenty-eighth street, and east and west of Twenty-eighth street, and covering all of the tracks before the troops came up, there were many people. All our trains passing--we were running all the accommodation trains east and west--were boarded at Twenty-eighth street by the crowd, who filled them up, and ran through the cars, and piled upon the engines, so as to seriously interfere with the men in the performance of their duties. The crowd, many through curiosity, went upon the trains in such force that it was useless for any of our men to attempt to collect fare. The engines were perfectly black, both in front of the engine and the tank and the platform. A great number of those men got on and would go through the trains to see who was in them, before they would let them proceed. Q. Were the passenger trains interfered with by the mob? A. All were stopped at Twenty-eighth street, and the mob went through and examined each and every train for soldiers. Q. And then allowed them to go on? A. Sometimes it was a very serious question. If we had not had some engineers determined that they were going to try to get their trains through, they would have cut the passenger trains off and allowed nothing but mail cars to go. By Mr. Means: Q. On the 23d of July, did the sheriff not throw a guard around the burned district? A. I was stationed then at Blairsville Intersection, and I cannot answer that question of my own knowledge. Q. Then you do not know whether on or after the 23d day of July the railroad company could or could not have had entire control, if they had seen fit? A. Most decidedly they could not, simply for the fact that they could not get beyond Lawrenceville station. Q. But did not the sheriff throw a guard around the burned district? A. I don't know. I was not in the city on the 23d of July. But the tracks were all burned between Thirty-third street, or Lawrenceville, and the Union depot. ORPHANS' COURT ROOM, PITTSBURGH, FRIDAY, _February 8, 1878_. MORNING SESSION. Pursuant to adjournment, the committee re-assembled at ten o'clock, A.M., this day, and continued the taking of testimony. The first witness examined was: * * * * * Norman M. Smith, _sworn with the uplifted hand_: By Mr. Lindsey: Q. State where you reside and what your official connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company is? A. I reside in the Twenty-second ward of Pittsburgh. I am manager of the Pittsburgh transfer station. Q. How long have you filled that position? A. About twelve and a half years. Q. State to the committee, in your own way, what the causes were that led to the riot, or what the disagreements were between the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and their employés, and give the history of what you saw.