1 , 4 0 0 ▁strik ers ▁had ▁gathered ▁in ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Rail road ▁rail ▁yards , ▁which ▁were ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁fl ats ▁sout heast ▁of ▁the ▁Al leg hen y ▁River , ▁stopping ▁the ▁movement ▁of ▁some ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁cars . ▁ ▁The ▁lieutenant ▁governor , ▁through ▁General ▁Albert ▁Pear son , ▁ordered ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁Division ▁ 1 8 th ▁Regiment ▁of ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁National ▁Guard ▁from ▁Philadelphia , ▁to ▁assemble ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁sh er iff . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁later ▁testim ony ▁of ▁a ▁rail road ▁official , ▁Pear son ▁commented ▁that ▁he ▁believed ▁he ▁could ▁have ▁ret aken ▁the ▁station ▁with ▁these ▁available ▁forces , ▁but ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁great ▁loss ▁of ▁life , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁therefore ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁ ▁July ▁ 2 0 ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁Friday ▁the ▁ 2 0 th , ▁a ▁large ▁crowd ▁remained ▁at ▁the ▁station ▁near ▁ 2 8 th ▁Street , ▁and ▁grew ▁as ▁trains ▁arrived ▁and ▁their ▁cre ws ▁joined ▁them . ▁The ▁rail road ▁made ▁prepar ations ▁to ▁move ▁their ▁trains ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁they ▁might ▁be ▁allowed , ▁and ▁secured ▁sufficient ▁cre ws ▁to ▁man ▁them , ▁but ▁the ▁engines ▁were ▁blocked ▁and ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁moved ▁without ▁inj uring ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁crowd , ▁who ▁also ▁maintained ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁switch es . ▁Sher iff ▁F ife ▁again ▁commanded ▁those ▁gathered ▁to ▁dis per se ▁to ▁no ▁effect .