New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-07
A CITY IN THE SHADOW
TIE GAsMEYs STRIKE BEGUN

The long threatened strike Of workinQms.
vas begun, on Saturday, by demand for higher va.
| BY men In the employ u the New-York Gas Compa,,
ana upon the demand being refused, the gasmsn aas
doued their work. few moments beforc noon. Caara,
Morton. superintendent Of the Company Gas Won,
az the foot OF Twenyhrstst, East River. received "A.
| follow ny letter from an unknown man
DEAR SIR: We, the Gremen aud helpers empIoysdh,
the NewYork Ga-liglt Co. do inform you tbatwsa.
~ said company ON this Saturday at n Should 49,
denands he refused, vs. will ceasa to work In ssd vof
dprH5 1873. OAssGs
superintendent Morton asked the bearer Of the en-,
for an explanation ofts contents but the latter sayag
he had none to give left the Office. The 5upeuhaa.s,
was aware the intention Of the % rko and w
therefore not much surprised He az once consulted sia
President Eyertt. and they 10 the cOnonson "a,
It would be wise 20 at once inform the ne,
that their demand would not ibe granted The sip,r,
tendent accordingly entered tbe Ras-wors and calm,
several OF the him said that be had received Ten
letter. that he presumed IL clearly expressed what iby
wanted the Company to grant, and that ~ reply BE-
would say that the Company refused their request
At noon the gasmen simultaneously stopped w0rka,
and leaving the building gathered together IN group. "a
the street. Soon afterward squads OF police marcha
into the ding to protect it from attack BY "a.
strikers. The gasmeB did not appear to have any hs-
ton OF rcsOrting 70 force menace, however,
acted IA II they merely enjoying customary hot
| day. After iding away hour In front Of The se-
works. in anticipation that representative OF the
| pany would appear and announce tha. their
| demand granted. most Of the e1snea
| formed ranks and marched the buildings q I
the Manhattan Gas Company, at the foot Of Pousehi
Ter committee Of the strikers there e1t.rsa
the gas-works and asked the Manhattan gasmen tAsy
would not ioin the strike The Manhattan gBsmen NJ.
fused to leave work, but told the delegation that IL.
strike became general among tho gasmen to day thy
would Join In the movement.
Another body OF the strikers marched across the iy
to the gasworks Of the Manhattan Company At The O
of Eighteenth-st " K. The fact Of their being ks
march was telegraphed TO Superintendent Kelso as
Police Headquarters He at once ordered TIA
reserves OF tho Fifteenth, Ninth, TWenB.
third, Twenty-nnth, and Twentieth Preoiasn
10 report at the West Twentieth-st. Station
house to Capt OF the Sixteenth Precinct Pol
The detachments had all arrived by O'Clock and hsg
ing called out three sections OF his own men, Capt
Sanders marched the entire body 70 the ga-Worn
threatened by the strikers Fifty men were .t-
TONED In the gasOmeter yard, opposite the Con-
pany's offices, in seyenteenthst where the main pip
from the gasometer communicates with the feeders Of
the district lighted by the Manhattan Company. mas
was stationed at the gate OF this yard with st Ortes
10 allow 10 through on any prete1t not even
any OF the gasmen employed By the company. Capt
Sanders then drew up the remainder OF BIS men 10
parade on the sidewalk and awaited the arrival Of
the strikers.
Chief Engineer Smith OF the Mahattsn Company and
superintendent Smith, his brother In the mean time
visited the part OF the building where the gRsnen were
at work. superintendent Smith told the msn
that the strikers OF the SeV.Nork Gas
Company were expected. and that II any one
wished to Join them he would be allowed to
quit work but once having passed out Of the gates BE-
would never be given work again. II they remained a.
work the most ample protection would be provided
The gasmen replied that they had intention OF srt
ing The strikers Of the Sew-York Company soon a.
rived and sent In delegation - persuade their
brother wOrkmen 20 join their ranks, and as befos
we're met with refusal The NewYork Company c~
men then marched 20 the works Of the metropolitan.
Gas Company, the foot Of Forty-secOnd-st y. Ga
their way the strikers addressed with Threatening Ian
guage body OF Italian street cleaners who were At
work In Eghteentht but. awed by the presence o. be
police, did not attack them. Tho same proposal
was made to the gasmen OF the Metrop oltan Company
as before, and for the third time met with rotasL
The strikers then dispersed TO their homes. The paee
guarded the works OF the Manhattan Company uuu
nghta. fearing that the strikers might return ana AZ
tack the gasmen.
Meanwhile the superint endent OF the NewYork O.,
Company had obtained Italian and German labor'n
from Wards Island and had put them TO work in Place
OF the 1875 strikers Two large rooms had been lifted up
for the of the workmen. In these rooms hfe
hunks built the Other In tie
Storage OF steamship. The nv
WOrkfnen Will sleep anu eat IN tBo DullllGs
The Italians and Germans at put work. and
proved to be very unsklllful gasmen. Most OF them
after few hours labor in the heated atmosphere Of h
retortroOm, gave up work and asked 10 be taken baa
to Wards Island. large force OF policemen kept
stationed around the building throughout the day.
The Gasmen's Protective Association met Saturday
night at the Assembly Rooms Frst-ayc. Delegates
were present from all the gas-works The officers OF the
Association announced that either to-day tomonvv
all the gasmen viii strike for eight hours labor. All
was quiet around the gas works Yesterday The sorkRen
OF all the companies except tie Newfork doing 1Aeh
regular duties in a faithful manner.
ONE COMPANY SHUTS OFF SUPPLIES.
The New-York Gas Company stopped supplying sas 70
that part OF the city below Grand-st at II Tue
Company succeeded in manufacturing only small
quantity OF gas yesterday in consequence OF the lack Of
skill Of their Horkmen. At the moment the gas WA
shut off only small quantity remained IN tho gasoe
tiers. It was deemed prudent TO this portion f@
use during the first hours after nightfan tonight
Inspector MeDermott upon ireeeiyng the Information
Police Headquarters OF the shutting of " the gas
teeGraphed the captains in command VI the pre-
cIncts below Graud-5t, ordering them 10 Keep the re-
squads OF police in the station houses ready is
duty at any moment The captains also ordered 70
instruct their paromen TO extremely yicant in pa
trolling the posts assigned them during the ngn lhS
much as the darkness woad greatly favor thieves.
PARTIAL ECLIPSE.
The region OF the city south OF Grand-st In tota
darkness. III the lowest portions OF the city the Gas
went altogether both in many dwellings and hotels
and the lamps. while in places where the land
was higher the gas burned dimly. No lights were us'
BILE at the ferries after 10 O'Clock while Fulton and par
ael streets of equal elevation plunged darkness
50 far as William-st.
nMauy hotels and some newspaper offices were seronsv
incon venienced by the withdrawal OF the light. bS
warned in the early part OF the evening 10 prepare M
an emergency. used candles in connection " III tee
feeble gasJets in order 10 obtain the requisite uminE
ton. Some buildings, however. within the Of ne
city lighted by the New York Gas Company not"f
fected. as they used the gas OF the MatHn
rss Comn,nv urbose worls ware carried On As usual