The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-07-25
4 RAILROAD VAR.
Strike ofRailroad Fire
men.
FREIGHT TRAF.
FIG STOPPED.

rlC 0lOFfEO.
United States Troops Called
Out.
MARTINsBuRo, W. Va, Jaly L.
The fremen of all freight trains on
the Baltimore & Ohio road, twenty
five or thirty in number. struck this
evening and left their trains. The
company put new men on their en-
gines at once, but the strikers inter-
fered to prevent them from starting
the trains. A large mob assembled
OF the depot, and a riot at one time
was imminent. Colonel Shut, May.
or of the town, with all the police at
bis command, arrested the ring-lead-
ers of the strike and attempted to
protect the new 6remen in the dis
charge of their duties, but the strikers
were reinforced by q large body OF
citizens, swelling the crowd till it
reached the proportions OF a large
mob. With the assistance of this
mob the strikers succeeded in rescu-
ing their comrades. The new fire.
men are nov completely inundated,
and there is no prospect at present OF
any freight trains being able to pass
this point tonight. The strikers
have done no damage to property,
and passenger trains are permitted to
pass uninterrupted.
BALTIMORE, July l6-About forty
6remen and brakemen of freight
trains on the Baltimore & Ohio
Railry ad, in this city, refused to
go to work this morning on ac-
count of a reduction in wages, which
wet into effect to-day. They stop
ped two freight trains and beat n of
the new 6remen. The police dis
persed the strikers aud no further
difficulty occurred.
MARTINsBURG, W. Va, July IL
$50 A. M.-Colonel Faulkner, with
seventy-fve men of the Berkeley Light
Infantry Guards, armed with loaded
muskets, took charge of n of the
west bound fret sht trains that had
been detained by the strikers here, and
placing his men on board the train
attempted to move it on its way west.
The strikers and their friends were at
the company's yards in large numbers
and assuming a threatening attitude.
As the train started on its way
through the town in charge of an en-
gineer, q of the newly appointed
iremen, the men on tie train were
fired upon by the mob and one of the
soldiers wounded The military re-
turned the fire at once aud killed n
of the rioters. This was followed by
the widest excitement. Some ofthe
strikers were frantic with rage, while
fear was depicted upon the faces of
many ia the crowd. A scene Of con-
fusion as now presented it is impossi-
BILE to describe
LATER
BALTIMORE, July lI.-Since tn
displacement of the switch at the gas
house this morning nothing of q SER
ious character has occurred at any of
the stations or on the tracks Of the
railroad within the city limits or vic
Unity. The freight trains have not
left Baltimore to-day and probably
will not move until the blockade at
Martiosburg is removed. The strike
is said to be confined to 6remen and
brakemen. No engineers, conductors
or other employees 80 far have taken
part 10 it east of the Ohio river. The
road has about four hundred firemen,
three times that number of brakemen
say 1900 of thi ,number. The fire.
men and brakenen in Baltimore and
at Martinsburg only are engaged in
the strike. While quiet prevails in
the city the widest umor are aloat
of a general strike this afternoon.
From Martinsburg the latest dis
patches state that the strikers have
absolute control of everything. The
military, under command Of Col.
Faulkner, sympathizing with the
strikers, have been Withdrawn. No
freight trains are permitted to pass
east or west, but passenger trains are
not molested and are running on time
cas-, and west to-day.
BALTIMORE, July IA special to
the l. uening Ne,cs from Martinsburg,
West Virginia, dated l2:30p. m. says
the rioters are still firm and determin-
ed and the presence Of the military
only serves to exasperate them. The
town is wild with excitement and the
strikers and their friends, numbering
fully one thousand men, are marching
about bidding defiance to the military
and the authorities. Some seventy
five or eighty engines are congregated
here, and none are allowed to depart.
A committee from the striking fire.
men have notified the engineers that
in case any engineer shall attempt to
take q train out of town he will be
Immediately shot. At noon o cattle
train bound for Baltimore attempted
to start, whereupon the rioters flock
ed on board and with drawn revolv-
ers placed at the heads of the engin-
eer and fireman compelled them to
rUn the train into the stock yards,
where the cattle were ualoaded. The
passenger trains are not interfered
with, as the strike is entirely confined
to transportation men. So far the
strikers have everything their own
way, and the military are passive and
further orders from the gov ]
ernor, which up to this time have not
come.
BALTIMORE, July 1S-Three of
the rioters at Martinsburg were res
cued from officers by citizens. The
strikers shortly afterwards threw up !
intrenchments on both sides of the
track on front street, preventing the
passage Of all freight trains The {
authorities looked on while this was
being done, totally unable to cope
with the rioters. The strikers having
succeeded in stopping all freight
trains had expressed their deterinin-
lion If their demands were not COM
piled with before shutdown they
would hold the passenger trains IS
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