The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-01-01
THE GRAND TRUNK STRIKE.
600 Engineers Quit Work.
OUTRAGEOUS CONDUCT OF
THE STRIKERS.
Travel Virtually Suspen ded West
Of Island Pond.

MONTREAL, Dec 30.-The difference be-
tween the Grad Trunk railway authorili
and the members OF the brotherhood OF Engl-
neers, eliminated ate o'clock last night in the
beginning of the threatened strike. This con-
tingency was one which the managers had
foreseen. Indeed, knowing that the strike
would begin at the hour above mentioned, they
had oil divided for all the passenger trains ell
gineers who were pledged to stand by them, but
many of the men, when The time Of trial came,
failed to keep their promises. while others, who
intended to strike, took their trains out as
usual, without remark and deliberately aban-
doned than between stations. and at consid.
cradle distances from points where they could
obtain relief These last mentioned are alto
gether DeXcusabe aud cannot possibly meet
with either sympathy or countenance, whateyer
excuse might be offered for Il aving the engines
either before starting or at the station where
they might arrive at the nearest time to that
fixed for the strike. This desertion on their part
has placed in peril the lives of the passengers
and has very much endangered the property of
the company.
As it has turned out. the company has been
grossly deceived and have been made to per-
petrate an imposition upon the travelling pub
lie, than which nothing was further from their
thoughts. They had the strongest promises of
support from the men who started out last
night, and moreover, the mere fact of their
taking control of the engines at starting was
tact engagement to run the trip; and beDce,
neither the company Dor the travelling public
had any reason to expect what has taken place.
Some of the men also resor'ed to violence, to
prevent engineers who would not submit to the
| brotherhood from driving their engines.
At Stratford. driver McKibbon, who had
| brought the passenger train from Berlin, was
| set upon by number of fellows who threw
| him from the can of bis engine, severely ipjur-
| ing him. The Mayor, Mr.. Daily, being apprls-
| ed of the circumstances, interferad, and pom
| ised to help the company and protect the men
| who worked for them
| In Toronto, according to our dispatches, some
| fifty men, some of who wore masks, collected
at about ten O. clock in the neighborhood of the
| round house and as it was feared they intend
| ed damaging the property of the company, a
| guard of police was summoned and placed on
| dntv. At half past the men were still congre-
| gated but were quiet. A train however was
| approaching from the west and au attack was
| expected. This was the nply one moving along
| the whole line. The men of Torouto damaged
| two engines seriously, aad assaulted some of
the train hands. The Mayor of Toronto, in
| view OF these circumstances, has placed the
whole of the police force at the disposition of
| the company.
| fused to work, arrangements have been made
| for the aid OF the municipal authorities if nec-
essary.
IL is the intention of the company to prose.
| cute some of the rinsleaders in this lawless
| course.
DETROIT, Dec. 30.-All the members of the
National Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
in the service of the Grand Trunk Railway
| Company, abandoned their engines at D. no
yesterday in obedience to orders from Chief
| Engineer McArthur of the Brotherhood. An
engine attached to an eastern bound train from
here last evening was abandoned by the en-
| gineer and fireman an Detroit junction at six
O'Clock, and the train had to be brought back
| to this city by yard engine of the M. c. road.
No Grand Trunk trains left this city today.
ST. ALBANs, Dec 3L-The Grand Trunk
| Railway have applied to the Central Vermont
| to run their trains from ST. Johnsbury to Mon
| treal, which has been done today according to
| the best inform alton attainabe. Thus far the
| strike has no effect on the Central Vermont
| save to interrupt the through business of the
| line.
TORONTO, Dec. 31.-The termination of the
strike seems as distant as ever. The company
are confident of their ability to provide drivers
| for their passenger and NEST of their freight
trains and resume business as early as the civil
and military authorities can guarantee the
safety of these substitutes aud the company 8
property. The strikers on the other hand have
made desperate resolve that the train traffic
| shall not be resumed until their demands are
satisfied. On the arrival of the express tram
at Belleville this morning several hours elapsed
before driver could be got to mount the en-
gIne to take the train west. At the station the
platform was crowded The military were una
uio W PteFeAe Iue sGIiheIs lrom severely Deat-
ing the engineer The volunteers were not or.
dered to load or use bayonets One of the strik-
| ers in attempting to wrest a bayonet from a
volunteer received severe wound in the neck.
Several other parties were badly knocked
about.
Several pistols were fired but nobody was
| dangerously wounded. The engine was then
returned to to the shop. 1t is. understood that
negotiations ale now pending between the
Grand Trunk company and the government for
the complete protection, of the company s
property by the military authorities. and that
no attempt will be made to resume business on
| the road until such security is guaranteed.