Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-24
THE STRIKE OF THE FIREmEN
an Account of the Trouble ON the
George AppOld.


We mentioned day or two since that
some trouble had occurred among the fire.
men on the steamship George Appold lust
as she was about leaving Baltimore for Sa-
vannah, and that the strikers had been dis
charged and new men employed. This
occurrence, however, delayed the steamer,
and although due here Wednesday, she had
not arrived up to TYbee yesterday at the
close of our telegraphic report.
The Baltimore Gazette of the 22i instant
contains the following in reference to the
affair:
zone of the firemen recently employed on
the steamer George Appold states that he
and his seven colleagues were not discharg-
ed from that boat on Saturday last, as re-
ported, but that they left on a strike.
Three trips ago. said the fireman, we
petitioned for an increase Of wages from
$35 to $40 per month, and received reply
from Mr.. George J. Appold. President Of
the Merchants and Miners Transportation
Company, in which he said that the rate of
wages paid by the company was, in all cases,
as high as that paid by any other line out Of
Baltimore, and therefore the company would
not be justified in granting the request. We
had stated in our petition that the fremen
Of New York, running to the same
-Savannah-received $45 per month,
and that Baltimore firemen had always
heretofore received the same wages as
those from New York. To this Mr.. Appold
replied that he had no doubt but that YES
sells from New York and Boston were COM
PEELED to paw higher rates of wages than
those from Baltimore, owing to the differ
ence in the price of living between the
r,1o On Sto
Savannah on last Saturday at a. m, and
after we had cleaned up, polished the
brasses and fixed the chip ready for use, we
notified the first assistant engineer, Mr.. j.
Reynolds, that we would not go out with
the Appold unless our wages were increased
to $40 per month, in accordance with our
petition. The chief, Mr.. Estabrook,
very nice man from down East, came and
threatened TO put us in Jail and keep
us until morning, and then compel us to
go. This aroused US, as we knew he
was trying to brighten us, and that he had
no such power, as we had signed no arti-
cles. We went ashore. and on Monday at
II N. we were paid off, and were told by
the chief that we could never have job on
the line again. There are nine ships run
ming for this company, and there is only
one other outside line from here-the
Chareston-and as it has but two boats, the
decision of the Appold company bars the
eight striking fremen from getting work
here, aud we shall be compelled to go to
New York for work. The Appold sailed on
Monday about 10 m, and had a crew of
partly grown fremen on board, and they
were compelled to pay the $40 per month.
which we asked and were denied, for these
The life of fireman is a very hard one.
have seen the thermometer In the fire-room,
south Of Hatteras, range between $50 and
100 degrees. You work below, In a space
about twelve feet between the boilers. You
are between eight furnaces, and the place is
badly ventilated unless there is strong
breeze ahead. The furnaces take nearly ali
the air that comes down the ventilators.
You have to fire two furnaces every fifteen
minutes, besides you have to brisk the coal
up with slice bar, SO that you are continu-
ally engaged. You have to drink immense
quantities of ice water while at work. Each
fireman is on duty for four hours and off
eight. There is but little comfort In the
life, and certainly it is one of hard work
and privation, and the men are well worth
$40 per month. We cannot support our
families for less. Let any one take $40 and
attempt to pay for house rent, cloth
ing for wife and children, and mar
keting, and he will find but precious lit
tie left for doctors bills, medicines,
shoes, etc. If we can obtain the neces-
saries Of life for our families we will will.
ingly forego the luxuries. Rents and pro-
visions have sensibly increased in price the
past two months In this city, and at the rate
we were getting we really could not make
both ends meet. Another hard feature of
our lives is that we are separated from our
families twothirds of our time. We get in
one day and are away the next, and then we
are away for ten days. We would not care
for this If we could only clothe and feed our
children. Besides, think of it, when we
leave home we do not know If we shall re-
turn or not. Even ii we do not think of
this, our wives do, and is it not very hard
we cannot obtain wages sufficient at least to
give them some little comfort 2 The fol-
lowing is full copy of the letter of MIR.
Appold above referred to +:
MERCHANTS AND MINERS TRANsPoRTA-
TIoN COMPANY, BALTIMORE, May %. 1851
MeSSrS. John Murphy and others, steamship
George App0ld: GENTLEMEN-Your polite
petition for an increase of wages was re-
ceived duly, and has had the careful con-
sideration to which, by its respectful tenor
it seemed entitled. / find, by inquiry, that
the rate of wages paid by this company to
its fremen and coal beavers is In all cases
as high as that paid by any other line out
of Baltimore for the same service. There
fore. | am constrained to say that
while we are anxious to allow as large
a compensation for the faithful ser
vices of cur employees as others do, we
would not be justified by cur company In
the payment Of larger sums, no matter how
much our personal feelings might influence
US otherwise, and l am therefore compelled
to deny your request. have no doubt
that the lines from New York and Boston
to Savannah aud Charleston are compelled
to pay higher rates of wages than those
from Baltimore, owing to the difference
which exists in the prices of domestic ex-
penses and the scarcity of labor, but we
cannot be governed by this fact in BaltI-
more, where the same circumstances do not
apply. Yours, very truly,
GEO. j. APPoLD, President"