The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-08-09
CUTTING WIRES.
Extensive Raid on the Western
Union Company's Lines.
Eighty.Nine Wires Said to Have
Been Cut.
General Strike of the Operators on
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

New YORK, Aug. s.-Lsst night another on
slaught was made upon the lines of the
Western Union, the consequence of which
was far more disastrous than that of the prev
ceding night. A Western Union official said
this morning that 20 wires were cut on one
route and IA on another route between Passaic
and Elizabethport, N. j. These were wires to
Philadelphia and other points In the southern
division Twenty wires were cut between
Kingsbridge and Searsdale. At Tarrytown u
Hudson river wires were down and IS wires in
the eastern circuit were destroyed between
Port Chester and Greenwood, Conn. The
cross arms were sawed off in the latter instance
and the wires cut besides. The first
wires to go down were those of the
eastern circuit. which were lost about
IL 80 last night. The others went down shortly
after midnight. A large force of linemsn was
sent out to repair the damage and the lines are
being repaired IS rapidly as possible. The
cutting of the wires interfered with others
across which they fell, so that the greatest con-
fusion was created. For a long time this
morning work was greatly delayed. The
superintendent estimated that when work was
begun this morning, one-half the wires to
Philadelphia, one-quarter of those to the west,
and one-third of the eastern circuit could not
be used. The whole number of wires cut was
SO. Nearly 200 we're rendered useless in con-
sequence.
a telegram from Fort Washington said a
gang of men had interfered with linemen re-
pairing W Tres there and police protection had
been asked in case the interference was re-
peated.
No clue has -et been discovered to the au-
thors of the mischief although the greatest
vigilance is being exercised. The Western
Union Company has employed detectives to
ferret out the perpetrators of the wire cutting
The general opinion is that the striking line
men are answerable for the injuries. The
company is considerably put out by this new
method of warfare.
At the headquarters of the Brotherhood of
Telegraphers it was emphatically denied that
the cutting was being done by the striking
linemen.
A concert and ball was given iu Madison
Square Garden this evening by the Brother
hood of telegraphers. Tbs ball was opened by
the blowing of whistle that inaugratsd the
strike in the office of the Western Union Co.
Receipts about s., 500.
WASHINGTON, Aug. Sat meeting of the
Federation of Labor held here last night reso-
lutions were adopted expressing sympathy
with the telegraphfc strikers. calling on the
General Assembly of the Knights Of Labor,
the Federation of Trade and Labor Unions and
all other labor organizations 10 devise a plan
for the consolidation of the laborers of the
country in one organization, and petitioning
the Senate committee on education and labor
ROW in session to consider the propriety of
asking Congress to authorize the Postmaster
General to seize, in the name of the people,
the entire telegraph system now in operation
and conduct the business of transmitting tele-
graphic messages as part OF the government
service, making full compensation to the cor
porations dispossessed for the property tax en-
from them.
ST. LOUIS, Aug. S.-Assistant Superinten-
dent Klnsman of the Wabash telegraph lines
says of the $50 operators on the $500 miles of
that road, just eight, four at Decatur and four
at Chicago have obeyed the order OF the
Brotherhood and gone out. Their places have
been filed, and everything is working smooth
ly. The members of the Brotherhood, on the
ether hand, say that seven of eight operators at
Decatur struck yesterday, and that of 175
operators on the Iron Mountain Railway be-
tween here and Texarkana 1877 belong to the
Brotherhood. and can be relied on to strike.
They also say that of AZ railroad telegraphers
in East st. Louis 36 are Brotherhood men and
will go out.
PITTsBURo, Pa, Aug. SIN answer to
despatch, signed by Superintendent of Tele-
graph Brown Of the Pittsburg division of the
Pan Handle railroad, to-day, asking whether
operators would receive the Western Union
commercial business, all but two replied they
would not. 1t is understood that K. b. Tay-
lor, Superintendent of the Pan Handle rail-
road, will tomorrow order the operators to
take whatever business is offered, under penalty
of dismissal.
CHICAGO, Aug 8.--McBristol superintend-
ent of construction of the Western Union
Company, reports increased activity in tying
up wires. All the Mutual Union wires were
tied with small copper cord at Englewood
last nigkt and we're only released this after
noon. Ten wires ON the Fort Wayne, four on
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, and all
on the Wabash line, 80 miles this side of
Council Bluffs, are tied together and it will
probably require the entire night to release
them.
PITTsBURG, Pa, Aug. 8-Reports from
along the line of the Pittsburg division of the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad received to-day
show tbas the order for the railroad operators
to strike was generally obeyed yesterday The
officials admit this, but say that nearly all the
offices have already been manned by new men.
ST.. LOUIS, Aug. 8.-No further withdra wal
from the Iron Mountain railroad is reported.
Six wires on the Wabash raiIread were cut,
about 10 miles north OF this city Monday
night. The wires were clearly cut with mir
pers and the poles show marks Of steel pronged
climbers used hV lineman