Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-03-23
GENERAL STRIKE At KANSAS CITY
All the Union RaiIroaders Come Out an
Stop Traffic.

AlIth0 Union Railroaders Co"o NH' "H
Stop Traffic.
KANSAS Cry, Mo-, March pat Mn
o'clock this morning a general soundin
Of locomotive whistles signalled the mat
gurat;on o! another strike at that hou'
The union switchmen in every railroa
yard in the city quit work and treigh
business generally was stopped. In
Chicago and Alton officials made up
train by the help Of non.union men an
sent it out, but the strikers are said t
have boarded and stopped it at4h 4"aaeer'
\ city limits. The Wabash is working
small force sufficient, the official
saw, to handle city freight
and beirg under the pro'ec ior
of the Federal Court have invoked the pro
lection Of the United States Marshal. A
mass meeting Of strikers will be held a
noon. At present the cause of the strike
cannot be learned. Some of the men say
they had orders from the headquarters q
the Knights Of Labor. The switchmer
made q general demand for an advance il
wages, q week ago, OF the various roads
and it was granted them. There are fly
ing rumors to the effect that several other
departments are to be ordered out
The local railroad officers unite in say
ing that the strike was complete surprise
to them. The men had made no com
plants since the recent settlement. Busi
ness at the stock yards is about suspended
and on the Board of Trade wheat dropped
two cents in as many seconds. 1t
is said the trsckmen and section hands are
also out, but this ia not yet confirmed.
They did not resume work this afternoon
for the reason that business was suspend,
ed. Orders are being sent to points be-
yond here by railroad officials to refuse
perisbab!e freight. Including the Mis-.
souri, Pacific there are 800 crews
Of yard men on the eleven roads
engaged in this strike. There were two
trains that started out over the Chicago
and Alton road but men from surrounding
grouts Jumped aboard the cars and apply
ing brakes stopped the trains in the lower
yards and no attempt was made to get
them further. A meeting o. the represen-
tatives of all the roads is icing held this
afternoon to consider the situation. 1t is
reported that most of the hacking houses
will close tomorrow.
EFFECTS o. THE STRIFE.
Plankenton & Armour discharged one
fourth of their forces to day. The great
smelling works at Argentine will be com
PEELED to shut down. Large quantities of
perishable freight is now on trains in the
yards awaiting transfer or shipment and the
loss will be great if they do not speedily
move it. AS nearly as can be ascertained
the strike was ordered by the Southwestern
Union because of complaints that the
agreement az made last week was not
kept by some Of the rosds.
One Of the local members OF
the Executive Committee Knights oi
Labor who are supposed to be
we'll informed declares thai the Missouri
Pacific trorble has nothing to do with the
present difficulty. The striking yardmen
he ssys, have gone out by order of the
switchmen's unions, regardless of the fact
whether or not they belong to the Knights
OF Labor.
TIE SITUATION CoMPLICATING.
TIE situation In railroad CIRCLES is be
coming so complicated that the outcoNa
grows more aud more uncertain. Leth'
argy prevails tonight throughout the
freight yards in this city ard
.in Kansas city, Kansas Armour.
dale and Argentine The passenger
trains have not been disturbed and all left
tonight as usual One of the lesuers in the
strike stated tonight that he did not be-
lieve they would be molested, An embargo,
however, has been placed upon
freight trains which is prsc.
tically complete. 4 Wabash train
was made up late this afternoon. A large
crowd was gathered about as the train pre-
pared to start. At signal twenty coup,
ling pins were pulled simultaneously from
between the cars, and the train was effec-
tually disabled. The movement was 80
quick that no one could tell who
was responsible. hnotler eifo1t vas made
However, later on and at o'clock the
company succeeded in starting two freight
trains. There is disposition among the
strikers 10 avoid complications with federal
authorities. An Official present at the local
freight agents meeting to-day states that
the strike was not its object, and says no
action had been taken in the matter.
swITCHMEN'E STATEMENT.
The following statement will We publish
ed tomorrow BY the committee Of switch
mems union
KANSAS CRY, No, March "a.
To the Merchants and Citizens q kGR-
saS City and Ticinig:
The switchmen Of the yards in this city
and vicinity deem it due to you
as citizens aud friends to make brief ex.
PLANTATION Of our walk out this morning and
reason therefor We sent a request to
our superintendent 81 the 9th day Of
March asking them to pay US the standard
wages paid switchmen in Chicago.
They met in session at the
Union depot on Saturday, the 18th
and We any tk2y msde verbal contract
that was published, or at least part Of it, in
the daily morning papers of Sunday,
March IA. Siuce that time the switch
men have liveC up to their
pSrt os he ccnsract. But soue
of our Superintendent have violated and
We treated With therii as q bUgs Or lrne
whole we expected them 10 live up
10 the contract as q whole, but ss
oae or u1ore violated it, We claim they s'i
aid 50. We come ont TO delsnd that stan
dard wages be paid in Chicago. Illinois,
aud the Signature Of the various supeFIn-
tendent's 10 such an agreement. We are
sorry if We cause you loss or
trouble, but We feel that We are right and
will not agree to 60 to work until we have
settled our differences ~ith our employees
Respectfully,
TIE COMMITTEE.
DISASTROUS EFFECTS.
There are 230 switchuen out which en-
forces idleness upon $50 engineers. and al
many firemen. The roads involved srt
the Chicago and Alton, Rock Island
Wabash, Missouri Pacific. Hsnnlns
and St. Sosssh Esnsa1 City St. go'
and Council Bluffs, the buriinGtol