, 1888-03-15
AN. EPIDEMIC.
Alarming Spread of Sickness
Among U. P. Engineers.
The Sight of q" Cars Al
legged to be the Cause.
ALI Switch Engines Idle at
Omaha.

OMAHA, Neb, March I3.-At .
o clock this morning every switch engine
IN the employ OF the Union Pacific rail
road had its fires drawn and stood silently
IN the round house. No freight has left
the city all night. Ordinarily from eight
to fourteen treights depart from here
daily. The sudden sickness which de-
veluped among the engineers yesterday at
the sight of Burlington cars continued to
spread when the night crews came on and
found a 30" car on nearly every side
track. This morning eighteen engineers
were sick and only four Of the seventeen
yard engineers were at work. A freight
train bound west with n %" car in its
make up waited for a crew, but one after
another the men pleaded illness until the
car was marked bad order" and set out.
when Engineer Murphy convaleseed and
took the train out. Two crews OF engi-
neers and fremen in the day service and
two of the night crews have quit the ser.
vice altogether.
The grievance committee Of the road
held a consultation with General Superin-
tendent Dickinson during the day, the
outcome Of which has not been revealed.
As, however, a number of sick employees
returned to work, the general impression
is that the road will not compel the men
to handle Burlington freight.
The answer of Nicholas Weeks, repre-
senting the Union Pacific engineers, was
filed in the United States court by their
attorney, Gen. Cowen, in the injunction
suit. The answer, which is voluminous,
denies the allegation of the bill, which
alleged that the Union Pacific refused to
exchange traffic with the Burlington 4
Missouri, handle its cars, etc. The an
swer AYERS, on the contrary, that the
Union Pacific does exchange traffic
with complainant and handles its
cars in the same manner as
those of other roads, and this perform.
ance of duty on the part of the Union
Pacific, through its engineers and bremen,
to answer claims, to be the cause of the
present suit, is undertaken and instituted
by a perfect understanding between the
two roads Tor the purpose Of Gbelling, in
timidating and depressing the defendants
to the bill; and this action is claimed to
have the effect of making the engineers
subject to every arbitrary order that the
two roads may issue for the benefit of the
Burlington 4 Missouri by either driving
out of the employment the engineers OF
compelling them to work for inordinately
low wages.
The charges of conspiracy arc denieC
in toto and the sole reason of the strik,
is claimed to be the inability of the engin
GERS to support, maintain and cducat,
their families becOmingly on the wage
paid them by the Burlington & Missouri
The tyrany Of the road is complained o
and all legal means to resist it, whethe
by meetings on the part of the engi eeri
or otherwise is claimed as a right. II
conclusion, the answer denies the powe
of the court to compel them or any 0
the defendants to continue work when
ever it is his or her desire to quit anC
asks that the temporary restraining ordel
be dissolved.
The answer was a great surprise and
further time was asked by the Burlington
& Missouri counsel in which to submit
afidavits denying the statements con
tanned in it. The Union Pacific attorney
urged a speedy decision as it was of the
greatest importance to the interests of the
road. Judge Dundy, however, deferred
the hearing until Friday.