Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-06
THE COAL MINERS STRIKE.
THE PRICE OF FUEL GOING UP IN
 THE COAL DISTRICTS.


 Not Enough Coal Mined Yesterday to
 Supply the Demand in the Vicinity of
 New York-The General Executive
 Board Will Take 8 Hand.
 READING, Pa., Jan. 6-The situation among the striking miners of the SchuylkiH regions IS getting more serious Wednesday twenty small colleries run by individuals and employing 4,0cO hands were running. To-day several of these are idle, the men having struck. Wednesday the Reading company had five of its forty four large colleries in operation. To-day three of these are idle, and only two were going with a few men. Everywhere else the men ere idle.
 Not enough coal was mined in all the Schuylkill coal fields to last New York and Boston a single day. Not more than 750 cars of coal were shipped yesterday from the regions in place of the usual 6, 900 and 1000 cars.
 The impression throughout the coal region is that the company has adopted the follow ing line of action:
 They will treat with the miners individu- ally, and will pay the per cent. advance to all who are willing to go to work, but will no tr at with the men as an organization under any circumstances S. They are to be given limited time to consider this. and if they do not accept the men will be replaced by new miners procured els where.
 Chairman John l.. Lee, who practically has this strike in charge, brings the most startling information from Scranton, where he went to see MT. Powderly. He says that Mir. Powderly is very sick man, and will never again take charge of the Knights in person. He believes the general master workman's ma1ady of such nature as to cause his death shortly.
 The news from Shamokin that the 800 miners in the North Franklin collieries Nos. and have gone on strike brings more en- courage,nent to the strikers at Ashland. Coal is so carce that it is bringing s ton, an unusual price for the coal regions.
 The most determined of all the striking miners i'll the coal regions are those In the Mahanoy valley. The product of eighteen co'lieries is usually sent over the Mahanoy plane, and they are all idle excepting several
 small ones operated by Individuals.
 Al a late hour last night Chairman Lee, of the railroad employees executive com :nistee, and Secretary Joseph Cahill issued a circular addressel to all the assemblies in he United States, in which they appeal for financial aid to carry on the strike. The ,lrcul"r says that this is determined struggle by the operators to defeat the on- ward march of organized labor, to crush out h. spirit of organization among the wage workers f the anthracite coal fields, and ap- peals to all workingmen everywhere to arise in their majesty and organize a combination against hard hearted, cruel and tyrannical men.
 The strike having been referred to the gen. eral executive board of the Knights, it will take several days to bring all members together, and until then the strike will be pursued by both parties with the intensest visor. The strikers are undoubtedly gaining ground fast. The latest is that to-day d grave crisis will be reached, as some of the men at the individual collieries now working will go out.
 PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 6.-In coal circles many large operators now hold the belief that arbitration is not distant, but nothing official can be learned on this point. The strike in this city still hangs on without any apparent change. There is to be confer ence next Monday between committees rep resenting the strikers and the general execu- tive board of the Knights of Labor The railroad company is apparently becoming each day better able to conquer difficulties which the strike has caused. The running of trains is accomplished with regularity, and the company regards itself in better position, as far as the train hands are con- cerned, than at any time previous to the strike.
 General Manager Mcleod appears con- fident that the miners strike cannot cause a coal famine. The Isupply of coal at Port Richmond is decreasing, and unless the com. pany receives fresh coal in large quantities from the mines it will have difficulty in fill ing it's orders. About 10000 tons of coal are now lying in the cars and on the wharves at Port Richmond. The strikers claim that there is only half that quantity. This will last for some time, but unless the supply is increased by shipments from the mines, the company may be temporarily embarrassed. There is great demand for coal at this time, and the shippers and dealers are taxed to their utmost capacity.