The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-15

OMAHA, NEB, March 14-At o'clock
! this morning every switch engine in the en-
1 p.oy OF the Union Pacific railroad had its
/ fires drawn, and stood silently in theround-
house. No freight lett the city all night.
Ordinarily from eight to fourteen
! freights depart from here daily.
| The sudden sickness" which developed
among the engineers Yesterday at the sight
| OF Buri ghton cars, 0bntinued to spread
when the night crews came on and found
u" cars on nearly every side track. This
! morning eighteen engineers were sick and
only four of the seventeen yard engines
were at work A freight train bound west
with one 20" car in its makeup, waited for
| crew, but one after another pleaded i'll
ness, until the car was marked lin bad
order'' and set out, when Engineer
Murphy convalesced and took the
| train out. Two crews of engineers
and tiremen in the day service and two of
the night crews have quit the service alto
gether. The Grievance Committee of the
road held consultation with Gen. Supt.
Dickinson during the day, the outcome of
which was not 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. a
WEEKS ANSWER.
The answer of Nicholas Weeks, repre-
senting the Union Pacific engineers, was
filed to-day in the United States Court by
their attorney, Gen. Gown, in the in
junction suit The answer which is
voluminous, denies all the allegation of
the bill, which alleged that the Union
Pacific refused to exchange traffic with
the Burlington and Missouri, handle its
cars, etc. the answer AYERS on the coli
trary, that the Union Pacific does ex-
change traffic with the complainant, and
handles its cars i'll the same manner aS,those
of other roads, and this performance of
duty on the part of the Union Pacific
through its engineers and fremen,
the answer claims to be the cause
of the present suit, as undertaken
and instituted by a perfect underS anding
between the two roads for the purpose OF
lbeling, intimldating 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 railroad may issue for the
benefit of the Burlington and Missouri, by
either driving the engineers out of employ
ment or compelling them to work for inor-
dinately low wages.
CONSPIRACY DENIED
The charges OF conspiracy are denied in
toto, and the sole reason of the strike is
claimed to be the inability of the engineers
to support, maintain and educate their
families becomingly on the wages paid them
by the Burlington and Missouri The
tyranny of the road is complained of and
all legal means to resist it., whether by
meetings on the part of the engineers or
otherwise. is claimed as right. In concu-
sion, the answer denies the pow r
of the court to compel him or any Of the
defendants to continue work whenever
it is his or their desire to quit, and asks
that temporary restraining order be dis
solved. The answer was a great surprise,
and further time was asked by the Burling-
ton and Missouri counsel in which to sub
init affidavits denying the statements con-
tanned in it. The Union Pacific's attorney
urged speedy decision as of great impor-
lance to the interests Of the road. Judge
Dundy, however, deferred the hearing until
Friday.
DODGING THE JUDGE.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA, March 14.-All of
the switch engines of the Union Pacific
railroad doing work in the Council Bluffs
yard were quietly taken to the round house
last night ald this morning by the engineers
in charge. When asked their reasons for
quitting work, they replied that they were
sick and tired of work. 1t is understood
that they gave these reasons on account of
Judge Dundy's decision, but it was very
noticeable how sudden an engineer became
sick or tired when be saw a 90" car
coupled up behind his engine. All the pas
senger and dummy trains are running as
usual.