The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-21
A STRIKE At JOHNSTOWN
SHORT RATIoNs AND ovERBEAR-
ING BOSSES THE CAUSE.

troops Resting On Their Arms IN
Readiness for a Possible Outbreak
An Effort to Be Made to Force the
Idle Men to Leave the Town-Sixteen
Bodies Found.
JoHNsTowN, June 20.-A strike among
the laboring men here is fairly on, and this
morning there we're not 1000 men all told
at work. Those employed by Mcknight,
the Pittsburg contractor, were idle, and the
dissatisfaction and discord was spreading to
the other workmen. Overbearing bosses
and short rations, for which the men are
made to pay literally, are the grievances
The military were OH active duty this
morning and local company of the Fifth
regiment was ordered out While every
thing was quiet on the surface, there was
fear that the undercurrent Of discord
would break out any time and riot follow.
A largely attended meeting of strikers
was held in the open square this morning
and their grievances were freely discussed.
n committee was appointed to confer with
those men at work and find out the exact
nu nber Of men in sympathy with the
strike.
Three carloads of Italians arrived here
this morning from the east, but a committee
and persuaded them not to leave the train
until the present labor trouble is settled.
They were sidetracked aud will be fed by
the strikers.
TRAIN FROM NEBRASKA.
A train consisting of nineteen freight
cars, loaded with provisions of all kinds,
arrived in Johnstown to-day from Caldron,
Neb Among other things the cars con-
tanned horses and carts, while the roofs of
the cars were full of citizens of the town,
who have rendered their services to Gen.
Hastings.
Sixteen bodies were found to-day, and
many of them, on account of the advanced
stage of decomposition, were promptly
buried, after being completely covered
with oil. The stencil is becoming
daily very sickening and unbearable. A
case of diphtheria developed to-day. The
victim is now at the Red Cross hospital.
No other serious cases were reported to- lay.
The Woman's Christian Temperance
Union was to-day privileged to open coffee
sta DIS for the purpose Of supplying hot
coffee free to labOring men.
WORK SUSPENDED.
This, the first clear day here since the
awful calamity, found work among the
ruins practically suspended, aud upon
the same ground where the
havoc SO recently toyed with
| millions OF dollars worth OF property
and innumerable human lives, capital and
/ labor are wrestling in a bitter and threat
ening contest, and the quiet, subdued feeling
| which has prevailed since the flood, is Civ
| ing way TO one of unrest, discord and dan
| ger. AS yet there has been no open out
break, but repeated breaches of the peace
occurred during the day, and tonight
a free fight occurred in which
Joseph Trunzer of Lawrenceville was as
| fa1 .1 hal faf falI bnr hxy
Collier of Philadelphia. All the idle men
who can get liquor are drinking, and to-
| night the militia are resting nervously upon
| their arms, and thousands of fires that are
burning holes into the gloomy night are
throwing fiickering and uncertain light
over good sized army of laborers burning
with a desire to mutiny.
MAY LEAD TO TROUBLE.
1t has been announced tonight that
the strike which begun this morning
has been declared off, and that
paid and discharged, but the discharged
men have as yet refused to abandon the
place, and the authorities have
Announced that all idlers must
leave early in the morning, else
the militia will be called upon TO drive
them away. In such event serious trouble
is contemplated. New men are coming In
on every train and all the contractors have
agreed, in the future, to furnish their men
| with more and better rations. 1t is gener-
ally thought that if the discharged men
will leave here peaceably no further
trouble will follow.
An unusual number Of visitors from all
over the state sauntered through the ruins
to-day, and everybody carried away relic
of the disaster.
A gang of foremen among the strikers
will probably be quietly taken out Of town
tonight with view OF disorganizing and
leaving the striking laborers without
leaders. This move Is creating no little
| confusion.
DR.. Foster today started a subscription
for monument to the unknown dead. He
proposes to have the monument erected on
an eminent spot near Prospect Hill, over
looking the unfortunate town.