New-York tribune., 1890-08-09
SILENCE AT THE BIG STATION
TRAFFIC AT TIE GRAND CENTRAL STILLED
HUNDREDS OF TRAVELLERS DELAYED-NEIGu
BORING HOTELS FILLED TO OVERFLOW
ING-sCENES AND INCIDENTS

At the Grand Central station the strike wrought
a transformation that was wonderful and sudden.
AZ o'clock the roar Of business filled the great
railway terminus A train from Chicago rolled
in Bells were Changing and locomotive whistles
blowing. and men were rushing hither and thther
attending 10 their duties.
Half an hour later the arch OF the station
spanncd a vast solitude The darkenins OF
number Of the lights made gloom. Black lines
of empty cars stretched between the platforms.
The rattle of wheels was stilled few men
sauntered about the paved floors, and their foot
falls echoed.
The passengers from the Western train
hurried away, not suspecting that their
arrival marked the near approach OF the hour
appointed by the strikers for heaping on the
managers of the railroad and on its patrons as
much Inconvenience possible. But the I'M
cago trains passengers we're among the hrst OF
the general public 10 suffer. They reached their
hocls but their baggage did not follow them.
Hotel omnibuSScs drew up by the station ana
waited and waited. But tie strike was on,
and the employees who had brought the ualn
into the station refused to take it around TO the
"bagcaQc dock" where the heavy goods are
usually unl)adcd
This was probably the first intimation of the
strike that the officials received, and they man
accd TO overcome the Chicago train dlihcnl'y'
After more than an hour had elapsed the baggage
was rescued and sent to its owners
sKILFULLY AND QUIETLY PLANN Ed
No more trains came into the station. None
went out The carrying out of the strike was
skilfully planned, skilfully and quietly done
About o'clock the men, without fuss with
ont demonstrations simply quit work. and left
their posts At the stationmaster's office rumors
that trouble had been brewing had been heard
over and over again uurinS the last few day ;.
So the officials there were not unprcpared for
what haDpcncd. But, when it did come. they
,,cre somewhat disconnected. Mr.. Webb. the third
yicc-prcsi,lcnt, and MIR. Voorhees,, the general
,r,ucrintcndcnt had gone 10 their homes III the
ofcruoon SO the statIOnmascr and lls SUD-
ordinatcs were in straits They are TO be pardoncd
if they felt dumbfoundcd and " lost as they saw
the station emptcd OF employees They fought
against circumstances long as they could
They were loath TO believe that the strike, whlch
had been impending IN gossip ana PRINT, hdd
,c,nollv come There were the trains, walt
inc TO depart; there were tile locomotives
lut where were the men? lhey meluei
away like snowdrifs in thaw. Close on the
oppointcd "fatcfuI hour" of the Knights OF lanor'
\ Tribune reporter went to the Statlonmdstcr
Office and asked if there was any prospect OIL
trouble.
ALL SEEMED TO BE GOING SMOOTHLY
Well. everything seems 10 be going along
smoothly" was the reply. In few minutes
nothing was going along at all, except the men,
and they were going. going, and were presently
all gone. Mr.. Stephens, general station agent ot
the New-York Central, sent telegram TO Mr'
Webb at Riyerdalc Then he and Others at
toched TO the stationmasters Office quietly re-
sioned themselves to the situation. Things are
A. n standstill," Mr. Stephens said to The Tribune
rcnorter. At 30 o'clock the Montreal
eyprcss train, with all the Adirondack cars, was
IN full trim and ready to go. But 1t had TO lie
idlv in the crowd of less important trains, ana
by-and-by the lights in its beautiful cars were
extinquished, and the passengers who had taken
places had to postpone their journey The passen-
ocrs Of the Montreal train were only lew OF the
many who kept crowding into the walting-room
Of tho Grand Central Station for more than an
hour after the trains were left high and dry,
so to speak, on the tracks
BAD FOR SUBURBAN RESIDENTS
The strikers chose an unlucky hour for the
suburban resident Commuters IN scores hurried
up from the city. They stood and sat In the
waiting-rooms, wondering as train-tlme went By