St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-09
Knights Of Labor Obey the
Orders Of an Unknown
and Strike.
They Want Simple Justice,
and Vice President Webb
Won't Yield.
None Of the Western Lines
Of the Vanderbilts Are
Involved.

VI oil CApCCbCu SIOIuu dlilOlS JUG uiiOu-
sands of employees of the New York
Central and Vanderbilt lines, owing to
the discharge of Knights of Labor and
Brotherhood men, broke like a flash
from clear sky shortly after o'clock
tonight. All the length of the Central
was tied up. Trains were left by the
crews where they stood when the order
came, Two passenger trains were left
at Eighty-siXth street in the tunnel, one
going in each direction. The latest re-
port is that the West Shore railroad is
tied up throughout its length. as we'll as
the New ork & New Haven railroad.
Great throngs of people are crowded
into the Grand Central depot, trying to
have tickets changed and asking all
manner of questions. No one seems to
know how it was, or who ordered the
strike. Even ]. J. Holland. the labor
leader. denied that he knew who Or
dered it, or even when it was ordered.
The representatives of the railroad COM
pany called upon Acting Superintendent
of Police ByrneS for protection. The
inspectors at once held a consultation.
and it was decided to hold in reserve
policemen in all the precincts on the
East side below FOrty-second street.
FOrty-Second street to YonkerS, and OIL
the West side, from st. Johns park to
YOnkerS. were placed on duty
Guarding the Tracks
and property of the railroad company.
The depot at Forty-second street was
under the protection of the full force of
police from the TWenty-third sub-pre-
cinct and these were assisted by the
members of the boat patrol. Inspector
Byrnes' detectives guarded the switches
and signal stations along the road to
Yonkers. After these arrangements
had been made word reached police
headquarters that some of the strikers
intended to take possession of the switch
house at Fifty-seventh street and
Fourth avenue. Inspector ByrneS at
once detailed two of his trustworthy de-
tectiyeS to watch that point. The in
spector himself decided to remain at
headquarters all night. Vice President
Webb, of the New York Central, on be-
ing interviewed by reporter, said that
the strike extended only to West AL
bany. All men who went out from the
employ of the road this evening. Mr..
Webb said, would be discharged in the
morning. Those men who remained
true to the company would be we'll
taken care of and amply protected as
we'll as all men who came to work for
the road. The road would take on all
good men who applied for work in the
morning, as far as they were needed to
fill the places of the deSerters and they
would be guaranteed against all harm
as well. With great emphasis the
vice president announced that he
would fight the strikers to the
bitter end. He said that the
new set of demands he had never seen
and knew nothing whatever about. In
effect these demands are for minimum
days wages OF S1.50; station agents to
receive an increase of IS a month; men
in yards at Troy and Green Island shall
receive
The Same Compensation
as at Schenectady and East Albany: alI
firemen on siX-wheel connected engines
shall receive 214 cents per mile; all en-
gineers on same, 4 cents; four-wheel
engine, engineers 81 cents per mile;
firemen, 2 cents per mile; for all men
over time double pay. Mr.. Webb an
nounced that the fast mail had pulled
out of the depot at 9 o'clock, with four
mail cars, but no passengers were
attached to the train. The vice
president further announced that
no attempt would he made
to run any trains tonight Everything
would be left at a standstill just where
the men left off. There are no means
to get to Albany or New England to-
night, but the opening up of the great
avenues of trade would be begun to-
morrow. 1t is announced that the vice
nnf trix of nj cfo
ment OF the roads position in tho pres
ent controversy that the people of
the country may judge who
is right and who is wrong.
The strike was ordered on account of
the discharge of certain employees.
Under the orders every train was aban-
doned, no matter where it might be.
The 7:10 train for Montreal was wait
ing the signal at the Grand Central
depot, when the engineer, fireman and
brakeman left it and walked out of the
depot. Efforts made to secure men to
fill their places were without avail
The men on other trains also left
them. Travel was thus not only
blocked on the Central road, but also
on the New York tS New England and
New York & Harlem roads, which use
the tracks of the Central as far as Mel
TOSC. IHcIc Is SIcd1 tAClttIn6I1U at the
depot, where great crowds of people are
gathered who expected to take trains
out of the city. The hotels in the neigh
borhood are crowded with disappointed
travellers.
At late hour Vice President Webb
stated that in the yards of the Grand
Central depot at Forty-second street.
Fifty-siyth street and at West Albany,
there were about $50 men out. These
men were all switchmen and there was
no trouble with the engineers or fire.
men. Between midnight and daylight
he intended to put on men and clear the
tracks of few stray cars and get
Ready to Run Out the Trains
after Z o'clock. He said that there
might be trouble when this was at
tempted. but the company would afford
ample police protection to the men who
remained loyal TO them. Mr.. Webb
stated that outside of local short dis
tance trains there were fourteen trains
that ought to have left the station be-
tween o'clock and midnight. Only
one of these went out-the fast
mail train, and that carried
no passengers. Mr.. Webb reiter-
ated his statement that the
i l.