The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-08
A GOAL Triple BURNED.
The Coke Strikers Suspected Of
Firing It.

~
Firing II.
PITTsBURG, Pa, May The mouotony
was rather broken to-day by the burning
Of coal tipple at the Mutual plant of the
Frick Company, which crippled its opera
tons somewhat. The Mutual was one Of
the first plants to resume. and the company
officials charge the strikers with setting fire
TO the plant. The guards. who had been
Withdrawn a week ago, Will again be placed
on duty.
The evictions to-day were uneventful, the
families rather taking their Cruel as a mat
ter OF course and after pulling few wry
faces at the deputies made themselves as
comfortable as possible on the highways.
pending the arrival of tents. though these
latter prove a poor shield to the biting
frosts.
SENSATIONAL STORIES.
The sensational stories Of the strikers that
the new men at Norwood, who had re-
fused to go to work, were bein imprisoned
and guarded, are denied by the officials of
the company, and no yeriicattoa can be
found. Another report that the men in
the mines were Obliged to sleep, eat and
work there without once seeing the day
light, lacks confirmation aud is laughed
at by the officials. There is no doubt, how
ever, that the foreigners are closely watched
to prevent them mixing with the strikers.
Many are in ignorance that a big strike is
In progress, and would certainly quit work
II given free communication with the out
siders. That this access is denied tkem, no
doubt gave rise to the many stories of i'm
prisonment.
The labor officials are distributing relief
money, but great suffering is reported in
isolated cases, and there is a sad lack of
system In the strikers camps. The influx
OF foreign laborers continues and every
arrival is tenderly cared for by the company
guards.
TRICKS PROPHECY.
The latest advices from throughout the
coke region go rather to verify the words
uttered by Mr.. Prick, the coke king, when
the operators first determined to run their
works, with or without the union men:
Gentlemen, we must start our plants, and
we will" Foreigners. principally Italians,
are arriving in the region at the rate of seven
to ten carloads per day and are distributed
throughout the Frick plants, that company
having been the first and most determined
to break the strike 1t is estimated tonight
that there are nearly 1000 men working in
the different plants, including those at the
w. j. Rainey ovens. Mr.. Rainey, though
paying the old wages has never recognized
the organization, but has never been mo
work very few are old strikers, the bulk
being imported men. and it is thought the
strike cannot be held much longer against
the influx.
SHIPMENTS INCREAsIN6.
Both the Pennsylvania and Baltimore
and Ohio railroads report their shipments
of coke from this region daily increasing,
though nothing approaching their old time
trade. The men are now on their thirteenth
week OF the strike, and coke shipments are
at the rate of about 900 cars per week,
one-eighth of tue shipments when the region
is running full. For some reason the oper-
ators are not attempting to fire any new
plants, desiring first, apparently, to have
those at present in operation fully manned
before lighting the fires at the others. By
some well Informed people it is
said the operators were not at all
adverse to entering the strike, though
they are certainly making strenuous
efforts to extricate themselves now.
Anticipating strike Of but few weeks
duration all the mills in this city loaded up
with coke, but are now sadly harassed,
even the great Edgar Thompson, which
Carnegie and Fri;k had piled to the skies
with coke. being obliged to lay off 1000
men on account of the scarcity of the article
MAY FORCE OUT $4,000 MEN.
The operators say they themselves were
unwilling to use the last and, as 1t now
seems, the most deadly weapon against the
strikers-labor importation-but that once
begun, they will carry it through, and, I'M
less they return to work, it looks as if the
$4,000 men still idle in the coke region
will be forced from their work, homes
and even the region. The men, however,
are fighting gamely and say they will yet
win. That the operators have not every
thing their own way is shown by daily
strikes at many works where the leaders
have succeeded in inducing the men to quit,
in every case either taking care of them out
of the relief fund or paying their fare to
other coke or coal DIST lets.
THE AGGREGATE LOSS.
The aggregate loss of the strike has been
estimated between 81, SOC, 600 and So, 000, 00G,
and may be much higher. Whichever side
wins, and that event cannot now be much
longer delayed, this strike will 60 down in
history as one of the most stubbornly con-
tested and disastrous known in this section,
in addition to the losses of property and life,
the scenes Of riot and bloodshed that may
be repeated any day before the ugly chap
ter closes.