New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-16
THE TROOPS ORDERED OUT.
CIVIL AUTHORITIES pOwERLEsS IN ERIE
COUNTY.

CIVIL AUTHORITIES pOwERLEsS IN ERIE
COUNTY.
LOADED FREIGHT CARS WORTH 100000 BURNED
IN THE RAILROAD YARDS NEAR BUFFALO
THE swITUHMEN's STRIKE THEATENs
TO SPREAD TO SEVERAL GREAT
SYSTEMS FREIGHT TRAFFIC.
BLOCKED.
,BY rrLEoaAra TO THE TKIBUNkl
Buffalo. Aug. l5.-The striking switchmen de
clare unoHicialIy tonight that at midnight all
the swtchmen on the Ncw-York Central, "est
Shore and Lake Erie roads, will pe called out.
There was little disorder through the day. ru'
several freight cars were burning in the Erie
and Lehigh yard, and 1t is estimated tha' more
than 100 were burned between midnight and
daylight this morning Some Of these contain
Brussels CARPETS and other costly goods, and the
total loss Is believed to be fully 100000. Whlie
the flames burned the strikers Jeered at the
fremen and in some cases interfered with them
This afternoon Sheriff Beck went out to the
scene of disorder with posse OF 1orty-'wo
hncn... each armed with new ash cluos ana
shining handouts The men had oeen Oh 'nc
grounds only short tih'c when tney were
not hv thirty or forty ntrikers and asked to
dsarm. The deputies promptly surrendered then
clubs. which the strikers CONSIDERABLY sa.heleu
IN and n;led info Sheriff Bcck's buggy. The
Sheriff drove back to town and at once asked
General Peter Doyle to call out the militia
Two hundred special policeman were
sworn in this morning, ouo
the policemen are powerles beyond the ci.y
line. where are the greater part OF the ires"V
yards
On application of the Sheriff, General Doyie
ordered out both regiments OF the Natlonai "uaru
tonight They will wait at their headquarters
under arms till call has been made 1or t"cn'
TO do active service in putting down the iawie''.
ness at East Buffalo and beyond All sor's oi
rumors come In from along the line OF the I'''
and Lehigh roads tonight, but the outbreak 80
far. appears to be largely confined to setting hre
TO cars
Between Buffalo and Lancaster probably l'ooo
freight cars are blocked and 1t is feared tha' lew
Of these will escape the fames Fires broke ouo
This morning in a dozen places among them, ana
the fremen find 1t almost Impossible to reach
them. The better element among the strikers
say that "toughs" are responsible for the law
lessness. and Grand Master Sweeney saws he mas
urged the men to be peaceable. SO far the strikers
have bid no conference with the 'milroaS'
officials
At :2s o'clock last night, Erie car, NO.
4s.45s, loaded with lumber. was discovered on
fire in the yards south OF Clinton-st. SUN
alarm was given, and the flames were exuh-
guished by a plug strcam from the Giloerb Gar
Works. though not before the roof OF the car
had been burned OF. and the lumber badly dam
49, rzltA Apnd an
kerosene oil can in the ruins of the car. IL was
=, clear case of incendiarism The fire department
complained that the work Of the men at this
and other freight car Arcs vas much impeded
| bv the cutting Of hose by unknown persons.
Twelve lengths Of hose were cut and rendercu
useless during the night
| Master Moriarity OF the local lodge OF the
swtchmens Union stated that the strikers were
not responsible for the fires lie attributed them
to n lot of tramps and buns that are always
around when there is any excitement.
Fyerything was quiet In the yards between
daylight and noon. The incendiaries, whoever
they are. Kept under cover during the day, as the
chance OF detection was much greater than at night
During the morning gangs of men pulled the pins
from Erie trains near the Wiliam-st. crossing, and
extra police were called to the scene
| Two striking switchmcn, John Gibson and John
Schafer were in the police court this morning.
charged with assaulting Charles Hershey. Frank
Ilrundare. pf the Iehigh Valley, and +. Z.
Sprague, Of the Erie, appeared to prosecute them,
but the cases were put over till Thursday.
| rumor prevailed at noon that n freight con-
ductor, Martin Nevs. of the Erie road. had died
this morning from the result OF his injuries This
report happily proved false. Mr.. Nevils was hit
on the head, 1t is supposed by the visiting phy-
| sician, with sluugshot. Nevils was dazed for a
short tme but at noon he was on the street.
AZ 2 reports received from East Buffalo and
Chcektowaga. showed that the Lehigh Valley had
lost seventy-two freight cars by the fire, and the
Erie fourteen. All the railroad men profess to be
utterly unable to fix an estimate ct present OF the
loes They ara acting cautiously on this point for
| the reason that q claim will be made against the
city and county for damages, and the amount Of
course has not yet been figured up. IL is known,
however, that many Of the cars were old and
empty.
Grand Master Sweeney, In interview on the
strike. said 1T has spread TO Waverly and will
probably 70 on to Hornellsvie and Bradford,
where the swtchmen are dissatisfied II has not
spread TO any other roads In Buffalo, We have
| come TO an agreement with the Western New
| York and Pennsylvania on a tcn-hour basis and
will have no trouble with that road. confer
ence with the general superintendent Of the
Blu ralo, Rochester and Pittsburg has been ar
ranged for. lie is coming here and expect that
y settlement on the ten-hour basis will he made"
Mr. Sweeney further said that the Erie and
Lehigh switchmen here had not been treated In
such way as to keep them in good humor.
Their advances had been spurned by those in high
| authority "The matter could have been easily
settled Mr. Sweeney said, If the officials had
consented to reason with the men, but instead
they tried to bulldoze. I don't believe In bull
doing on either side The officials should not
sort to 1t ard neither should the men. strongly
disapprovc of the strikers injuring the property
OF the companies or attacking the men who take
their places, though l claim the right for the