The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-08-09
GREAT DANGER
To Which the Steel Workers
Are Constantly Exposed.
Lives Daily Risked in the Home
stead Mills,
Especially Those Of the Rollers
and Heaters
WHOSE WAGES WOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN REDUCED.
THE REDUCTION APPLIED TO ALL
THE TONNAGE MEN.
THE REDUCTION APPLIED TO ALL
THE TONNAGE MEN.

svicfsoot Skilled Rollers and Heaters the
COMPANY Could Do No Work at All
About 40 Per Cent. of the Skilled
Workers at Homestead Received 800
and over Per Month, aud About Per
Cent. from $3.50 TO sI9O-A Police
officer on Guard Outside DIR. Frick's
OfBoe Lest Another Crank or Anarch-
list Attempt the Life of the Chairman
of the Carnegie Steel COmPany-Socre-
tary LOVetoy Says the Affairs of the
Company Are IN q Satisfactory CoDdi-
don.
CINCINNATI, Aug. S.-The Post pnb
dishes the following from its special cor
respondent in Homestead:
Just look at my back, remarked one
of the skilled steel-workers with whom
was talking in his home, and, pulling
down his shirt collar an inch or SO, he
showed where great scars and wounds
lust healing began. 1t was literally
cooked back that had been broiled and
scared by hot fakes of fire thousand
times. 'tI've not been working for a
month now, and yet my back is still sore
How did it get that way? Why, in dodg-
ing the great flakes that came toward
me hundred times every day of my life.
save my face and eyes, but they catch
me ON the back and you'll not find a roll
ler in the works with well back So
far as an investigation was made this
fact was established
Little do those unacQuainted with the
work in the Carnegie mills know OF the
danger the men employed IN them un-
dergo It is a terrible work. With
furnaces burning in a white heat, and
great caldrons of metal, sheets of heated
steel and ponderous machines all around,
and cinders and burning flakes flying in
every direction, it is little wonder that
every day has its records OF accidents,
and frequently fatalities The men
take their lives In their hands when
they walk into the big shops in the
mornings, and when they come out after
their days work they put it down on the
credit side of skill, watchfulness ard
good luck. The temperature N theS4e
places is fearful. No one unused to it
| can stand IT ten minutes without fall
( Ing.
3What Is it, repeated roller.
''Well, I'm safe, l think, IN saying il
will reach 1870 degrees. and with some 10
spare at that l am putting II at a dead
| low figure"
This is the kind of a place in which
! the steel workers, who are striking
against a reduction of wages, have to
work. Men who get g and $3.50 and
! less per day put in eight hours IN those
| places Just the same as do the men who
! are better paid.
! Very naturally accidents are frequent.
| One Of the immense metals filed with
molten metal oveTturns with a crowd Of
| men around it, plate Of red hot steel
| slips from the rollers, a burning ClDder
! flies wild or drops. a pipe breaks or one
| of hundred other mishaps occurs and
/ somebody is injured or killed.
No man knows when any Of these
/ things may happen. No maI know.
when he begins his work IL the mon
/ ing, whether Or not he viii eat supper
/ with his family III the evening. Il t'.e
/ last accident of any conseQueuce-trr
/ there must be fatality to make an accj-
dent In the Homestead mills worth
I noting-siX men We're horribly burned
and injured. and two. ANDY keebler ana
John Fagia. lost their lives. This Cc-
CURED in the open hearth department.
/ The convertible. where BessemeT steel Is
made. has scores as its record.
When an accident occurs and no mo-
! are killed. the company considers itself
! fortunate The loss of q hand. or q foot
/ or an arm or q leg Is TO be expected. aul
excites no comment. In addition %
this. the work is injurious 70 eyes. from
having to constantly face the terTlbla
/ heat
A noticeable fact is that Of all the
| steel workers whom The Post represent
ative met IN Homestead there were not
/ FIVE who cOuld be counted n having
/ passed the meridian of life Il physician
/ OF the town with whom / talked made
| the significant remark: About forty
two OF foTty-three years generally winds
/ 'em up
| There Is one feature of this strike that
j has never yet been made public. and
! this information was secured by ! ne
! Post only by devoting nearly whole
! day to IT alone interviewing more than
! a score of the leading strikers, as well as
( calling a second time upon the Carnegie
officials The clew to It was remark
/ dropped IN an ungu3rCed moment, and
! traced only with considerable difficulty.
! The reduction proposed by the Carnegie
company applied TO all tonnage men IL
the four mills. Rolling and heating are
the highest branches and best paid of
skilled work.
/ When the conference between the
workmen and the company Indicated no
agreement probable the announcement
was made that a strike would follow.
! Without skilled rollers and heaters the
company is unable to do its work, and to
keep these men in its employ paper
was presented to the rollers. heaters and
screw men alone, for them to slgn as
| guarantee that they would not go out
! on a strike. It was understood that If
thev would remain their wages would
not be reduced. but the wages of the
other men would suffer. Rollers and
heaters are highest priced men. So the
fact stands that this strike Is not to pro