Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-07
FORT FRICK.'
A DESCRIPTION OF TEE ARMED AND GUARDED
PLANT OF TIE
Carnegie S.ssl Company-Hot Water and Cold
Water Search Lights and Cannons-Fri'k
Has Fought Labor Before and
Understands the Business.

The following is description Of the
preparations made by the Homestead
Steel Works people, written by q re-
porter who visited the plant a few days
ago:
made A complete tour Of the Home
stead mills to-day and found them the
most perfectly protected works in the
country. Surrounding the entire plant
OF 500 acres, which lies on the MOhoh-
gahela river about seven miles above
Pittsburg. there has been erected dur
ing the past month tight 0oaru renee
fourteen feet high. Along the top OF
this fence are four rows Of 0aroed wire
which are connected with the immense
dvnamos of the works so that they can
be charged heavily with electricity al
moments notice. Every twenty-five
feet OF the fence has three-lnch port
hole through which twe-inch hose can
be run and hot or cold water from
double row Of pipes lining the Inside OF
the fence can be thrown on anyone VINO
approaches too closely.
The works lie on both sides OF the
railroad track, and che only entrance TO
the mills, which are now on the river
side of the track, is by means OF a large
elevated bridge, rising about twenty
FIVE feet above and over the track. Inc
entrance 10 the bridge is by means OF
long fight Of stairs directly IN front or
the comDany's Office building, so that
no one man can get into or pass from
the mills without being under the
SCRUTINY OF all i'm the Office. y small
watch tower ornaments the head OF the
fight of steps. In this watch tower
has been placed one Of the fourteen
electric search lights 70 be used IN the
mill. This one light can be thrown so
asto illuminate the railroad track FOR
mile, up or down.
Cameras with fash lights have also
been placed at different parts Of the
mill to take pictures Of aSSailants so
that they may be recognized and arrest
ed or be refused work there hereafter
as the com pany may decide. On the
river front of the works there IS pa
troll kept up On the ways" made Tor
IL lies the Annie, steam pleasure
launch that belongs TO the late Superin-
tendent Jones. This has been prepared,
calked and Overhauled 70 use In case OF
an attack from the rear by means OF
skiffs, with a small swivel gun mounted
on the bow ready for action.
No fort in the country to-day
that is not surrounded by stone
or brick walls Is better prepared
70 withstand siege or at
tack than Fort Frick," as the men
have named the Carnegie works at
Homestead. Watchmen have been
placed on guard az each end OF the
works, or the railroad, and everyone
approaching the works is warned on the
track and told that the only way to gain
access to the mills is by making de-
tour by way Of the country road along
the hillside, above the works that lie
fartherest from the river. The men
who live In town are thus obliged 10
walk around the mills and lose the time
aud energy necessary TO walk at least
STA mile more than they used 70 when
= to walk on the track. But
the We been saving themselves
this bile by telling the watchmen TO
90 toS place that is hotter even than
PitIsburg in July and keeping on their
vay to work along the track just as
.ual. The new fences can't . 2 climbed,
he men have 10 use the bridge. II
taken miles Of this fencing TO in
Sse the works and the job has been
ell done. IL has cost considerable
aoney, too, but then it has given work
o a great many men for whole month.
These fences present peculiar appear
ancc when looked at from the side Of
the hin above the works iartheSt re-
moved from the river. On this side Is
the Office, large, fOur-cOrnered build
ing of brick and stone, with tower at
each corner that really gives IL the ap-
pearance Of a baronial castle with bat
Elements.
The fences are not only around the
mills, but double parallel rows OF SINH
lar fencing cross and recrOsS the
grounds in All apparently useless way;
but a moments thought shows that
they are meant 20 serve as screens FOR
batteries, or rather StOckades, behind
which a defending party Of hundreds Of
armed men could be sheltered 20 protect
the more easily accessible mills. The
mills cannot be approached from any
direction, by night or day, without
those who are on guard st the works
seeing every move made by those who
approach. Large signs painted on
solid wood glare at the wayfarer every
few feet, warning him not to trespasS
Ia addition TO the hot and cold water
pipes inside the fences there areseveral
nat cars fitted up with two tanks on
each, filed with water, and supplied
with powerful pumps, and the yard en-
gines also have had pumps placed on
the footballs, and with several lengths
OF hose that each car has cOiled upon it
water can be thrown TO a great dis
tance and with considerable power.
The firm claims all these pumps, hose
and water pipes are for the purpose Of
protecting the fences and mills from
fire. Fire is, indeed, about the only
thing that the walls around Fort Frick
have to fear. The name is given be-
cause il is due TO II. c. Frick, chairman
OF the Carnegie Steel Company, limited
An organization that succeeded to all
the old Carnegie aSSociationS-that
these wholly Unprecedented defehses
have been thrown up, converting the
Carnegie works into fortress. Mr..
Frick is a young man, but he has fought
numerous battles with labor az his coke
works, AMI never failed in one OF them.
He is determined to place the Home
stead works on the same basis as the
Carnegie mills at Brsddock, just across
the river from Homestead, and which
have been run on an independent scale
called the "Braddock sliding scale" or
Edgar Thomson scale" for several
years past.
The men best posted on the wage
scala hava scan this coming for some