Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-08-25
SWITCHMEN'S STRIKE.
The Situation in the Yards at East
Buffalo Serious.
Thorough Stagnation OF the Freight Busi-
ness on the Roads Afected-The
State Military on Hand to
Preserve the Peace.

Thorough staenation OF the Freight Busi-
ness on the Roads Affected-The
State Military on Hand to
Preserve the Peace.
BUFFALO, y. Y. Aug. 1S.-The strike
situation is most alarming, and the
danger can hardly be overestimatcd.
There are nearly 1000 men on strike,
with the proba bility of 100 or 400 being
added to the number in the next
twenty-four hours. The strike on the
Central & West Shore Short line
after midnight causes much apprehen-
sion. The aim now seems to be gen.
eral tie-up.
The widest rumor5 prevail as to the
probable outcome of the trouble, which
the strikers predict may extend from
the Atlantic to the Pacific unless their
demands are acceeded to. Up to mid
night the situation was not ominous.
Only two arrests had been made of
strikers for rioting, and in one instance
twenty-fv policemen succeeded in dis
persing a body of 200 destructionists.
But as the strikers grow in numbers
more outbreaks are feared
With the trouble at Sara, Hornells-
vile and BinghaNton, and prospect
i've strikes at Waverly, Jersey City and
other points, the handling of freight
by the men imported to take the place
of the strikers must necessarily
be impeded, and it is not easy
to foresee the outcome should
the difficulty ATTEND, as the
strikers affirm It will. from state
to state. The strike on the Cen
trail was ordered by the Switch
mems union. A grievance committee
of the New York Central waited on
Supt. Voorhees, Tresday afternoon for
a final answer to their demands. Mr..
Voorhees, declined TO grant them, and
Tuesday night the climax came. The
committee met at Kaiser's hall and de-
cided to strike. The committee con-
tinued in session until late hour,
but about 0 o'clock the order was
company at Black Rock, Suspension
Bridge and Niagara Falls to
stop work at midnight. The order to
the latter places was not expected to
go into effect until a. IN. when the
messengers would arrive from Buffalo.
The switchmen in the yards at this city
were also ordered to go out at mid
night. 1t was understood that the
order would not affect passenger train
service for the present, but may at any
moment.
An enormous amount of traffic will
be tied up by the strike, as it will no
doubt involve the Lake Shore road and
perhaps all the lines in Buffalo. The
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western
switchmen have plainly been in sym
pathy with their striking brethren of
the Lehigh and the Erie, and they will
not probably remain long at work
handling freight for the other lines.
The strike is extending and may be far
reaching in its consequences and disas-
trous to the business community.
The Centrals yards are of vast extent
and in three different sections of the
city. Four of the six switch tenders
employed in the New York Central de-
pot at Exchange street quit their posts
soon after 12 o'clock. Arrangements
were at once made to send out an en-
CINE and crew to bring in the Lake
Shore passenger train due here at LAO
o'clock. A police escort was sent with
the engine.
In the Central yards at 2 o'clock all
the men had quit work and all the en-
gines were being tied up. Twenty-Five
policemen, under Capt. Zacher, were on
guard in the yards. Everything is
quiet and orderly. The New York
Central yards here passed through a
strike two years ago. The company
defeated the men, filling the yards with
non-union men. 1t was not believed
that the union could again get strong
hold in the yards, but committees have
been at work for several months pre-
pairing for strike. A vote was
taken in the yards a week ago and re-
suited in three-fourths of the men
agreeing to strike for the ten-hour sys-
tenn. The action of Tuesday night was
the result of the ballot. The company
about twenty-five day engines
and something over a dozen night en-
gines. each having switching crew of
three men, besides the engineers and
fremen, making total of about 125
men in the switching service in the
yards.
The strike on the Central & West
Shore will very nearly blockade bust
ness on the lakes. so far as Buffalo is
concerned. Already the shipments of
coal have about stopped. The average
has been about two cargoes
L day since Friday Already the North
western -four agencies are complaining
hat they are getting swamped with
iour. and with onl y the Lackawanna left
o help them out, they will accomplish
7ery little towards keeping up with
EASTERN business. The receipts of grain
ire so heavy that the elevators will |
'oon be full. General package freight |
s accommodating SO rapidly that the !
are overlooking with it. |
The effect of the strike on the big rail- |
Dad shops is already becoming ap-
Cars for rebuild and epair are |
growing few in the shops, while they
ire piling up on the road.
Supt. Finnell of the Lehigh Valley |
avs that the company will for the
present pay particular atteption to the
AXE freight business. 1--WE will soon
,e IN good shape to handle our bust
less,'' said Mr.. Fennell, ''as we have
ixty men in East Buffalo now ready to