The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-08-27
THE FIREMEN,
In Sympathy, With the Striking
Switchmen, Will Go Out.
An Important Crisis at Hand-Tho Lacta-
wann and Western May He Tied Up,
Which WIN Mean Much-Now
or Never say the Men.

BUFFALO, N. Y, Aug. 20.-An impor-
tant crisis in the strike has been
reached. 1t can now be said almost cer-
tainly that the locomotive firemen on
the Lehigh, Erie. Lake Shore and West
Shore and Central railroads will go out
between o'clock Saturday evening and
Sunday morning. The members of the
Brotherhood of Trainmen and Conduc-
tors on the above roads, and possibly
the tclegraphers, will follow the fire.
men. This strike, should it occur, will
be the outcome of secret meeting of
tho five local lodges of fremen held
Friday night.
1t lasted until nearly midnight.
About $50 men were in attendance, rep
resenting all the lodges in the city, as
well as the several roads. The Train
men and Conductors brotherhood were
represented by delegates.
An Associated Press correspondent
learned of the result at the conclusion
of the meeting, 1t is that the 597
men of the Firemen's brotherhood are
unanimous in favor of declaring n
strike on the Erie, Lake Shore, Lee
high, West Shore and Central roads.
Many of the members urged that the
local lodges order the strike Immediate
ly. They were held back by the more
conservative men, and the matter was
referred by telegraph to Grand Master
Sargent at Terre Haute
The strike will be sympathetic, and
no bill of grievances will be presented.
However, the fremen will insist that
if the switchmen are given the ten-hour
system it shall apply to them also.
Otherwise, it would be direct discrimi-
nation against their organization.
1t was expected that Mr.. Sargent
would leave Terre Haute early Satur-
day morning, and arrive here late at
night. He may order the strike by tele-
graph. 1t will require about three
| hours for the fremen to strike after re-
ceiving the order from the grand mas
| ter. 1t will not be confined to the
yards, but will extend to all men run
ming out Of Buffalo In previous strikes
ordered by Grand Master Sargent the
fremen have abandoned their engines
wherever they CHANGED to be at the
hour specified 1t would probably be
so in this instance.
| About 800 men will be ordered out if
the strike occurs, Lehigh lodge has
fifty members, West Shore lodge about
the same number, and Erie lodge 14O
members. The firemen on the Lake
Shore and Central belong to one lodge.
The brotherhood has 2,700 members
in the United States and Canada. A
striking fund of $4,000 has been accu-
mulated since the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy strike four years ago. The
men say it is now or never with the
cause of organized labor on all rail-
roads.
The only trunk line uninterruptedly
carrying freight westward is the Della
ware, LaclSawanna and Western. One
of the western trunk lines from this
city, the Lake Shore, is clogged. and
the Grand Trunk, of Canada. is
threatened with strike. The Michigan
Central, the other trunk feeding west
ward is involved, like the Lake Shore,
in the fortunes of the Central, and
only success of Saturdays eff
forts of the road to move freight
freely is to be relied upon for eastward
carrying of traffic. At exactly this
point the tactical position of the Lack.
awanna is brought strongly to light.
This position of the Lackawanna is
just as thoroughly appreciated by the
strike leaders as by any others, and the
Importance of what the men upon that
line will conclude to do as to sympa.
thetic strike is beyond cavil.