The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-08-19
MANY CARS BURNED.
BUFFALO SWITCHMGN APPLY
THE TORCH.
OVER Two HUNDRED CARS BURNED.
The Erie, Lohigh Valley and Beading
Railroad switehmen Charged with
Many and Serious Missdeed,-
Traffic Almost Suspended on
the Affected Lines - The
Convict Labor War.

BUFFALO, N. Y, Aug Is Over 200
freight cars burned by incendiaries,
several men who refused to strike or
who took the place OF strikers in
the hospitals suffering from injuries,
a passenger train deraied and
the movement of all trains seriously
interfercd with--such is the story OF
the past forty eight hours of the strike
of the switchmen of the Erie, Lehigh
Valley and Reading roads, which be-
gan Saturday morning and was for in
creased wages and less work.
Just what the damage will amount
to is not known as yet and cannot be
learned until all the bills have been
received. The loss to the company in
the destruction of its cars and it's build
ings by fires and the smashing of the
big water tank and the coal
cars which were let down the
trestle will dmount to more than
$40, 600 All the cars burned were
loaded and the loss of their contents
must be large. The contents of the
cars which were not burned were
soaked with water, and the fruits and
meats in the refrigerator cars were
almost baked by the intense heat, and
of course will be total losses.
The strikers deny that any Of their
number had anything to do with the
fires or the throwing of the coal train
down the trestle. Grand Master
Sweeney of Chicago, who is in charge
of the strike, said that it was absurd
to think for q moment that any of the
switchmen would be foolish enough
to go to such extreme lengths when
the strike was so small. Zone road, u
he said, has given in to the
men and we have every reason to sup
pose that in day or two the other
roads will come into line with the
scale and that will end all trouble
Under the circumstances it is foolish
to imagine for minute that the
switchmen were concerned in this in
cendiarism."
The peace commissioners were busy
to-day swearing in special policemen
on account of the railroad strike and
the sheriff was also busy swearing in
special deputies for duty in the yards
at Cheektowaga which is outside OF
the city limits and beyond the juris-
diction of the city police. The sheriff
will not call upon the militia except
as last resort,
Passengers on the Eric and Lehigh
Valley trains that were ditched did
not reach the Erie depot unit
2.45 this morning. They sale
that the strikers went through the
coaches, detached the engines ant
broke the air connections. II. DECKER
man, o drummer, said no violence was
attempted with any Of the passengers
Grand Master Sweeney this after
noon said: ut has spread to Waverl.
and will probably go to Hornellsvill
and Bradford, where the switchmel
are dissatisfied. 1t has not spread to an.
other roads in Buffalo. We have com
to an agreement with the Western
New York and Pennsylvania on tel
hour basis and will have no troubl
with that road. A conference
with the general superintendent
of the Buffalo, Rochester an
Pittsburg has been arranged 70
to-day and | expect that settlemen
on the ten hour basis will be made
strongly disapprove of the striker
injuring the property Of the com
panies or attacking the men VIII
take their places, though l claim tn
right of the strikers to reason wit
the non-union men and by peaceful
means try to persuade them to kee
away.
Great excitement prevails at Waverl
and Sayre, Pa, just over the stat
line, on account of the strike of tn
Lehigh switchmen. Fifty-one Lehig
men are out. Only four of the Err
switchmen at Waverly are union me
and these had not been ordered OF
this morning. Two Lehigh freigf
trains slipped out, the trainmen doin
their own switching, but with the'
exceptions no trains have gone throug
Sayre since Saturday night and b
tween 9, 500 and ., 900 cars are tied u
Sheriff Greer of Tioga county, N. Y
is at Waverly with twenty-five dep
ties sworn in and Sheriff Powell I
Bradford county, Pa, is at Sayre wit
8 a large force of deputies
t In attempting to run an engine al
cab out of Sayre this morning a coll
t sion between the strikers and Il
C sheriff's forces seemed likely at eve
moment. The men surrounded Il
i. engine and refused to let
. proceed. Sheriff Powell turn,
: the switch himself, but it W
Immediately turned back by the stri
ers. A start was made but the strike
y pulled the coupling pin between t
" engine and car and caused another d
Law The sheriff tried to arrest sor
Ia of the men, but they were imme'
8 ntely rescued by their comradt
: Superintendent Stephenson and q
g sheriff mounted the pilot, but cou
+ not keep the men away from the e
CINE, The engine had gone about 2
e wards and the strikers were in col
: mand of the situation.
l. A union meeting of the trainm
l. xyns held this afternoon at Sayre ~