Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-08-19
SAY THE STRIKE
IS BROKEN
Railroad Officials Are Feel
ing More Hopeful
To-Day.
FREIGHT NOW BEING MOVED WITH
SOLDIERS ON THE TRAINS.

More Than Eight Thousand Troops VIII
Be In the Yards TO-NiEht--Tho Nickel
Plate switChmen Join the Strikers--The
Meeting OF the FIremen Tonight Will
Not--RaIlrOads Refuse to Arbitrate--The
Story of Yesterday.
BUFFALO, N. Y, Aug 19.-The officers
of the railroads involved in the switch
mems strike at Buffalo are claiming vic
tory. Trains are moving from the great
yards at East Buffalo, with soldier on
the platform of each car.
By tonight it is expected that the total
number of militia here will be over 5000.
The great number of troops now mass
ing at Buffalo has apparently subdued
| the reckless men among the strikers or
their sympathizers, for there were no
serious acts of violence yesterday or last
night.
Bayonet prods quickly broke up any
bands of strikers who became too insult
ing to the militia or made attempts to
place distractions on the tracks.
There is nothing definite as yet con-
| corning the trainmen's action. Grand
Master Sweeney and other officials of the
labor orders are trying to make the strike
| a general one.
Chief Sargent, of the Brotherhood of
| Locomotive Firemen, says he has not been
requested to order out the fremen. He
will not commit himself as to the
strength of the bond of sympathy be-
| tween the f1remen and switchmen.
The arrival Of the additional troops has
made the railroad officials great deal
more confident, and they absolutely re-
| fuse to arbitrate.
1t was rumored late last night that at q
meeting in Toronto the Grand Trunk
swItchmen resolved to tie up that road
| between Toronto and Montreal.
Late yesterday Afternoon the entire force
of switchmen on the Nickel Plate road
joined the force of strikers. The trouble
was precipitated by the discharge of two
men for refusing to switch New York
Central freight.
Western Railroad Company yesterday
gave formal notice to Sheriff Day Of
threatened violence to the property of the
company in the county of Wyoming, and
especially at the high bridge crossing the
Genessee river at Portage
A force of specials under command of
Deputy Pond has been sent to guard all
points of access ON the Wyoming county
| side, while the Livingston county sheriff
has force on the opposite side of the
river 1t is believed that Anarchist dyna-
miters are about the only persons that
could successfully wreck the great struc-
ture, and all suspicious characters Turk
ing around will be sent away.
The Crisis May Come Tonight.
A meeting of the firemen has been
called for to might, and it will be one of
the most important crises of the strike.
The trainmen will hold a meeting some
time to-day. They will doubtless act in
conjunction with the lremen.
The conductors are known to be in
touch with the other three organizations,
and, if the climax is reached, will work
in harmony with them. The engineers
will not work with green firemen, and
so, ike a row of falling bricks, each goes
down with the one preceding it,
, Vice President Webb was cheerful this
morning In his opinion the backbone OF
the strike is broken, at least so far as his
road is concerned. He claims that the
Lake Shore is the only branch of the
Vanderbilt system seriously affected, and
he asserts that the blockade there will
be lifted to-day.
Notwithstanding this optimistic view
of affairs the gravity of the situation can
hardly be over estimated. AS 1t now
stands general strike of firemen, engi-
!, neers, conductors and trainmen is i'm
;, pending. 1t is either this or a fat fail
ure of the switchmen's strike. And the
latter say: "1f we fail now, it will b'
your turn next"
Enormous Freight Blockade.
There is blockade of freight that
- from present appearances, will take week
to remove. Only perishable freight is re
ceiving any attention and that is getting
very little.
The Central, West Shore, Lake Shor,
and Lehigh Valley yards are simply
choked up and Rlutted with freight cars
every track is filled with long strings o
freights. The engines are idle and tn
crews pass the time discussing the issues
of the strike.
I'll Only the main tracks are kept open anC
this is difficult job. So far there is NJ
delay to passenger trains. They are com
ing in and going out on schedule time
j. The strikers say they will not bothe
them
T, One of the strikers said this morning Il
&c a reporter that the men could not proven
the roads from starting freight trains from
this city in the face of such a force o
soldiers, but, when they do, the fun woul
then commence at other points.
Gust as soon as trains are started,
' said he, the strike will extend all alon
the different lines. and it will keep tn
| militia jumping from place 10 place L
break the blockades."
Evidently the railroad officials fear
spread of the trouble, for it now woul
seem to be an easy matter for them t
IL operate their roads in this city with tn
n present large number of soldiers t
t. speedily put down any attempt at inter
r. ruption.
The strike on the Lake Shore has re
suited in a thorough tie-up Of all freigh
traffic, but the passenger trains wer
leaving and arriving nearly on time
Militiamen are stationed at points throug
the yards and at the Exchange stree
depot, but they are few in number. Fc
miles the road lies between long lines {
loaded freight cars and looking ahea
from an incoming train this morning
seemed like moving through a Mario
4 cut. But the trains were deserted, not
- man was to be seen ON any of then
All the way in from the city line til
yards presented an aspect of desertion.