Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-12

sides are preparing with the skill and gen.
eralship of welltrained veterans The Ia
Dor people are at work in their lodges, from
the halls of which no sound is ever heard,
but the capitalists, while they confer and
prepare their plans in the seclusion of their
private Offices, are arranging in the open
air for what seems an approaching contest
A more deliberate and studied effort to be
ready for war was never made even between
two contending nations than is now going
on in and about the Homestead Steel Works
The great plant, with its expansive yards
and endless tracks, covering nearly 400
acres, has been inclosed by an almost air.
tight board fence, which is fully nine feet
high. Along the top of this huge fence are
stretched, like q treacherous snake with
poisoned fangs, three strands of barbed wire
which, should the war begin, will he
charged with electricity, and cannot there
fore be touched. Inside of this fence are
now being constructed double rows of gas
and water pipe At the main entrance and
just inside the ponderous gates have been
erected two substantial water plugs
Cook houses are being built with
in the inclosure. Sleeping arrange
ments have been made for those
who are to be hemmed in, and an inclosed
platform extending from the railroad sta
tion over the high fence and into the works
has been built. The old railroad station
house has been moved from its former loca-
tion to point farther away from what is
evidently expected to be the scene of strife.
A Covered Way to tho Trains.
This covered platform, it is explained.
will enable the company to bring in work.
men should the threatened lockout occur,
and the men brought in can be taken from
the trains into the barracks about the works
without being seen and without being
The cook houses, the sleeping arrange
will, it is argued, enable the men
employed to take the strikers places to
remain within the secure inclosure so long
as their services are required or until the
strike is completely broken. The large fire
plugs at the main entrance with pressure
of 400 pounds to the square inch, are to be
used, it is claimed, to protect the workmen
against any assault that may be made from
the outside.
With all these arrangements made by the
company, and with the workmen watching
with intense concern, every preparation,
not for attack, but for unfaltering defense,
the same. While they have little or no
hope of breaking down the entrenchment
behind which their successors are to be
hidden and housed, they are hopeful that
the mighty arm of their organization
will be strong enough to force the manu-
facturers to yield to them. The workmen
say they are ready for the fight. They say
they have seen all the movements of the
other side and they are prepared to undo
such tactics. They have already chosen
their commander for the struggle and they
firmly believe that the war will be precipi-
tated on June "a. The wage scale at the
Homestead works does not expire until
July /, but the company has demanded a
definite reply to their proposition on June
"a, when the workmen say the battle will
begin.
-Four thousand Workmsn Involved
About 4, 900 men will be involved. Most
of those now employed at Homestead have
their homes there. They will battle as
firmly and earnestly for their organization
as for their homes, and should the strike
occur, 1t threatens to be fight to q finish.
The Carnegie Company have enormous
interests at Homestead, Braddock and Du.
quesne. They have millions upon millions
of money already invested and with that in
dominable pluck, energy and enterprise
that have extended their works to the pres
ent mammoth proportions, they contem-
pldtc Stiil SreotcT Improvements suggested
by their advanced ideas. The erection of
four new blast furnaces at Braddock has
been announced. and the much-talked of
shot metal route between the Edgar Thom-
son, Braddock and the Duquesne and Home
stead Steel Works is to be constructed at
the earliest possible time.
The shot metal route" between these
great concerns has been talked of for years.
The idea was first suggested by the late
William R. Jones, late general manager of
the Edgar Thomson and Homestead Steel
Works. Mr.. Jones conceived the idea
through the successful operation Of his hot
metal line from the Carnegie blast furnaces
to the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, over |
quarter of mile away. The proposed line
to Homestead will require two bridges
across the Monongahela river. These.
bridges will be built of iron and will be
enclosed to prevent the hot metal from fall
ing into the river or upon the floating craft.
The route for the proposed new line was
surveyed seven months ago The purpose
is to run iron direct from the furnaces at
Braddock to each of the steel works at
Homestead ana Duquesne, there to be made
into various degrees of steel q required.
VIII Complete the Llne This summer.
Isaac Good, master Of construction of the