Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-11
READY FOR THE RISE.
DIX or Eight Millions Bushels of Coal
Will Go Down the River
IF HIGH WATER CONES QUICKLY.
hlver Miners Still Stand Firm Against q
Reduction in Wages.
NEWS OF THE GREAT LABOR WORLD

A fepoYte heavy rise from all up-rlVer
points yeste rday was the subject of CON-
ment aloug he wharf and in the bost stores
The rains of the past few days have caused
enough wateI to make it probable that
there will I've between seven and eight feet
in the river ,to-day. This will make good
barge water and preparations are being
made to send out many tows of coal to the
Southern markstL 1t is estimated that
there are between 100000 and 5000, 900
bushels of coal loade d. If the water arrives
there will be more IL ian half of this on the
way down the river before night. At all
events heavy shipments are expected to be
made, as eight feet of W ater are looked for
before the end of the week.
This time last year there were 5,Ooo,Ooo
bushels of coal ready for shipment The
high water of tiNe past summer caused all
the ready coal to be sent ou, anc the
miners strike has p vevented the STOCK from
being replenished, SO that after the nrst
shipment there will pr. .,ctically be no coal
on the river to supply the market 1ne
rivermen state that should the strikers re-
turn to work tomorrow thrte naonths "orh
would have to be done in one IT tne usual
amount OF coal is to be shipped.
The River Miners Still FSa N.
A river captain stated yesterday: nave
been among the strikers great IL 'al and
know how they feel There is very little
talk of any of them returning at ths re-
duced rate. 1 may be mistaken, but a 90
not believe that the men viii return 10
work until they are starved out, and 1t taxi Is
good while TO starve out a coal minel'
Goo - @1,nx- eraf WI
and at present there are few of the men |
idle. If they can't work in the river mines
thew can go into either the railroad mines or
at other public works.
"If the present strike should continue
for any length of time, it will be hard on
the river men. AS it now is, there |
are large numbers of them around the |
wharf of Pittsburg who haven't a dollar, |
simply because there is nothing for them |
to do. Coal is also going up. l wanted to |
buy barge of slack coal to-day. The same |
quality of coal for which L paid cents |
three months ago 1 now have to give |
cents for. 1t is the same with the better |
grades, though the difference is not quite ]
so much. All this time the railroads are |
the only means of supplying the markets, |
and they haven: enough cars. The effects |
of the strike will soon be felt by the con.
sumers, if it is kept up much longer
Local Coal Prices Going Up.
'I know the miners expect the water to |
force the operators to give in through pres /
sure from the markets. They look upon
the high water as their best friend and are /
manifesting no great desire to get back to |
work. They can give no reason why they |
refuse to work for the river operators at |
the same rate as for the railroads, out claim
that as the river mines are idle part of the |
time, there should be difference in the
,SpSr ro4a Thn off 70
remedy this but the miners msintsined
their position. 1 want to see the strike
ended as / have TO buy more or less coal
and the rise in the price is quite an item"
The river operators yesterday had no idea
as to when the strike would end. There is
scarcely a sign of break. The early rise
in the river Will soon take out all the coal
on hand and then the fight will have to be
won by whoever has the most endurance
The prospects for a successful years work
on the river are not bright, The season is
so far advanced now that with practically
no coal mined, it will be difficult to get out
the necessary amount The operators are be-
ginning to think that they will have harder
fight than expected in inducing the men to
return to work. The coal that is being
run by a few mines in the fourth pool is
only for the local markets, and the amount
is small when compared to the general out
put
The Situation Viewed in McKeesport.
A telegram from McKeesport last night,
in commenting on the strike, sizes up the
situation as follows: That speedy settle
ment of the strike among the river coal
miners is at hand, bv the surrender of one
side or the other, is apparent in
the brisk renewal of "war talk
on both sides during yesterday and
to-day and in the activity shown by the
operators in completing preparations for
handling the output of the mines without a
moments unnecessary delay when the
collapse does come. So much has been
taid on the subject that there would be
nothing left to report were it not for the
unmistakable indications that are visible
along the river and in the talk of the COM
batants that water is only wanted now on
either side to put an end to the long contest.
Captain Posey, an operator prominent
among the river mines, said to-day that his
coal boats were all ready, but that they
will never be filled except at the reduced
rrte, and that when the river is ready the
miners will be- Captain Benton, an
other well-known operator, said the oper-
Rtors had made a decided gain during the
week, but declined to go into particu-
lars Another operator said: '1n the Mo-
nongahela valley the strike covers fifty
mines. We have the railroad as well as the
diggers to fight, but tell you once for all
that we went into this fight to win, and
when the water is right for coal business