Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-05
STARTLED BY RUMORS
Homestead Workers Excited by a
False Alarm of Invasion.
AN OLD LADY DOES GUARD DUTY
The Fourth of July Spent in Pleasant
Patriotic Manner.
PONTO0N BRIDGE ACROSS THE RIVER

Peace reigned at Homestead yesterday.
There was but one little furry this after
noon, but it did not last long and turned out
farce. The people have devoted them
selves to the celebration of the day in pic
mics, excursions and shooting of fireworks
Last night the town was alive with rockets
and Roman candles. The great works up
the river were dark and silent, and the
guards of the Amalgamsted Association
make their rounds and keep their watch.
At about o'clock yesterday afternoon
two excited men ran to the headquarters Of
the workmen and said that 80 black sheep,
with their trunks and bags on their backs
had entered the town and were coming up
the avenue. Within 10 minutes 500 of the
Association had gathered and had moved
rapidly to the foreign settlement, where q
line was formed. Every street about the
location, where strangers were sup
posed to have entered houses, was
guarded by a Gordon of men. This line ran
from City Farm lane along Third avenue to
Mcclure street, and as soon as the district
was surrounded the leaders made a Thorough
search of the houses The truth was soon
discovered. Ten Hungarians, who had
decid to leave Homestead, had taken
their baggage upon their backs and started
from their boarding houses for the river.
They had been accompanied to the Mcclure
street ferry by crowd Of relatives and
friends, and had crossed to the Baltimore
and Ohio. 1t was this throng which the two
runners had seen and which had caused the
alarm.
A Very Determined Old Lady.
There were some odd incidents connected
with the scare. As one of the leaders of the
men was returning from the search he met,
standing at the mouth of an alley, an old
lady, whose hair is white and whose form is
bent by the weight of gathered years Her
eve flashed as she Strengthened up and cried
out: ''The dirty blacksheep; did you get
them? 1 have guarded this point well.
With that she displayed long and heavy
blackjack, whose thong was passed about
her wrist and grasped with firm hand,
which she could have welded with telling
effect.
'I believe that the women could win
this strike for u.s." said one of the Associa-
tion chiefs tonight.
The yorkmen expect soon an effort to
throw non-union men into the mills under
strong guard. One reason they expect this
is that Manager Potter and many of the
superintendents have gone away on the
excuse that they are taking advantage of
the shutdown to enjoy summer vacations
It is said that over 100 superintendents of
the many departments have gone away
within tha last three or four days Instead
of seeking rest and peace in the seclusion
of some sylvan hunting or fishing resort,
they have, as a rule, gone to the various
large cities of the country, where non-union
workmen could be secured, if anywhere. It
is noted that Manager Potter has gone to
the company's iron mines near Duluth,
where there are brawny men by the
hundred.
Pontoon Bridge Across the River.
Notwithstanding this scattering of the
agents of the Carnegie Steel Company, the
officers of the Amalgamated Association
are not in the least dismayed. This fact is
evidenced BY their every word and act. The
organization Of the men Is now almost per-
feet The watch duty is divided into three
turns and the entire town, the river front
and the neighborhood of the mills
quarters on Eighth street are never
closed, day or night, and there
the wstchmen regularly report. The sys-
tenn of signals to call men from their homes,
has been so well arranged that within ten
minutes pontoon Of skiffs can be thrown
across the Monongahela river, either to in
tercept and board q steam boat, or throw a
large body of men to the other side of the
river.
The good order preserved by the thou
sands of idle workmen here is q marvel to
the stranger coming into the city. The
score of saloons were all open to-day and
the streets were crowded with people Yet
none of the saloons did heavy business,
and Last night not a really drunken man was
to be seen on the streets. Many of
and there enjoyed the Fourth at
Park or at ball games,
many Others attended the picnics of St.
Marys Catholic Church in beautiful grove
outside ofthe borough. When the celebrators
they made no perceptible ripple on
the surface of affairs. The three borough
policemen had little or nothing to do. The
citizens sat about their shops aud discuss
politics and labor questions, and complain
of the sensational reports sent out about ex-
citement and turbulence Still they all
admit that no man can tell when the crisis
will come.
Developments Expected d To-Day.
Yesterday Charles K. Bryce, who was
fire marshal of the old Volunteer Fire De-
partment, assumed charge as fire chief
under the borough reorganization. He is
capable and prompt man, and the citizens
have confidence in his ability to protect the
town from any accidental confagration or
work of incendiarism. The borough has six
hose companies and two hook and ladder
and the whole force marshals
over 300 men. The pressure on the hydrants
is SO great that engines are not needed, and
q stream can be thrown nearly 80 feet high
or over 200 feet horizontally.
It is expected that there will be an i'm,
portant development to-day, but the lead
ers last night would not give hint as to its
nature.
Homesteaders were much relieved when
they learned that the two barges being
loaded with provisions at Pittsburg were
not intended for Homestead, but for the
Beaver Dam.
CAN'T BUILD MEN-OF-WAR.