The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-07-13
Labor Riot In Pennsylvania.


in this country since the railroad riots o.
1877 took place on Wednesday Of last week
at Homestead, Penn, a town eight miles
east of Plttsburg, where the extensive iron
and steel works of Andrew Carnegie are
located. The forces embraced on the one
side all the men employed by the Carnegie
company. On the other side were 300 Pink
erton detectives whom the company had
brought to Homestead on barges to protect
its property, and who were not permitted by
the rioters to land The number Of work
men killed is believed to have been ten,
while eleven were seriously injured, some
fatally. Twenty-Five others were slightly
injured. Four Pnkerton men are known
to have been killed, and nearly all were
more or less injured, either by bullets before
the surrender took place, or by sticks,
stones, etc, while they were being taken to |
guard house after the surrender
The riot was the elimination OF the .
troubles which have been brewing at
Homestead for the past month 1t is stated
on good authority that the following de-
mands were made of the workmen by the
company: FirSt-A reduction in the mini |
mum of the scale from S25 to S23 for AKA
Bessemer billets. SecoBd-A change in the
date of the expiration of the scale from
June 30 to December 81. 1Hird-A reduc-
ton in tonnage rates at those furnaces and
mills where important Improvements have
been made and new machinery has been
added that has greatly increased their out
put and consequently the earnings of the
workmen. Where no such improvements
or additions have been made no reduction in
tonnage rates is asked" 1t should be
added that the situation, from the stand
point of the workmen, also involves the
recognition of the Amalgamated Associa-
ton of Steel and Iron Workers by the COM
pany. The scale of wages in effect prior to
July was entered into in 1899, under an
agreement between the employers and the
Almagated Association of Steel and Iron
Workers, which is powerful trades union.
Some time ago the company gave notice
that it could not renew the old scale, and
then it sent out its programme, or ultima
tum, as IL came to be called. The company,
in short, proposed to reduce wages. 1t was
officially announced that unless the terms
were complied with before July / the
places of the men would be filled by others.
This was followed by peremptory refusal
on the part of the company to recognize the
Amalgamated Association of Steel and Iron
| Workers as such, or to confer with any
| committee of the workmen short of an ac-
ceptance OF the terms offered. The men
stated that they would never submit to the
| proposed reduction and announced their
determination to resist any effort on the
! part of the Carnegie company to start up its
| plants with non-union men. As both sides
were determined, both proceeded to pre-
! pare for the contest which eliminated in
violence and bloodshed on last week We'd
nesday. The contest was precipitated by
the workmen at Homestead by hanging II.
| &. Frick, president of the COMPANY, in
effigy. In retaliation the company ordered
an Immediate shutdown of the big works
| two days before the time provided by the
contract under which the men were work.
ing The employees, about 1000 in number,
at once proceeded to organize for the de-
fensive.
The company had already erected a high
board fence around the entire works, giving
them the appearance of an immense stock
ade, the sides being pierced with portfolios.
Above the fence were stretched three
strands of barbed wire, which could be
charged with electricity. Inside the fence
were other means of defence, and complete
| arrangements were made for boarding there
the new workmen who were expected to
take the places of those locked out
The men ON their side effected complete
military organization, under competent Of
fcers, and week ago Sunday signal sta
ton was built on the roof of their head
quarters so high that it commands full
view of Fort Prick, as the Carnegie works
are called, and the surrounding country.
A man with a feld-glass can here gaze
over the ramparts of the enemy and leisurely
contemplate the goings-on within the enc
my's fortress.
The Carnegie company announced their
intention to get ready to make repairs, and
the officers asked the sheriff to appoint dep
uties to protect their property. The sheriff
sent small squad of men up to the works
on Tuesday, but the strikers assembled in
force and warned them to get out of town,
as no disorder was intended and no damage
would be done to any property. Finally,
the sheriff's squad was escorted by the men
on board boat which took them back to
Pittsburg After this repulse of the sheriff s
men, the company decided to throw lot of
Pinkerton men into Homestead, and before
daylight on Wednesday morning two barge
loads of these men, armed with Winchester
rifles, started up the river from Pittsburg
The news of the appearance of the detested
Pinkertons spread rapidly, and the work
men were on the lookout for them. 1t was
Just four o o'clock when the two barges, lowed
by tug, were discovered coming up the
river. The news of their approach was in
stantly spread by messengers mounted on
horseback, and hundreds of men, women
and children started down the bank of the
river to meet the barges, Some one in.
formed the engineer at the electric light
works, and the harsh-voiced whistle sounded
the general alarm. The people responded
with alacrity. Thousands of men, women
and children lined the river banks. Many
of them were armed with clubs and re.
volvers.
When the PinSertons finally reached theil
landing-place at Homestead they found the
shore black with mob of excited people
estimated in number at about 5000 Men
and women, many only half dressed, had
left their beds to receive the invading force
gan at once Some workmen fell and the
thick line on the shore for a moment wa
, vered Then, with an angry shout, the
crowd bore down with resistless force that
, paid no heed to the crack of the Pinkertons
Winchesters. The shots of the workmen in
!; return told with such effect that the Pink
ertons retreated to the protection of theil
boats, taking with them their dead anC
wounded Their captain was seriously dis
} abled
The workmen thus won the battle before
, daylight in the first engagement. Tn,
fighting was renewed at seven o'clock by
the second attempt of the Pinkertons tC
t land. In this struggle a workman wa
3 killed and several more We're wounded, bu
; the people ashore fought with such despera
t ton that the Pinkertons could gain no foot
r hold ashore. A perfect shower of bullets
t was rained upon the men in the boat,
g whenever they showed themselves. Once
: Pinkerton showed his head above the rail
l ing that protected him and back he fell
: dead The forenoon was not half spen
g when the workmen had built along tn,
t shore a breastwork of steel bars.
r AT about nine O'Clock the firing upen the