Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-11-20
FREIGHT is TIED UP
On the Lshigh Valley Railroad by
the Strikers.
OFFICIALS FEELING THEIR WAY.
They Are Somewhat at a Loss as
to the Extent Of the Strike.
They Hope Soon to Overcome
the Yard Blockade = Labor
News in General.

senger trains arrive and depart Oh Tue
Lehigh Valley to-day IS usual, but
freight is tied up by the strikers. The
officials are feeling their way carefully
not knowing exactly how extensive the
strike may prove. Here, at the west
ern terminus OF the Northern division,
the work of reorganization OF freight
crews is proceeding, but probably no
freight will move before tomorrow.
Fortunately no perishable stuif Is
stalled on the road.
with the experience derived from the
struggle in August of last year, the su-
perintendent and his aides hope to
overcome the yard blockade in few
days
At 3 o'clock this afternoon gang OF
aborers were engaged in bringing
down from a store room in the upper
floors Of the Lebigh Valley station sew
eral wagon loads of cots and cooking
utensils which were used in last years
strike. They were being taken to The
East Buffalo car shops TO improvlse
lodging house for recruits to the freight
crews.
The Lehigh is ready to hire men to
take the places of the strikers. How
many men are needed cannot be told
exactly. Here in Buffalo there are
about 600 employees OF the Lehigh and
perhaps one-third OF that number are
out. Most f.these are trainmen. At
Sayre, the officials of the road
admit that fully half of their
men are out. They include brakemen
and iremen principally, and few en-
gineers and conductors. In this city
the freight conductors have not refused
to take out trains because they have
not been asked, aud there will be no
chance TO know how many of them will
Join the strike until they are supplied
with full crews and ordered to move
trains No passenger men so far have
refused to work.
The strike on the northern division
is purely sympathetic. The trouble
originated at the other end Of the line
1t is there that acts of violence may,
most likely be expected, il anywhere.
But it may be that the Buffalo men,
only, in the strike will be the most de-
termined Conservative railroad men
are often the most stubborn when they
take stand.
The grievances of the Lehigh men
are Of long standing. Numerous efforts
have been made to secure settlement
by arbitration, but the officials of the
company have indifferently treated all
overtures made in behalf Of the en-
ployes by the officers of the Railway
Federation. The trouble extends back
to the fall of 1892. The men say that
General Manager Voorhees, then agreed
10 certain propositions, but they assert
that he never kept the terms OF the
agreement
A trip through the Lehigh yards at
East Buffalo revealed nothing of riot
Gus character A few trains had been
made up, but none were sent out. AT
the passenger station il was reported
that the train due here at 1915 is about
two hours late. All passenger trains
are running slow.
The head of the managers OF the
strike is at Sayre, Pa, an excellent
strategic point. II was learned tonight
that the engineers aud operators will
be ordered out first and that the strike
is now only in its incipiency. The five
organizations comprising all the men on
the road except the switchmen who are
not federated, will stick together. II
the ordering out of the two classes OF
employees named is not sufficient to tie
up the road others will be called out.
It is predicted that by tomorrow not
wheel will be turned on the Lehigh.