St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-21
THE GREAT COAL STRIKE.
7W0 HUNDRED THOUSAND MINERS co
OUT 7O0AE.
a COAL FAMINE is FEARED.

Strike Confined to the Bituminous
Coal Region of the United
states-Three Thousand Mines
to- Bc Abandoned Operators
Expect That Higher Wages
Will Result From the Trouble.
PITTsBURG, Pa, April 2o.-Tomor-
row at noon the great coal strike
which has been pending for several
months will be maugurated. Opinions
differ as to the number of men who will
be engaged III ii. President Mcbride.
of the United Mine Workers associa-
ton. estimates that 2O0, 1000 men will be
engaged. Secretary Treasurer Patrick
McBryde is quoted as stating the mum.
Der to be engaged at 100000. The tele-
graphic reports indicate that the num-
Der will he between these extremes. The
strike will he confined to the bitumi-
nous coal region of the United States.
In this there are twelve districts organ
lied, four being in Penn sylvania. The
other districts are Washington. Wyo-
ming, Colorado, Indian territory, Mis-
souri,, Kansas, Alabama, Tennessee,
Kentucky, Virginia. West Virginia.
Maryland. Ohio. Indiana and Illinois.
A Massillon operator says that over
5000 coal mines in the United States
will be abandoned. OF these 500 are 10.
Gated in Ohio. In the Pittsburg dis
trict alone there are about 120 mines,
and
FULLY THIRTY MORE
in the Clearfield or mountain district.
These two districts have about $4,000
miners. In Ohio there are about 10000
miners; in Indiana, $4,000; Illinois. TO-
GOO; Alabama, 10000. who have already
quit work; III Missouri, 5000: in Ten
nessee about 1000. In West Virginia
10000 diggers are engaged. but it is not
believed that many will quit work. In
Washington all are ready to stop.
That the operators in this and Ohio
districts believe that the strike will
assume great proportions has been
shown by the starting during the past
week of mines that have long been idle,
the feverish hurry to get out coal, even
coke cars being used for the purpose,
and the putting of as many men to
work as can be secured. Thew have
not been formally notified of the strike,
but are aware that it is coming. They
have not decided what action 10 take in
the matter. Manufacturers and foundry
owners are greatly alarmed and do not
credit assurances from operators that
the strike will be of short duration, and,
therefore, they are securing all the coal
they can. 1t is conceded that strike
OF two weeks will
CAUSE A SHORTAGE
which may result in the closing down
of their works. Local consumers also
apprehend an advance in the price of
coal as result of the strike, and are
laying in supplies now, SO that the coal
dealers have all the orders they can
attend to. Altogether, no impending
strike for years has caused such general
interest and anxiety as this one. While
the anthracite diggers will not he called
out at present, 1t Is announced that in
case hard coal Is used TO raise steam
where bituminous coal is now employ ed.
the region will be rendered imperative
by a strike. There are about 10000
miners employed by the four companies
which control the anthracite region.
''Will the strike be success" 70 those
on the inside of the organization sue
cessful strike is not the object of sus-
pension. but it will have the desired
effect: that Is, a conference of operators
all over the country which will result in
higher wages TO the miners and more
money to the operators. The operators
in Ohio, Illinois and most parts of
Pennsylvania really favor the suspen-
sion movement. They want a higher
schedule Of prices. but all must con-
form.