The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-04-21

PITTsDuRGH, Pa, April oo.-To-mor.
row as noon the great coal strike which
has been pending for several montha
will bo inauGurated. Opinions differ aa
to the number OF men who will be en-.
gagged in 1t. President John Mcbride,
OF the United Mine Workers Union,
estimates that 100000 mon will bo en-,
gagged. Secretary Treasurer Patrick Nc.
Bryde is quoted as placing tho number
to be engaged at 100000. The telo.
graphic reports indicate that the mum.
Der will be between these two extremes.
The strike will be confined to tho bi.
luminous coal region Of the United
States. In this there arc twentY.three
districts organized, four boing in Penn.
sylvania. The other districts are Wash.
ington, Wyoming. Colorado, Indian
Territory, Missouri, Kansas, Alabama,
Tennessee. Kentucky, Virginia, West
Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana and
Illinois A Massillon operator says
that 5000 coal mines in the United
States will be abandoned. or these 800
arc located in Ohio. In the Pittsburgh
district alone there arc about l20 mines,
and fully 30 moro in the Clcarfeld or
Mountain district. These two districts
havo about $1,000 minerS. In Ohio
there are about $4,000 miners; in Indi.
ana, 1900; in Illinois, ll,0O0; in Ala.
bama, 10000, who have already quit
work; in Missouri, 5000; in Tennessee,
about 1000. In West Virginia about
10000 diggers are engaged, but it is not
believed that many will quit work. In
Washington all are ready to stop.
Manufac,urersan and foundry owners are
greatly alarmed. and do not credit as.
surauces from operators that tho strike
will be OF short duration, and therefore
they are securing nil the coal they can.
1t Is conceded that tho strike Of two
weeks will cause shortage which may
result in the closing down OF their works.
Tho situation, as given out from the
headquarters OF the Union Mine Work.
ers, is shown in tho following special
dispatch from Columbus:
Reports received at the headquarters
OF the United Mine Workers of Amer
ica indicate that tho strike to-day will
bo general. In fact, the otlicers are OK.
tremeiy gratitied with the prospect OF
the greatest strike ever inaugurated in
this country. In addition TO all the
members OF the organization there will
be several thousand detached miners
in Pennsylvania, who will quit work
when the sun crosses the meridian.
Most OF them will be found in the
Smithson, White Set, Eureka, Port
Royal and Montgomery, West Virginia,
districts.
Will the strike bo success? To
those on the inside OF tho organization
successful strike is not the object oi
the suspension; but it will have the do.
sired eiect-that is conference oil op.
orators all over the country, which will
result in higher wages to the miners,
and more money to the operators. Tho
operators in Ohio. Illinois, and most
parts OF Pennsylvania, really favor the
suspension movement They want a
higher schedule Of prices, but all must
conform.
W bio tuc uiisNIhClto NlpbCT5 VIII not
be called out at present, 1t is announced
that in case hard coal is used to raise
steam where bituminous fuel is now
employed, that region will be rendered
imperative by a strike. There are
about 10000 miners employed by tho
four companies which control the an.
thracite region. h
The strike will not affect West Wiz
ginia greatly. Except in the Wheeling
district and in the kunawha Valley
there is little organization among the
miners. In the Fairmont and West
Virginia Central regions the miners are
not likely to so out in body, and those
mines may profit by tho strike else.
where, which will increase the demand
for their coal. In the Wheeling dis
trct, as has already been published,
the men will go out.
Tonight the superintendent of the
Chicago Gas Coal Company TO offset n
statement that miners OF that company
were only able to earn serenty.five cents
day, exhibits the cumpany's pay rolls
for tho past several months, which
shows that the men working twenty-five
days per month have none oil them
averaged less than 81 IS, and some ol
them 81 II por day.
Mlno Trouble Expected.