The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-06
OAKLAND UNDER SIEGE.
Striking Railroaders Masters of the
Situation.

Situation.
San Francisco, July 5.-The striking
railroad men have placed Oakland un-
der siege.
They are absolute. masters of the
They have stopped the trains on
both lines and connection by rail with
all the cities across the bay has been
cut off
They have seized the railroad yards
at West Oakland.
They are in possession Of the towers
on the mole and control the switch
Their blockade is complete and not
a wheel is moving in or out OF Alamo
da county.
The strikers accomplished their work
within an hour and a half, and not a
hand was raised against them by the
authorities.
Several companies Of the national
guard are under arms and ready to
march at a moments notice, and were
telegraphed for, and three companies
of the Fifth regiment arrived last
night The city is in a state of great
excitement. When the railroad Off
Gals knew that they could not run
their trains they stopped all the boats
on the creek route and thus completed
the blockade. During the night the
broad gauge pier was guarded by a
force of deputy sheriffs.
Most Sensational.
The day was the most sensational in
its event of any in the great strike.
The trouble began in the morning at
10 o'clock when the strikers moved up
on the yards and roundhouse at West
Oakland. Both were captured, neither
officers or the officials of the company
making any resistance. The Alameda,
Berkeley and Oakland trains were then
seized and stalled.
The towers on the mole were cap
tured and held and the switch was so
arranged as to b. useless without re-
pair Bands of strikers went on the
! run to the narrow gauge line and at
Fourth and Webster, signaled and
seized the train, running one of the
coaches down the road until it rested
across the track of the Alameda broad
gauge. AS the Alameda narrow gauge
had not been running for several days,
the blockade of the entire system was
complete.
During the afternoon the strikers
made another raid on the roundhouse
and finished small part of their work
left undone this morning. They are de-
termined new to maintain the block
ade, as they have established 1t.
Relying on the Troops.
The railroad company is relying sole
ly upon the assistance of the stateETi-
litia and of the United States troops, if
it is possible to obtain it.
Late last night the naval battalion
was ordered under arms, to be ready
to march at a moments notice. This
branch of the military service, while
auxiliary to the United States navy, is
part of the national guard. The ba-
tallion reported to the headquarters
and the three companies remained in
the armories during the night. They
have rapid fire guns and plenty Of am
munition.
The troops at the Preside were
placed under marching orders last
Monday. There are now stationed at
the Preside four heavy and two light
batteries Of artillery and three troops
of cavalry. At least 5000 men could be
placed in the field from this place at
an hours notice.
School For Scabs.
People were at loss to understand
why the American Railway union
wanted to paralyze the ferry system.
| It's leaders had arrived at the conclu-
I sion that the Oakland Ferry system
was a school for scabs,'' and they de-
cided to close it without delay. When
! they saw that men who never before
! had Shoveled coal into a furnace be-
came proficient enough to go out on
the road after few days run on the
| Oakland ferry, they were quick to see
! the purpose of the railroad officials,
and the record of the days events will
tell how completely they frustrated the
accomplishment of that purpose.
There is, then, no question that the
paralyzation of the railroad system was
only one phase in carefully planned
campaign.
Injunction Defed.
T. ]. Roberts, president of the Oak
land division of the American Railway
union, has been served with the injunc-
ton issued by Judge McKenna. He de-
clares that he will pay no attention to
it. He has interfered with no trains
except to remove the firemen and en-
gineers, and does not see how he is
violating the injunction. The great
railroad building at Fourth and Town
send streets is now practically closed
The employees, with the exception OF
one or two in each department. have
been suspended until the strike is over.
The declaration by the president OF