The record-union., 1897-07-08
Almost a Total Suspension Of
Work in the Pittsburg District.
Organized, Unorganized and Imported
Unite for One Purpose.
Only Fifty Men Said to Be at
Work in the Monogahela
Valley, While Seven Thousand
Are Id1e-Such a Complete Sus-
pension Has Not Been Witness
ed in Years.

PITTSBURG, July 7.-Reports re-
ceived from the River mines in the
Pittsburg district indicate that there
is almost a total suspension of work in
the pits to-day.
A dispatch from Monongahela City
says: The bitter feeling between the
river and railroad miners that has al
ways interfered when strike was in
augurated heretofore and prevented
good results, has been lost sight of, and
organized, unordganiZed and imported
miners have joined in one faith and for
one purpose. To-day there are about
fifty men at work and 1000 idle in the
Monongahela Valley"
There are a few men at work in the
Chamoni mine, operated by the Tide
Coal Company, and they are working
out a contract which expires this
month. Yesterday few miners were
working at the Ivin, Apollo, Acme, Fos-
ter and Clark mines, but nothing is
being done at these pits to-day. Such
a complete suspension of mining has
not been witnessed in the Monongahela
Valley for years.
Representatives of several Central
Pennsylvania and West Virginia coal
companies are in the city. Coal opera
tors, whose offices they have visited,
said there would be no trouble in filling
orders held by the Pittsburg dealers,
even should the suspension here be-
come thoroughly general. 1t was said
the Central Pennsylvania and West
Virginia coal operators here We're try
ing to relieve the Pittsburg operators of
contracts. The West Virginia repre-
sentatives claimed their State would be
able to supply the whole market during
the strike, but could not attempt to
ship to the lakes.
According to the miners officials, the
suspension of railroad mines is almost
as complete as along the rivers. The
large mines except those of the New
York and Cleveland Gas Coal Com
pany are idle to-day.
The works forced to close down by
the refusal of the diggers to work are
the Panhandle mines of NJ. A. Hanna
& Co., Beading Brothers, Robbins
Company and the Pittsburg and Chi
cago G.. B. Coal Company
According to President Dolan's figures
not more than 5000 men are at work
in the district to-day Most of these
are employed in the mines of the New
York and Cleveland Coal Company, and
he will have them out in two or three
days. He claims a large number of
men quit work there yesterday and to-
day. This morning he sent word to
various members of the District Exec
uuve Committee, and extraordinary eff
forts Will be made to induce the men
still working to come out
Il think" said Dolan, that before the
week is over, you Will find that there
is little Pittsburg coal going out
The operators assert that more men
are working than have laid down their
picks. 1t is positively asserted that not
WithStanding President Mehan's state
ments that the men are out at the
mines of the Pittsburg and Chicago
company tWenty-eight cars, or 675
tons, We're loaded at the mines yester-
day and twenty-five cars to-day If
this is true, the company must have
nearly a full complement of men, as
one miner is supposed to dig about four
tons of coal per day.
Dolan's statement that the Reading
mines We're Idle was also pronounced
untrue by the officials of that company.
The mines, they said, are running as
usual. A list of thirty-fve mines was
given by the operators, which they said
We're being operated as usual.
FAVORABLE TO THE STRIKERS.
PITTSBURG, July = Forty-eight
hours after the Inauguration of the
great coal miners strike a comparison
of statements from both sides engaged
IN tI,O
for the diggeTs. Discouning the min
ers' official announcements by the oper-
ators' opinions, there seems no question
that the workmen have scored a decided
advantage in it's district, and it is be-
Heved as the Pittsburg district goes. so
goes the country.
Conservative estimates place the
number of miners now striking in this
district from 10000 to $4,000 men. an
increase of about 5000 over Yesterdays
record. This leaves but from 1900 to
5000 men still working.
The key to the entire situation from
present appearances lies in the success
or defeat of the strikers in securing the
cooperation of the men now working
for the New York and Cleveland Gas
Coal Company. Without these men the
strike can hardly succeed, because they
will be able, in a measure, to supply the
demand long enough to tide over the
present embarrassment.
Notwithstanding the claim of the op-
orators, the concenSuS OF. opinion seems
to be in favor of the miners. At the
miners headquarters to-day President
Dolan declared that the news received
that the men working under contract at
the Panhandle mine of Mark Hanna e.
Co. had quit work, and also that Rob-
bins mines We're idle, and that no coal
was loaded at the mines of the Pitts
burg and Chicago Coal Gas Company at
Snowden and Gastonville.
STORM CENTER OF STRIKE.
WHEELING CIV. Va), July THE
storm center of the big coal strike bids
fair to be located in the vicinity of
Wheeling. Already the operators in the
Fairmount. W. Va, district are prepar-
ing to send great quantities of coal into
Ohio and to the lakes.
The feeling is now becoming general
that the coal from the West Virginia
mines passing through will provoke vio-
1ence on the part of the idle union men
and their friends in Eastern Ohio. This