The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-14
ON THE VERGE OF A VOLCANO.
AN OUTBREAK BY MINERS MAY
OCCUR ANY MOMENT.

| Has His Force We'll in Hand and
Believes He Can Master the Situa-
tiOn.
Hazleton, Pa, Sept. 13.-Hazleton quiv-
ers tonight on the edge of volcano. I'm
certainty is the keynote of the situation,
and the town is sleeplessly awaiting the
dawn of day fraught with unknown and
fearful possibilities.
At this writing troops are marching on
the mines of Coke Brothers, at Eckley,
which nestles in a valley, about eighteen
miles from here. kilograms to brigade
| headquarters late this afternoon indicated
an alarming condition there. The remote
ness of the situation will make difficult
| the securing of definite news from the
scene before morning. The first knowl-
edge of disturbance at the Coke collieries
reached brigade headquarters this morn
| ing, when Gen. Goblin received a dispatch
that two hundred miners at Buck noun
tain, three miles from Eckley, had gone
on a strike, and began to march on the
| Eckley mine A request was made for a
detachment of the military TO avert pos
sible conflict, but before the soldiers could
| be started off to the scene, the authorities
were reassured by the receipt of a second
telegram to the effect that the march had
been stopped and no further trouble was
feared.
Late this afternoon a third dispatch
| changed the situation for the worse. It
said that the march had been resumed and
carried to the Eckley mines; and that the
men there had been forced to quit work,
after rough handling by the marching
| men.
The City Troop of Philadelphia, the
crack cavalrymen, were instantly ordered
to proceed to Eckley. To reach the spot
they will have to ride over eighteen miles
of rough mountain roads. The news has
created CONSERVATION throughout the dis
trict and all the collieries are preparing
for trouble.
Gen. Goblin has been deluged with re-
| quests for troops, but declares that he
will send none to any point unless an out
break really occurs. This is a measure of
| precaution TO Keep the soldiers mobilized.
The mine superintendents are much
worried. They accept the lesson offered
|
home the other night, and two have ask
ed the brigade commander toNplace guards
around their houses, which viii be done.
The names of the superintendents are
kept secret.
There is a sensational story afloat con-
cerning a conversation overheard on the
streets of Hazleton to-day, but it should
be accepted with a reservation. The story
goes that a group of miners were stand
ing on a corner when one was heard to re-
mark: "Tve got the material, but 1 do
not know how to mix the id stuff. If I
did I'd bow them up tonight.
It is said that the guards were placed
about the superintendents houses as a re-
suit of this.
To-day had been regarded as the turn
ing point of the situation because Of the
prohibition issued by Gen. Goblin, against
the proposed funeral demonstration. A
compromise was effected this morning,
however, and the day passed off without
disturbance. In the meantime the Coke
collierles were being watched with intense
anxiety It was known that the two
thousand men employed at No. T.,
had made a demand for a ten per cent. in
crease which was to be submitted TO the
operators to-day, with the alternative of
"strike" From five to seven thousand men
are employed at all the collieries and it
was understood that such movement
would bring them all out.
Whether or not the proposition was for
mally submitted to-day could not be learn
ed, because nobody would talk. The men
were all at work but strike talk was rife
and a big meeting at stockton had been
scheduled for tonight. There was gen.
eral impression that nothing decisive
would be resolved upon at least by to-
morrow, which is pay day, with two
weeks money coming to the men. The
Coke mems grievance is that they are on
a lower scale than that paid by any other
company In the region, but the company
store feature does not enter into the case.
Another late afternoon report was that
| the employees of ex-Congressman Leisen-
rings Upper Lehigh colliery will go out
tomorrow on a sympathetic strike. As
| an increase of 10 per cent. was granted on
Saturday to the McAdoo men, they have
expressed their intention to return TO work
tomorrow. although they do not expect
pressure that viii be brought TO bear by
the other strikers. Altogether, an event.
| ful day is in prospect
Gen. Goblin said this afternoon that the
| withdrawal of troops had not been con-
sidered for a moment They will remain
on the ground until the sheriff is con-
vinced that he will be fully able TO cope
| with any emergency that may arise. The
rumors that martial law had been de-
clared, the general said had been spread
by some vicious person. There is martial
| law only so far as a state Of war exists. "
he said. 1--WE are here solely to assist
the sheriff in maintaining peace and or
der. Men can come and go as they please,
so. long as they behave themselves. If
| there is the slightest infractlon of the
! peace which the civic authorities are un-
| able TO handle. then we will render as.
sistance, but such condition has not yet
| arisen
! The first discord between the military
| and the strikers occurred to-day. Follow
| ing Gen. Gobin's order against the pro-
| posed funeral denomination, he arranged
/ for conference this morning with the
/ Polish priests, who are looking after the
| cause Of the men. He impressed them with
| the necessity for preventing any show
OF military character and said he would