The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-13
COAL FAMINE IMMINENT
Strengthening Of the Strikers Lines
Along the Rivers.
THE EFFORTS FOR ARBITRATION.
AL States Directly Interested In tho
Strike, With tho Exception of Ken
lucky and Tennessee, WIN Bo Repre-
scented In tho Conference,

Strike, With tho Exception of Ken
lucky and Tennessee, WIN Bo Repre-
sented In tho Conference.
PittsburG. July 13. - Beyond the
strengthening Of the miners lines along
the rivers, there was little change in
the strike situation Yesterday. The
lronclad contracts which were in force
ht several mines In the Monongahela
valley were swept out of existence and
the strike was made general in the
fourth pool. The Chamouni Apollo,
Jack Jones and O'Neill's Fayette City
mines. which had been running with
light force of men and under iropcads,
are idle. The men at the ChamouEi
mine were the last to lay down their
tools. The miners along the river are
rejoicing over this victory. The only
mine reported in operation in the re-
gion is the Quitable, at Webster. 1t Is
, stock company. comprising about 75
stockholders, and they are mining their
own coal.
The Byth Coal company has offered
The GO cent rate TO their men at the
Red Bird mine. but the officials will
not allow them to go work at present.
"A mass meeting was held at Fayette
Ctty yesterday afternoon, and plans
made to look after the strikers In this
and see that no mines resume. The
men In the Stickel Hollow mines of the
Washington Coal company also came
out yesterday, making the suspension
complete in this district except at the
hn Not nrN, i
Gas Coal company, where about 1,2O0
men are working. No effort has yet
been made to get these digEers out,
and the miners at other places who
have laid down their tools are grumb.
ling at the slowness of De Armitt's men
In Joining the movement. The hotheads
hre advising drastic measures They
have been kent in check so far, but
There is no telling when the fever will,
break out and Il concerted move on
Sandy and Plum Creek made.
q The greatest interest Is now mani
Tested In the scheme to arhitrate the
strike question. Labor commissioners
and official arbitrators of the several
states affected ,are mobolizing the city.
rhe state of Ohio is the only one which
has regulafly appointed board of ar
pitratloH. 1t exists for just such en-
ergsncies as this. and Is naturally emf
-Fently well prepared for the work.
Most of the others interested are labor
commissioners and industrial statisti-
clans, who are also well able to act in
the capacity of arbitrators The Ohio
board is composed of s. N. Owen
lchairman) Of Columbus, who was for
merly chief justice of the supreme
court of OHIO. ex-Attorney General
John Little of Xenia, and Joseph
BiBhop Of Columbus, formerly presi-
dent of the AmaIgamated association.
The Indiana labor commissioners here
are L. p Mccormack. ex-president of
the state Typographical union, and Il.
r. Schmid of indianapolis, James NJ.
Clark, Industrial statistician OF Penn
syvania. arrived from Harrisburg yes
terday The same officials of the state
of West Virginia are expected to get
nbere today. The Illinois commissioners
labor ]. d. Keefe, J. B. Gill and II.
ON, are on their way to Pittsburg,
and will meet the other commissioners
in this city tomorrow. Thus all the
states, with the exception Of Kentucky
and Tennessee, where the strike is on.
will be represented in the conferences
which, are to be held here during the
next few days.
Invitations have been sent to the
coal operators of the Ptsburg district
r to meet the arbitrators informally and
talk over the matter of settling the
strike. James Young, representing the
N. A. Hanna mining interests, came
On from Cleveland yesterday and was
In consultation with the peacemakcrs.
One or two OF the smaller operators
dropped in to look over the situation,
but no important conference has yet
been held 1t Is expected by the arbi-
TRAITORS that a representative number
Of the local operators will be gotten
together within the next "a hours.
However, persons who are well ac-
qualnted with the warning factions
that exist among the coal operators
here say they will be hard to get to-
gether in this move, although the OK
treme gravity Of the outlook may have
the desired effect.
Those in touch with the situation say
that tho attempt ut conciation will
Simply reopen the old discussion Of
President De Armitt's position on the
necessity Of a price differental to COM
pete with the company stores. An opcr-
ator who did not wish his name to be
nsed said: Personally I think this plan
of cancellation will fail President De
Armitt Will hardly be prevailed upon
at this time to abandon the position
he has held for years. TO. effect a set
Element II will be necessary for Mr..
DE Armitt to come into conference with
us and pledge himself to pay the same
price that we are paying for the bal
ance OF the lake season, or longer. do
not think he will agree to this. How
ever If MIR. De Arnlitt agrees to give
up the fight, think settlement could
be reached very speedily"
Peace emissarics called at President
DE Arnnitt's Office yesterday and it Is
said he told them that it would be at
least day or two before he could give
them definite answer as to the course
OF action he proposed to fellow. If the
operators can be brought into line on
the conference idea, there will be no
obstacles lnterposed by the miners.
g. There is a strong indication Of Il coal
Famine confronting the country within
The next ten days. II is claimed by
conservative operators that the mar
ketable supply at present, which Is
placed at 100000 bushels, would be
only able to meet the demands of the
market for about a month under ordl-
nary conditions. With the scarcity Of
ooai already prevailing at the lake
ports. 1t Is claimed the supply Will not
last over two weeks at the longest. In
anticipation OF such a condition of
affairs, the coal operators are not very
anxious to Ali orders, and are holding
out for the advance in price that Is
expected to result. The only source Of
supply Is from the river mines, as the
railroads are confscating for their own
nse all the coal ready for shipment