The herald., 1897-07-14
May Find Their Occupation
Gone
MACHINES WILL NEVER STRIKE
AND OPERATORS PROPOSE A
NEW SYSTEM
Things Quiet With the Calm That
Goes Before a Storm-An
Ugly Uudercurrent
Associated Press Special Wire.

PITTSBURG, Pa, July 13.-Through-
out the day everything in the district
had a peaceful look. Tonight, however,
it develops THAT a number of operators
have been quietly planning a. coup which
is expected to bring dismay to the min
ers. 1t is the intention to at once equip
the mines with machines and do away
with a great many diggers.
When the mines are ready to start
miners will be imported and put to work
under heavy guard and the premises
barricaded after the manner pursued by
the Carnegies during the strike of 1882.
1t was reported at the miners head
quarters here tonight that 1000 miners
in the Washington Run district were
getting ready to march on the Stick Hol-
low mine and bring out the 400 men at
work there. The attempt is to be made
ON Friday.
There is a lull in the miners strike in
| this district, due to the fact that nearly
every mine in the district Is idle. To
keep up the enthusiasm and prevent the
strikers from becoming lukewarm in the
cause, however, the officials have ar
| ent sections every day.
This morning a large meeting was held
at Snowden, on the Wheeling division,
and the men were unanimous to stand
firm for the So cent rate. The miners of
this division fear that the company will
soon begin evictions from their houses
and intimate that if this is attempted
there will be trouble. News reached the
| ~ a
the diggers in the Cannell, Warner and
Morgan mines in Beaver county had
thrown down their picks and Joined the
general strike. The three pits employ
about 800 men. The strike hal also
spread to Mercer county. Five mines
are idle in that region today.
| National President Ratchford OF the
United Mine Workers is expected in
Pittsburg tonight or tomorrow to meet
the arbitration commissioners.
There is a bare possibility that the
joint arbitration conference may yet
lead to the termination of the miners
strike on the basis of the true uniform
ity agreement" proposed by President
DE lArmill of the New York and Cleve-
land Gas Coal company, but which failed
for the reason that the necessary 80 pei
cent of the operators in this district
could not be secured. Two sessions of the
arbitration board We're held today, rep
resentatives from the states of Pennsyl-
vania, Ohio, West Virginia and Illinois
being present. At the afternoon session
President De ,Armitt appeared before the
board and told of the condition which
exists from his point of view.
Mr. De Armitt points to the fact that
his men were working today when al
most every other mine in the district
was idle. He said that he fully intended
to pay his men the district price when
ever the operators will meet his terms.
If true uniformity was secured here,
however, it would so involve the inter-
| estS of other bituminouS states, he said,
that ultimately there would have to be
a chain of uniformity agreements in all
the states that would cost much money
and require considerable time to accom-
plish. He promised the board all assist
ance in his power in securing a settle
ment upon the basis proposed, but said
under no consideration would he treat
with the United Mine Workers.
| President Dolan and Secretary Warner
Of the Mine Workers association were
before the committee this evening and
recited their grievances. They disputed
much that Mr.. De Armitt had said and
questioned his sincerity at this time.
THE FIRST DEATH
DANVILLE, ILL.,, July 13. - Strife
among the miners commenced in this
district tonight. About 400 or 500 hun
dred Belgian miners gathered at the
Pawnee mine and when cage full of
colored miners who had been at work
reached the top of the shaft they were
assaulted with different kinds of weap-
ons, some using knives and others slaves.
One of the colored miners secured a re-
volver and defended his life. Shots We're
fired, wounding several strikers. This
infuriated the striking miners and they
retaliated by an exchange of shots, at
the same time retreating to the woods.
1t is reported that one miner was killed.
DEALERS VIEWS
NEW YORK, July 13.-The Tribune
says: The coHcenSuS of opinion among
a number of prominent coal dealers in
this city and its vicinity is to the effect
that there is no danger Of a coal famine.
The yards and docks are well supplied
with coal and the present stock is suffi-
cient to last for long time. The strike
| is a present confined to the bitumiDous
coal regions and the use of soft coal is
| comparatively limited in this city.
| Should the strike spread among the an
| thracite coal miners there would un-
doubtedly be good cause for alarm. One
thing in favor of the ordinary consumer
is that little coal is required at this sea-
son of the year. OF course, the railroad
companies, factories ard other large
consumers are in a far different position.
They use large quantities of coal at all
seasons of the year. In this city, how
ever they are prevented from using
bituminous coal by law, and conse-
ouently the strike as yet has not put
them to any inconvenience, as it has i'll
Chicago and other Western cities. Com
paratively little bituminous coal is used
in Brooklyn. A few large factories there
use it, as do the trolley cars at their
I'power houses. A movement has been
started to compel the lattert to give up its
use.
The great railroad lines that reach the
city are well stocked with coal at pres
ent. The majority of them can burn an
thracite Coal in their passenger engines.
The bituminous COAL however, is used
exclusively on freight locomotives.
Superintendent Brooks of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad, said the road had a stock
Of coal on hand sufficient to last it 4
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