New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-08
THE COAL STRIKE SPREADS.
MORE MEN GO OUT IN THE PITTsBuRG
DISTRICT


OPERATORS EXPRESS UNsHAKEN conf
pENcE IN THEIR ABILITY TO WIN
Pittsburg July Forty eight hours after the
Inauguration Of the great coal miners strike a
comparison of statements from both sides en-
gagged In the contest shows favorable results lot
the dggers. Dscounting the miners Official
announcements there seems no question that
the workmen have secured decided advantage
In this district and It Is believed that as the
Pttsburg district goes goes the country.
Conservative estimates place the number or
miners now striking In this district from 16,O0o
to 1900 men, an increase Of about o.OOO over
yesterdays record. This leaves only from 3,OOO
to 5000 men still working.
The key to the entire situation from present
appearances lies In the success or defeat or 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 VIII DE
able in a measure to supply the demand long
enough to tide over the present embarrassment.
Patrick Dolan. president Of the Pittsburg Dis
trict Miners, is confident that before the present
week closes he will have succeeded in getting all
OF these men to join the ranks OF the strikers
and when this result Is effected. he says. the
battle will be practically won.
The operators are just as confident Of success
as the miners are, and tonight issued state
ment claiming a large accession Of men in diff
ferent parts of the district and a heavier ship
ping list than usual. One thing slightly in favor
Of the opera tors Is the freeing OF navigation on
the Monongahea River. which went into effect
to-day Ten million bushels Of COAL which have
been stocked in the pools above here awaiting
~ rn,, oht m 10 hor
be available for the present demand
Notwithstanding the advantages claimed for
the operators. the consensus Of opinion appears
TO be In favor Of the miners. inasmuch as the
operators can hope only for temporary relief
with their present facilities and the miners
officials seem to he i'm a fair way effectually to
cripple even these by constantly adding to their
number from the ranks Of those remaining at
work. ,
When the miners headquarters were visited
this evening the officials were In high gee over
the result accomplished to-day. From all re-
ports | have received" said President Dolan'
there no more than three thousand miners
et work in the Pittsburg district to-day FROM
trustworthy lieutenants in the field reports re-
ceived say that more than - per cent or the
aggregate number Of the men in the district
have Joined I'm the movement for higher wages.
Among the news received by the men were re-
Iorts that the men working under contract at
the Pan Handle mines Of NJ. "A. Hanna d GO;
had quit work. aid also that Robbins hrst poo!
mines were idle. and no coal was loaded at the
mines Of the Plttsburg Gas Coal Company al
Snowden and Gastonville.
THE strike is a greater success than the one Oh
1894 All the men in the Monongahela valley
on the Pan Handle the main line or the Bai-
timore and Ohio and out along the wheeling
division have quit work The total number VIII
approximate eighteen thousand II we can
get the men at the New-York and Cleveland
Gas Coal Company out we can settle inns hsht
within a week, and believe we can do IT,
Leading operators in the district profess 10
take an entirely different view OF the situation.
They admit that the miners have succeeded In
getting more men TO strike than tney eApecteu'
but say they not worrying over the outIook'
and that the strike will not last week None
of them are pressed for coal, and have oners
from operators whose miners have not joined In
the movement to help them out. Ex-senator cam
den of West Virginia has plenty or coal ana Is
nov trying to lease to take 1t TO the mar
ket Pttsburg operators whose mines are ldle
have requests for their individual cars. one
operator sent 100 cars to West virginia yester-
day.
The strike has already benefited the West
Virginia operators. ard II 1t continues for
few weeks they will be enabled to dispose or a
large quantity OF coal at good prices.
This evening the operators in the PittsDurg
district issued the following brief summary OF
the situation from their standpoint:
The Yough S.ope Mine loading coal all day
and calling urgently upon the Baltimore and ONO
Railroad for more cars , . -, 80, .ho
The PG R0y Wa pnnns m The
handle, West Newton ard Beading mines nag aad
more cars The Ptshurg and Chicago loaded
nearly their full output. The Pittsburg and Lake
Erie Raj road moved 2i5 cars which is over % per
cent OF their normal loading.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company,
acting under It's legal right to-day. conf1scated
number of cars Of coal which had been shipped
by Henry Floersheim to the United. States en-
gineer for Davis Island and Herr's Island dams.
The coal Is badly needed by the Government
and also by the railroad company. The United
States engineer offered TO compromise with the
Baltimore and Ohio IL it would release half OF the
coal II the offer is not accepted the question
will be submitted to the United States District
Attorney TO determine where the coal shall go.