Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-18
BROOKLYN TRAVELS ON FOOT
Strikers Interfere Seriously with the Street
Car Service,
RIVAL LINES ARE GATHERING IN A HARVEST
Traction Company omciaIs show No
sign of Rclenting and Declare No
Grievance Exists-Ten-Hour
Law mt stake.

Law Mt stake.
NEW YORK. July 1.-THE strike situa-
tion in Brooklyn tonight remains unchanged.
The striking employees are even more deter
mined than they we're yesterday and the
management of the rapid transit lines is
obdurate and unfinching.
Cars were run on most OF the lines gov
erned by the traction company from early
morning until I o'clock this evening, but
after shutdown there was a considerable
falling off in the service and by . O'Clock
not a car was moving on any of the lines
affected by the striking motornen and con-
ductors. The roads comprising the Nassau
system we're most effectively crippled.
None Of the striking employees returned
to work and most Of them were busy during
the day in Influencing union and nouunion
men on the other lines to quit work. In
this respect the strikers were partially sue
~cessful, but they made no inroads on the
running OF the Putnam avenue cars. This
line is practically intact, not more than half
a dozen OF its employees being affiliated with
the strikers.
The Coney Island Railroad company reaped
a rich harvest on all its lines during the
day. The Franklin avenue, Smith and Jay
street, Hamilton avenue and De kalb ave-
nue. lines were running on full time and
carried a great number Of passengers
throughout the day and night. The Coney
Island company lived up to its agreement
with the employees and consequently its
business was not interfered with in the
slightest. In fact the business of these
roads was considerably augmented, as many
travellers patronized the cars, although in
--G-- LIz.t. ont - ,ba;- n-or
to do so.
Rossitter is Reviled.
President Rossitter, accompanied by Seth
L. keeney, visited the barn on the Flatbush
avenue line near Vernon avenue during the
afternoon. The strikers were there to a man
and when the railroad magnates drove up in
a coupe the strikers adjourned to a nearby
hall and held a meeting, to which they in
vited Mr.. Rossitter and Mr.. Keeney. Speeches
were made on both sides, but toward the
close of the meeting President Rossitter told
the men they could come back to work at
6 o'clock this evening, but he assured the
men thai the company would accede to none
of their demands and expressed himself as
believing the strikers had no grievance to
back up their action. There is no strike
or cause for it." said Mr.. Rossitter.
"You lie, you lie," came from 500 threats
in answer to this assertion and it looked
for a time as If serious trouble would en-
sue. Fortunately wiser heads governed the
more active strikers and NJ damage was
done to either of the representatives of the
company
As soon as President Rossitter got outside
of the meeting room he noticed two cars on
the main line opposite the barns. About
500 persons were in the immediate neigh
borhood hooting and jerring the company's
representatives and President Rossitter de-
cided it would be unsafe to move either OF
the cars.
He ordered the cars to be brought back
into the barns and as the last one was be-
ing switched in Starter Lewis jumped on the
front platform and brandished a revolver in
a threatening manner. Very little notice
was taken of this action and the crowd dis
persed a few minutes after President Rossit-
ter drove away in a private carriage.
Obstruction on the Track.
Early in the afternoon small-sized boulders
and stumps OF trees were thrown upon the
Flatbush avenue tracks in front of the Mid
wood club, but all these distractions were
removed in time TO allow the limited num-
Der OF cars to make their scheduled trips.
Considerable difficulty was experienced on
the Nostrand avenue and cross-town lines.
but no serious mishap occurred. All these
roads were manned by two or more police
men and the presence OF the officers on
board the cars prevented, in a great measure,
any outbreak on the part OF the strikers or
their sympathizers.
Very few cars were run over the Old Mas
sau lines and those which were run were In
charge OF road inspectors, electric light men,
etc, belonging to the road. These were
totally inadequate to supply transportation
for their patrons and those who rode over
the lines had to put up with frequent and
annoying delays.
At 7 o'clock this evening President Ros-
sitter issued instructions to shut down or
all the Traction company's lines and from
that hour until long after midnight not a
car was run, with the exception of a couple
which were placed at the service OF the city
authorities TO transport policemen to the
outlying districts.
Chief of Police Deyery spent the greater
part Of the afternoon in Brooklyn. He al
lowed nearly half of the New York police
men, who had been on duty since early
yesterday, leaves OF absence, and the places
were taken by others who had managed &c
snatch a few hours sleep earlier in the
morning.
No Hope for Strikers.
When asked for his opinion of the strike
and its probable outcome Chief Devery
said:
This strike should never have occurred
The men will surely lose. They are mo-
organized and ! think the whole matter will
be adjusted inside Of twenty-four hours
Police Commissioners Hess and York wer,
at the Municipal building shortly after noor
and were soon Joined by Commissioner Sex
ton, Chief Deyery, Deputy Sheriff Nc
Laughlin and President Rossitter. Com
missioner Hess in speaking TO Presiden
Rossitter was plain spoken in his remark
and reiterated his statement of yesterds!
as 10 the adyisability of considering tn,
strikers claims, but he advanced no prac
teal way OF the company's getting out OF it
present difficulties.
With the exception Of the DeKalb AM
Ninth avenue cars and the Marcy and cross
town cars, all other lines OF transportstio
uyaRa n1nHaA a., .Erh.I. .AN-rNa af..r