Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-07-20
TROLLEY MEN ON STRIKE.
The Long Expected Trouble
Materializes on Brook
lyn Surface Lines.
CARS ARE STILL RUNNING

Many Scenes of Disorder Are Wit.
messed Along the Lines Affected
by the Big Strike.
MOtOrmen and Conductors Taken
From Their Cars and Roughly
Handled-Police Kept Busy Dis.
persing Crowds - Women Plead
With New Employees.
Brooklyn, N. y. July 1S.-It has been
conceded on all sides for the past three
or for weeks that dissatisfaction exist
ed among the employees of the Brook
lyn Heights and Nassau trolley lines,
and that to have the alleged grievances
settled strike was liable to be de.
clared ut any time. Efforts Were made
on several occasions TO adjust the DIFF
ferences between the employers and
the employees, but all these efforts We're
without success, and the matter final
ly came to Il focus when all the
employees on the Brooklyn trolley sys-
TEN We're ordered by the head officials
of the knights OF Labor to leave their
several posts of duty at once. and the
majority Of them obeyed.
The Executive Committee Of the
knights of Labor had been in confer
ence all night with the delegates of the
Brooklyn locals, and when it was an
nouncNd that the various roads of the
brooklyn Heights system We're TO be
tied up, some of the cars near the pow
or house were run in immediately and
and the strike was under way
All the lines OF the Nassau system
We're either tied up completely Or run
with great difficulty under police pro
lection. Eleveated roads are still run.
ming.
Trouble began early. At Third ave
nue. and Thirty-ninth street n mob. af.
ter blocking the road. held up the cars
and ordered the passengers ont. Ere
l,lt ut clashes at this point Kept the DO
l.cA,Dusy
The first arrest was made near the
power house at F'ifty-eighth street
and Third avenue. Motormen and con
dilctors who attempted tn run out ears
were pulled from the platform and
roughly handled. The police charged
the strikers several times. finally TAX
ing one man into custody.
Chief Devery assumed command of
the police fOrga, remaining at head
quarters. sendIg all orders from there
One thousand men We're seut to Brook
lyn from Manhattan. and the mount
cd squad and detailed officers were all
ordered held in reserve. Seven of the
mounted squad are being used by the
Chief as couriers.
All vacations on the police force have
been cancelled. and the men on leave
in the different boroughs have been re-
called. Officials of the Brooklyn
Heights Company still claim that there
will be no general tie-up. They say
they will run their cars on schedule
time.
At Rockaway and Liberty avenues
women gathered and took up the cause
of the strikers. They pleaded with the
new men TO leave their cars and have
been successful in more than one in
stance. There was rioting on upper
Fulton street in the East New York
section. and one policeman was forced
to use his revolver in fighting the
crowd. The mob at Third avenue and
Thirty-ninth street. after being dis
persed by the police. returned and de-
rallied locomotive. Placing that and
car across the tracks blocked traffic.
Without the slightest hitch or excite.
ment the strike was declared on at
COney Island and Ulmer Park. Union
men at both terminals waited around
the stations. and as fast as the ears
arrived the mOtOrmen and conductors
We're told of the action of the meeting
and promptly left their cars.
The old Nassau Railroad mt West
End. the Sea Beach. Culver and BriSh-
ton Beach sheds were jammed with
cars left deserted by the motormen and
conductors.
At Ulmer Park or Unionville. where
the Rapid Transit Company has one
of its largest sheds. strikers represen.
tatives We're waiting for each ear as it
arrived from Brooklyn. These were
boarded and the men told of the strike.
The Bath Beach. Bcnsonhurst and
Fifth avenue cars which stopped there
were Immediately abandoned b.. their
crews, while the through ears to Coney
leland We're allowed tc go through TO
their destination. These were left at
COney Island.
Police Captain Kenny. who Is i'm
charge of the Coney Island Precinct.
had all his reserves around the sta
tiOns and prevented the strikers from
gathering In a crowd near any OF them.
Strict orders to keep the men moving
were enforced
Il do not anticipate any ffouble." !"
said the Captain. but of course we
are ready for it,
The Rapid Transit officials say that
il the strike continues they will re-
store the old steam railway system and
run their locomotives and trains over
the trolley tracks. The old Culver
route will be used and traffic handled
without serious Inconvenience.
A crowd gathered and set fire to a
lot of tar barrels on the tracks on Park
avenue, which prevented the running
Of cars for some time. At the Ridge