Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-17
IN A STRIKES GRASP .
Brooklyn Trolley Roads Ser
vice Badly Crippled.
PRESIDENTS PRIVATE CAR MOBBED
MotOrman Injured - Secretary Wickes
Went to the Mans Rescue and He Was
Finally Rescued From the Rioters.
Demands of the Men.

NEW YORK, July 17.-Another trolley
strike is on in Brooklyn. For some
weeks past the employees of the several
lines controlled by the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit company have been complain.
ing that the management did not live
up TO the ten-hour law. The men de-
mand revision of the time tables at
the different barns and also claim that
they should be paid 20 cents an hour fol
overtime, which is equivalent to 81 a
day, the price which they set for work.
ing day of ten hours. A strike finally
went into effect.
The Smith street, Franklin avenue
and Hamilton ferry lines, which are
controlled by the Coney Island Rail.
road company, having maintained the
regular terms with their employees.
were not impeded i'll the least, but on
all other roads transportation was
stopped for awhile and Il good deal OF
congestion occurred in consequence.
About 1000 policemen from the pre-
cincts i'll Manhattan and the Bronx
districts had been conveyed to the diff
terent barns and many were placed
along the several routes comprising the
territory covered by the Brooklyn Trac-
ton company.
At first there were very few cars run
over these lines, and those that Were
sent out from the different barns were
policed by two, three and four con.
stables. On the Putnam avenue line
only Il few men refused to work, and it
was notable that scarcely half dozen
of the cars Oh this division were policed
The Flatbush and Bergen Beach cars,
the Nostrand avenue, Gates, Ralph and
Myrtle avenue cars, as well as the Third
avenue trolleys, had meager service
i'll the early hours of the day, but traffic
on the old Nassau lines, which COM
prise the Fifth, Seventh, Park and
Vanderbilt avenues and Douglass and
Butler streets roads, was practically at
a standsuill. The men ON the Nassau
road were most determined and not one
of the motormen or conductors went tc
work.
The cars remained idle for several
hours, but about One-tenth of the roll.
ing stock was got to working by inspec-
tors and hnemen, and, in fact, oilers
and helpers were pressed into service sc
as TO maintain a partial running of the
system. Many of the old conductors
and motormen reported for duty on the
Gates, Ralph, Broadway, Myrtle ave-
nue., Flushing and Third avenue roads,
and President Rossiter said that shortly
over 30 Der cent of the old hands We're
at work on these lines. Later in the
day the cars on the latter roads were
running at intervals of ten minutes,
which meant that the service was
crippled about one third.
The Sunday traffic, which is usually
very heavy. to North Beach, Bergen
Beach and CCney Island, filled the cars,
but the dread of trouble or disturbance
kept hundreds of people away from
these seaside resorts.
President Rossiter's private car AM
pere started from the. City hall and
made q round trip. 1t was delayed by
rioters. The motOrman was attacked.
Secretary Wickes went to his assistance
and he was finally rescued from the
mob. In the vicinity of Greenwood
cemetery distractions were placed on
the track
The partial destruction of the feed
cable on the Flatbush line was reported,
but score OF hnemen soon repaired
this i'll a temporary manner which suf-
feed to reopen the line. A conference
was held at police headquarters Among
those present were Police Commission
ers York, Hess and Sexton, Chief of
Police Devery, Deputy Chiefs McLaugh-
lin of Manhattan and McKellar of |
Brooklyn and President Rossiter Cen
eral McLeer was also in attendance,
but he said that as far as he could see,
that there was no necessity for the call
ing out of the militia.
President Rossiter said he had made |
arrangements to handle the Coney ISL |
and patrons as far as practicable by troll
ley service, but that he had advised his |
assistants to arrange for the transporta-
ton Of the majority of the Coney Island |
crowd back to the city over the elevated |
railroad lines. The police commission |
ers informed Mr.. Rossiter that his pat |
rons and the public in general, as we'll |
as tine companys property and all other |
properties, would be sufficiently pro-
tected by the police force. In addition |
to this, Commissioner Hess informed |
Mr.. Rossirer that he thought the send
ing out OF his private car was non-poli- |
tic, and, TO use his own words, it was
like shaking a red rag in trent of an
enraged bull
Several arrests We're made during the |
day among the ranks of the strikers |
and their sympathizers, but no disturb |
ance Of q Vpry SeriOuS naCure Occurra6