New-York tribune., 1900-09-18
BIG COAL STRIKE BEGUN
LARGE PROPORTION OF BEN
LEAVE THEIR WORK.
GREATEST NUMBER OF MEN EVER on
STRIKE-EFFORTS AT AR
BITRATION FAIL.
IBr TELEGRAPH TO TIE rR1RrvE.l
BITRATION FAIL

Scranton, Penn, Sept. 17.-NearIy 50 per cent
Of the $4,000 miners in the anthracite regions
went out to-day, in pursuance with President
Mitchells orders Practically a complete tieup
is involved, as the remaining force is totally in
adequate for the continuance Of operations. and
viii be compelled TO join the ranks Of the
strikers tomorrow. In district No. the $4,000
men and boys went out soIidIy. IN the other Two
districts the men hesitated to take the step. but
the miners gradually left the mines so that by
L o'clock the working force had diminished 10
such extent that operation Of the coIIieries
was practically an inpossibiHty. Only 4,335
men out OF 1885 reported for work in the
Hazietcn district this morning. but before night
two more coIEeries had closed down and 1000
additional men had suspended work.
At Shamokin all the colIieries Of the Mineral
Union and Philadelphia and Reading together
with those operated by individual operators
ten in number. were closed and ten thousand
miners idle. In Mount Carmel district three
colierie5 out of nine were worked OF the
forty-fve mires at Ptttston only ore or. two
were worked. All the mines operated by pri-
vate companies and the Lehigh Valley and
Temple Iron Company closed down. In the
Tamaqua district all the cOuieries were worked
but were badly crippled for want Of men The
Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Com
pany men expressed themselves as satisfied
and il is believed that they viii not go out. All
Of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal Com
pany -coIueries were worked at 8LahanOv City.
but the majority Of Individual companies sus-
pended Among these are the Mora and Vulcan
mines, worked by the Packson Coal Company.
In the Lower SchuyIkin region. where the col
Iieries are operated largely by the Philadel-
phia and Reading Coal Company. the Reading
Road men believe the strike Will not reach
The employees Of this company are pretty gen
orally satisfied with the conditions and If they
do perchance go out II viii be entirely against
their own wishes.
The entire Schuylkiu Valley from PottsviIIe
to Philadelphia is well stocked with coal, and
it is estimated that there is enough coal in store
10 last through the winter. The miners here
are not affiliated with those OF the upper re-
gions and work under different conditions. The
tieup at Wukesbarre is virtually complete.
According 10 President Mitchell who is per-
sonauy directing the strike from his headguar-
tprs al HazleU0n the success of the four days
effort TO tie up the mines exceeded the expecta-
tions Of the strike leaders The hard coal region
is divided intO four great districts-the Lacka-
wanna, Wyoming Lehigh and SchuyI-
kill IN the first two, representing nearly
ninety-thousand men, the teup is practically
complete only one mine, employing a few hun
dred men, being operated. and this the strikers
glon the situation is a standon, about eight
thousand OF the 1900 men employees having
quit work. Principally because the union has
comparatively little strength in the SchuylkiI
region and the workrnen there have no decided
grievance. as in other districts, the strike was
Lot general among the upward Of fifty thousand
men employed. Indications tonight, however
point TO the closing tomorrow Of some mines
in the last named district that operated to-day.
despite the assertions Of officials Of the Phila-
6eIphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company
and other companies operating the region that
they will continue their coIueries in operation.
Nearly all the efforts OF the strike leaders are
being devoted to organizing the men in the
weak SchuylkuI and Lehigh regions.
No violence worth mentioning has marred the
arst day Of the struggle. Practically prog
ress has yet been made IN the efforts Of some
Of the clergy TO bring about settlement OF the
trouble through arbitration
The operators this evening gave out the fol-
lowing official report OF developments during
the day in the entire coal field;
56amokin regfon-MineraI Railroad and Min
ing Company. Cameron couiery, working. Luke
FidIer colIiery working. Union Coal Company
Pennsylvania couIery working; Hickory Swamp
cOlliery. working; Hickory Ridge collery, work
ing Richards colliery, working; w WnIte q White
coliery, working.
parv. Reliance coIliery, working; Alaska col
jiery working; Locust Gap cOlliery, working
Trevertou colliery', working; Henry Clay coiuery,
working. AItdvalIay COlliery, working.
I.ykeus Valley reg1on-SUmmit Branch Coal
Company WILLIAMSBURG coIlery, WORKING;
I.ykens Cou.ery Coal Company, Short Mountain
scbuvlkiu region-LytrIe Coal Company Lyt-
tie coIIiery working. every man at his post;
Sus0uehanna Coal Company, William Penn col
uerv working: Philadelphia and Reading Coal
and Iron Company. all the colEeries Of the
Reading Company in the Schuylkill region are
Mahanoy region-Philadelphia and Reading
coal and Iron Company, ali collieriss OF the
Reading Company in the Mahanoy region are
working Lehigh Valley Coal Company, all col
Iferies in Mahanoy region are working Mil
Greek Coal Company. Miu Creek collery. work
ing Lentz. Lilly & Co, Park Place colliery
working.
Lehigh region-Coxe Bros. & Co. all collieries
or Coke Bros & Co working. MarkIe &
Co all places working. Calvin Pardee, all
places working A Pardee & Co. all places
FASTER THAN EVER TO CALIFORNIA
Chicago Union Pacinc and Northwestern Line