The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-27
LehiGh Valley the Only Road That
Could Not Clear It's Yards of
Accommodating Freight.
MEETING HELD LAST NIGHT
THAT MAY RESULT IN An EXTENSION
OF THE STRIKE.
Trainmen May Refuse to Handle
Trains Unless Switched by Union-
ists-hentucky Miners.

PITTSBURG, Nov 26.-Judging by ap-
parent conditions, the switchmen's strike
inaugurated this morning has proved a
proved a fiat failure, but a reversal
of this may result if the strikers can
make good their claims put forth to-
night. The strike was ordered by the
Sfithchmen's Union of North America,
and the claim was made early in the day
by the union officers that every road in
the city. with the exception of the Pitts
burg, Fort Wayne & Chicago and the
Pittsburg. Cincinnati. Chicago & St Louis.
would be tied up completely The develop
ments of the day. however. demonstrate
that only one road. the Lehigh Valley, was
seriously affected. On this road but one
crew was at work and the road is badly
crippled. The company officials. while ad-
mitting that freight traffic has been prac-
tically suspended, say that within twenty
four hours they will have all the men they
need and work will be resumed as usual
The other roads affected were the Balti-
more & Ohio, u men out; the Pittsburg
Junction Ga branch of the Baltimore &
Ohio, Is men out; the Pittsburg & Lake
Erie, men out: the Pennsylvania Is men
high estimate of the number of men who
struck. None of these roads suffered much
inconvenience. because new men were
readily secured to take the place Of the
strikers, and some Of the men, upon dis
covering that the strike order had not been
generally Obeyed, returned TO their places.
A meeting of the union was held this aft
ernoon and the claim was made that the
strike was a success as far as IL had gone,
and that within forty-eight hours the men,
bers Of the union, about seven hundred,
will be out.
The demands Of the switchmen call for
the enforcement of the standard scale OF
wages. This calls for p cents an hour for
day fOremen and conductors. the night men
to receive cents more per hour. their work
being more difficult and dangerous. In
der The new schedule the day helpers and
brakemen are rated at 25 cents an hour and
the night men at q cents. The switchmen
claim that the tonnage handled by them in
this city is much greater than that handled
by other men i'm other cities. 1t is claimed
that the Monongahela Connecting lire
signed the scale to-day. but the officials OF
the other roads say they are more deter
mined than ever not TO sign.
DEMANDS OF THE STRIKERS.
The strikers have not the sympathy OF
the other trainmen's unions. w. G.. Lee,
first vice grand master of the Brotherhood
OF Trainmen, is in the city, and says the
members of his organization will oppose
the present movement
Should the condition OF the Allegheny
Valley, as it existed to-day. be continued
longer than two days more the mills and
factories along the Allegheny river depend
ent on IT for raw material will be compelled
to close down. The city mills OF the Car
negie Company can stand the pressure for
this length Of time, but IL extended beyond
that the management says the operations
will have TO suspend.
The strikers tonight gained eight men In
the Ormsby yards of the Pittsburg Vir-
ginia e. Charleston road. This is the prin-
cipal yard of the road on the South Side,
and the detection has crippled the company
considerably. The officials claim 10 be able
TO put on new men tomorrow. The strikers
claim to have crippled the Baltimore &
Chic in the GlenwoOd yards. They say only
one crew out OF twelve regularly employed
is at work and that no attempt TO move
freight is being made. The report made
by strikers committees is that at Glen
wood twenty engines are idle and that at
the Bennett station yards OF the Pittsburg
& Western there are fifteen idle. The COM
pany officials say the majority Of these en-
gines are passenger and road engines.
A meeting OF the Lawrenceville branch
OF the Brotherhood OF Trainmen was held
tonight behind closed doors. II is said tho
members discussed the question OF endorse
ment OF the strike. The strikers
appear confident that the brotherhood men
will refuse to handle trains switched by
nonunionists.
When the Lawrenceville meeting ad-
journed the men were reticent concerning
what had taken place. The only announce
ment made was that the strike OF the
sxitchmen had been indOrsed. What
further action may have been taken could
not be learned IL h believed the train
men will refuse 10 handle trains unless
switched by union men. This action OF ths
Lawrenceville lodge l. the first outside In
dorserneut given the strikers, and they are
predicting that the other unions Will follow
the lead
Frank p Hawley. grand master Of the
Switchmen's Union and +. II. MOrrissey.
grand master OF the Brotherhood OF Rail-
way Trainmen, are both expected here to-
morrow
A report from Milvale tonight saws the
wards OF the West Pennsy ylVania road are
completely tied up. Forty men are out az
that point.
The strikers late tonight say their ranks
number almost four hundred. The COM
pany officials make light OF this statement
and say III IL were true no trouble would be
experienced in hlling their places