The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-17
THOUSANDS ARE IDLE.
BECAUSE STATIONARY FIREMEN
QUIT WORK.
MANY COAL MINES SHUT DOWN
MAY LEAD TO GENERAL TROUBLE
WITH MINERS.

Many of the Small Mining CompR-
nies Left I'm Bad Sbape-The Engi-
neers show sympathy with the
Fircmen. ana the Miners Seem In
cIined That Way-Operators Re
fuse to Consider Demands of striI&-
ers-May Test Agreement with
United Mine workers.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, July 16.-The
| strike order of President Mullahy, of
| the Stationary Firemen's Association
of Pennsylvania. directing the men to
strike to-day for an S-hour day. was
obeyed by the men. Nine hundred
members of the organization in this
section of the state refused to go to
work.
Most of the strikers are employed as
| firemen at the coal mines and their
| failure to report for duty caused near
| ly all the colleries in the northern an
| thracite region to suspend operations,
throwing out Of work. 1t is estimated.
thirty thousand men and boys. Some
of the individual coal operators con-
ceded the demands of their employees
on condition that the short hour day
was not to hold If the men employed
by the big companies did not give the
same concessions.
The big coal companies, however, re-
fused to make any concessions. The
officials claimed that the demands of
| the firemen were unreasonable: that
they had received a 10 per cent. in
crease when the wages of the miners
were raised last autumn, and that the
| demands now made upon the compa-
nies was equal to a 20 per cent. ad-
vance.
The strike Was General.
The strikers held a meeting in this
city shortly before noon. Reports were
received from all the districts, and
they showed that the strike from Pitts
ton to Shckshinny in this Uuzerne)
county was general. and that the coal
companies were unable to secure new
men to take the places of the strikers,
although it was claimed they had made
desperate efforts to do so. The best
they could do. ii was said, was to
press the foremen and fire bosses into
the service. This was done at great
many OF the mines. Somebody had to
do It, because there was danger of
great damage being done by water and
the accumulation OF gas.
Most of the large companies were
successful in getting a sufficient num-
ber of men to keep the pumps running.
Other small companies were not so
fortunate. They were left entirely help
lss when the firemen quit.
Some of the hosting engineers re-
mained at their posts, but their ser
vices were not needed in the absence
of the fremen. In some cases, so IL is
reported, where engineers were asked
to work they refusd and quit thier
jobs. The strikers claim the engineers
are friendly to them and that they will
not work with nonunion men. Presi-
dent Mullahy said tonight that he had
information from all over the northern
region that the men were standing firm
and tcat the engineers were with them.
He thought the coal companies would
be unable to get new men and that the
strike would soon come to an end.
viii Depend on the Miners.
At the headqarters of the operators
II was claimed that the demands of the
strikers would not be entertained, and
that as soon as the new men could be
secured operations would be resumed
The length of the strike will depend
upon the miners. If they stand by the
striking firemen, the lockout may be a
lon one; but If the miners return to
work as soon as the companies fill the
places or the strikers the strike will be
lost to the firemen. Despite reports to
the contrary sent out by the officials
at headquarters of the United Mine
Workers, 1t is known that there is
considerable friction between the
United Mine Workers and the firemen.
The miners think that the strike is in
opportune, and that the firemen should
have waited until April next. when the
present agreement between the opera
tors and miners expire. before making
: their demands. 1t is also alleged that
when the miners went on strike last
fall the firemen remained at work, and
this has caused a little feeling too. Still
the United Mine Workers must be
governed by their leaders, and II is
know that the heads of the organiza-
ton i'm this section are in favor of the
strikers.
May Test the Agreement.
Some of the operators will be apt to
put the United Mines Workers TO the
test and see whether they will live up
to the agreement made with the opera
tors last April. The agreement COM
pels the miners to work at fixed rate
OF wages for one year. There is no
clause which permits the miners to re-
main out on sympathy strike.
The strike did not effect industries
in this or surrounding towns to any
extent. Nearly all the large manufac-
turers acceded to the demands of their
fremen The only notable exception
was the Sheldon Axle Works. employ
| ing / 400 men. That osta blishment
shut down indefinitely.
The strike center Is the Wyoming coal
fields The. failure of the men In the
Iehigh and Lackawanna regions to
take concerted action is not received
with favor by the strikers here.
|