Evening star., 1901-07-17
WILL NOT ACCEDE
Coal Operators Decline to Grant
Firemen's Demands.
STATEMENT ISSUED TO SUCH EFFECT
Mining Operations Generally Sus-
pended in Affected Region.
MINES MAY BE FLOODED

| PITTsTON. Pa. July 1.-THE mines IN
this section which are idle owing to tho
stationary fremen's strike are said to be
filling with water. despite the efforts Of
| officials, who are themselves in the engine
| rooms endeavoring to keep the pumps
| working. The operators are discharging
| the stationary engineers who refuse to take
| the strikers places. The fireman have
posted pickets about the mines TO prevent
a threatened Importation of non-union men
| from Philadelphia
The coal operators today issued the fol-
1 lowing statement
| I'VE gave our answer to the men in re-
| gard to their demands some time ago.
which was that we could not grant the de-
mands they made, nor Will We retract from
| that stand now. All the big companies are
| agreed to this, and all have decided to
| quietly await developments.
| 1.-THE firemen received increase of 10
per cent last October. along with the other
men, and their demands at this time can-
not and will not be granted"
In the Lackawanna Valley,
| SCRANTON, Pa, July 17.-There was an
almost complete cessation OF mining opera.
tions today in the Lackawanna valley be-
cause OF the strike of stationary fremen.
Less than a half dozen mines managed by
individual owners and the group of Dela-
mines in the west Scranton district were
| the only ones In satisfactory shape for run-
! ming when the whistles blew this morning.
| The small operators had granted the eight
| hour demand and the fremen at the Lacka-
wanna's mines refused to quit being affili-
| ated with the United Mine Workers Of
America, and not with the Stationary Fire
mems Association. They are fortified in
| their position by the action OF the execu-
| tive board of District No. ], United Mine
Workers, which last night decided that all
flremen. engineers, machinists and pump
| runners who are members OF the organi-
| zation should remain at work until other
wise ordered by the district officers on tho
authority Of President Mitchell and the ma
| tional executive board.
Fear Mines VIII Flood.
General Superintendent Loomis of the
Lackawanna reports all the company's
mines in operation excepting the Cayuga
and Brisban in north Scranton, the Bliss
and Auehincloss at Nanticoke and the
| Woodward and Pettebone at Kingston.
| Only six Delaware and Hudson collieries
are in operation throughout the Lacka-
wanna and Wyoming valley. Those Idle
| involve 5000 workmen, the greater portion
| of whom are In Scranton, and north as far
| as Carbondale and Forest City. The Erie
Railroad Company's mines employing 1900
men, located about Pfttston Avoca, Dun
more. Jermyn and Forest City are shut
| down tight today. serious condition
| confronts this company at it's Glenwood
colliery, at Jermyn. where 1t had been
hghting hard against a flood, which has
reached nearly fifty feet up the shaft.
| Every Ontario and Western railroad nine
| employing 1000 men in the Lackawanna
| region, is idle. With the pumps idle the
flooding of most Of the mines is threatened
| involving destruction of property that
| Will be enormous. In the event of flooding
mine cannot again be restored to work.
Ing condition for several months.
Breaker Boys Get Violent.
The Delaware and Hudson Railroad Conn
pany undertook today to get outside work.
men, bosses and coal inspectors to fire mine
| boilers where the iremen had struck The
| men refused and were at once discharged.
The same condition prevailed at the Erie
Railroad Company's Mayhed breaker. At
| the Keystone mine of the Erie company the
breaker boys refused to work and made an
| attack on the fire room where II was re-
| ported ten non-union men were at work.
At the Lackawanna company's offices to-
| day the statement was given out that there
will be no attempt to replace any OF its fire.
| men who strike unless there is danger OF
| the mines being flooded. The market con-
ditions were such now, IT was said, that q
| forced suspension would not cause any wor-
riment.
Strikers Are Encouraged.
'wILKESBARRE, Pa. July 1T.-There Is
practically no change in the stationary
fremen's strike situation in the Wyoming
region today. All the mines that were idle
yesterday are closed today, with the ex-
ception Of two or three small collieries
operated by individual companies. where
the demands of their iremen were conceded
and work was resumed.
The strikers went into secret session this
morning and after they adjourned a state
ment was issued in which they say:
Reports received this morning from all
regions
The fremen in the Lackawanna district
have responded and there will be a COM
plete tie-up in that region.
''In the Pittston district everything Is
tied up.
The hoisting engineers are standing by
the firemen loyalty. For the first time
probably in the history of the coal region
a written contract has been entered into
between coal company and it's employees.
The Kingston Coal Company and the Par
rish Coal Company this morning signed a
contract to give their fremen an eight-hour
Gay. We consider this great victory"
At the offices Of the coal companies little
Information was given out. 1t was stated
that the fans and pumps were being kept
running, but that no attempt had been
made to hoist coal.
Five Hundred Out at shamokfn.
SHAMOKIN, Pa, July 17.-Five hundred
men and boys went on strike at Hickory
Ridge colliery today because the Union
Coal Company would not permit a commit
tee of United Mine Workers to inspect
cards Of workmen on company lands. Labor
leaders threaten to tie up all of the PENN
sylvania Coal Company collieries In this
district, as well In the Wilkesbarre
and Nanticoke regions unless the company
permits the inspection Of cards at the vari-
GUS collieries. The Pennsylvania company
controls the Union and Mineral companies,
which employ 5000 men and boys in this
region.
SECRETARY ROOTS TRIP.