The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-09
RAILROAD NEWS.
Santa Fe Boilermakers Still
Confident Of Winning.
Expect Bad Western Water Will
Aid Them.
1T INJURIES BOILERS.
Makes Constant Repairing and
Natchfulness Necessary.
News of the Big Strike on the
Union Pacific.


doing in the Strike of the Santa re
boilermakerS on the coast lines, IT is
claimed by the boilermakers' union that
the strikers are pursuing a policy which
is certain to win and which is simply
to wait for the water used on the coast
lines to do it's worst to the boilers, and
get them in such bad shape that all the
locomotives are put out OF service.
The boilermakers are working on the
theory that the places of the strikers
have been filed by men who are IN
competent to make the necessary re-
pairs to the boilers, and that the deter
ioration is going on rapidly. They say
that it is only a question of time When
the Santa F'e will be forced to appeal
to the old boilermakers to help make
the necessary repairs.
One of the chief points OF vantage
which the strikers occupy is the search
ty of skilled railroad boilermakers the
big strike of boilermakers on the Union
Pacific had increased the demand Tor
this class of labor. The officials or thet
Santa Fe have not claimed that the
men secured to take the places of the
strikers are workmen of very high or
der. but they insist that they are get
ting the work done in such shape that
the trains can be operated indefinitely.
The water which is used in the boilers
on the coast lines is said to be very
bad. 1t is hard on thes boilers, and
makes constant watchfulnesS and re-
pairing necessary to keep the machinery
up to the proper standard. Th1s fact
favor. The men claim, that the Santa
Fe has over 100 dead engines lying in
the shops at San Bernardino and 70 at
Needles, waiting to be repaired
In the meantime, however, the Santa
Fe trains are running on schedule time,
and while there is said to be consider
able trouble in handling freight, the
company is certainly doing well under
the existing conditions. The locomo-
tives are being kept in service better
than the strikers predicted they could
be some weeks ago.
A disr atch from San Bernardino says:
1.-THE striking boilermakers of this city
have not heard of any prospective con-
ference with General Manager Wells, as
has been reported, nor have they heard
from their grand council for three days.
They have been assured that the grand
officers are working on their case and
settlement will be reached as soon as
possible"
There have been no violent demon
strations in the Santa FEE strike, and
the general feeling seems to be now
that the struggle has developed into
Fe can find enough skilled boilermakers
who will work for them to keep the
trains running until the strikers have
exhausted their resources \. -
PINKERTONS AT DENVER.
Denver. Colo, July 9.-The situation
at the local Union Pacific shops is more
critical than at any time since the
strike was inaugurated. A force OF
uclcCtiNSS WAS put III CLdi q
of the shops and the city has supplied
four policemen for protection Trouble
is not expected from the strikers them
selves but from sympathizers who work
in the 80 or N ore shops of the city.
Since one of the workmen was assault
ed on Sunday night the crowd that
gathers at night has been continually
on the increase, and the steps for pro-
lection have been taken as a precau-
tionary measure.
The strikers now claim that they have
and all of the boilermakers, black
smiths and coppersmiths have stopped
wofk- The strikers continue to patrol
the grounds outside of the Pinkerton
lines.
WILL BE LONG STRUGGLE
Omaha, Neb., July 9.-James O'Con-
nell, president of the International As
sociation of Machinists, spent the day
in the city with the Union Pacific strik-
ers and had short talk with President
Burt He says the strike has settled
and that 1t will be fought out on its
merits
I'VE want to make this clean fight"
said President O'Connell. I'VE wish to
proceed without violence, no bragga-
dociO, and with the best of feeling in
our part 1t can hardly be said that
the strike had yet commenced, SO far
AS we are concerned. 1t has been mere.
ly cessation of work on our part. We
have been careful in a financial way,
and are prepared to support the Union
Pacific machiniSts for months to come"
A new batch of strike breakers was
put to work in the local shops today
They are being quartered in boarding