Abilene weekly reflector., 1902-08-07
THE OUTLOOK IS BAD
Many Pennsylvania collieries Ren.
dered Useless BY Being Flooded.
NAY TAKE MONTHS TO PUMP OUT.
The Inspector Says the Condition ID Q &c.
rious Matter. Not Only with the Com
panies. but with the Men-A Watch.
man Found Murdered.

rious Matter. Not Only with the Com.
panies. but with the Men--A Watch.
man Found Murdered.
Shenandoah, Pa, Aug. 7.-William
Stein. the state mine inspector fol
the Shenandoah region, yesterday
announced that five collieries under
his jurisdiction, which have an esti.
mated total value Of sl,5OO,OOO, have
been rendered useless by reason OF
being flooded and have been perma.
nently abandoned by the companies
owning them. Four Of them-Bear
Run, East Bear Ridge, Kohinoor and
Preston No. 3-belong to the Phil.
adelphia and Reading Coal and Iron
company, and he places their value at
about 100000 each. The other col.
liery is the Lawrence and is owned
by the Sheafer estate, Of Pottsville,
and also represents about 100000.
Mr.. Stein estimates that out Of the
80 collieries in his district only IA
are in a condition for immediate
operation if the strike were ended.
The others are in such a condition
that It would require anywhere from
one to four months to clear them
of water and make repairs. He said
the average time would be about two
months. The abandonment Of the
five collieries will compel 1000 mine
workers to seek employment in other
parts Of the region, and they may
have trouble in finding II If the
thousands Of men who left the re-
gion during the strike should re-
turn.
This condition Of affairs, the mine
inspector says, is serious mat
ter not only with the companies, but
also with the men. After the strike
shall have been ended most Of the
workmen will have to remain in idle
ness for another period Of time un-
til the collieries are placed in work
ing condition. In the coal fields
south of here, Mr., Stein said, the
situation is about as bad. But In
the Wyoming and Lackawanna re-
gion the mines are In much better
shape. The mine inspectors state
ment created considerable interest
here, as it confirmed the belief Of
some of the coal company officials
that full resumption of coal min
ing will not take place this year and
in consequence the tendency of coal
prices will be upward rather than
downward. The situation so far as
the peace OF the Shenandoah region
was concerned remains unchanged.
Yesterday was positively the quietest
day since the soldiers were called
out, one week ago last night. Gen.
Goblin, speaking Of the conditions in
this region, said that Shenandoah
is more thickly populated than the
worst tenement district in New York.
He thought the sanitary conditions
in the foreign quarters Of the place
were extremely bad, because of the
lack of sewerage. In reply to a
query he said he had been advised
that foreigners in this vicinity were
being drilled in military tactics, but
he would not say whether the in
formation he had received was cor
rect.
Paul Pulaski, national organizer of
the United Mine Workers and vice
president of district No. ., who looks
after the foreign members of the
union, came here yesterday. He de-
MED all the stories Of secret drilling
by the Polanders and others. He
said there was no secret organiza-
tion within the miners union. He |
admitted that the Polanders, who be-
long to beneficial societies, keep up
\ form of military organization, but
he said this was done only to keep
alive the memory Of their days at
home. '4
A watchman Murdered.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Aug. THE dead
body of Daniel Sweeney, watchman
n the employ Of the Delaware, Lack
wanna 4 Western company at their
Bliss colliery in Hanover township,
vas found in field in Hanover town
hip Wednesday morning. Sweeney
luit work at midnight and was fol-
owed by score Of men. The men
we're making threats and Sweeney
vas afraid of them. He took refuge
n a saloon and waited there for some
ime. After he thought the crowd
hat followed him had dispersed he
eft for his home, This was the last
cen of him alive. The supposition
$ that the men who followed him
rom the mine were lying in wait for
i'm and when he approached the
pot where they were hiding they as
aulted him with pick handles and
eat his brains out T.
Michael Yisko, John Smith and
gnatz Shukie, all foreigners, who
we're last seen in Sweeney's COM
any, were arrested yesterday even
ng, charged with being implicated in
he murder. They were given hear
ng before Magistrate Khiski, OF
hanover township, and brought to