Connecticut western news., 1902-06-05
FLOOD FILLING MINES.
The Operators Cannot Get Men
 Enough to Man Pumps.
sToOKADE AND WAREHOUSE FIRED

barre District - Mitchell Reports
 That More Engineers and Bremen
 Have Joined the Striking Miners.
 Wilkesbarre, Pa, June 4.-Slowly the water is gaining in most of the mines in the anthracite region, and slowly the striking miners are getting the en- zine drivers, firemen and pumpmen who did not strike Monday to join their ranks. The union leaders now claim that S5 per cent of them are out and that before the week ends all will be on strike.
 The first serious outbreak occurred last night in this city. The police de- partment was called out, and an alarm was sent to the firemen to quench fires at the Stanton colliery of the Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal company. For a time the shaft was threatened. There had been outbreaks at the Stanton dur ing the day, despite the fact that it is in a we'll populated district. In the aft ernoon boys had stoned the coal and iron police. In the evening some men broke down a portion of the fence with a battering ram. The coal and iron police made a demonstration, but did not shoot. Later a portion of the fence was found to be- on. fire, and at this call for the police was sent in.
 Chief Jones, at the head of two squads, responded. The policemen were not on time to catch any one, but aided in putting out the fire, which burned a large gap in the fence. Then a shanty at the top of a culm pile was found to be on fire, and the stiff wind blowing toward the fanhouse added to the dan- ger. Three engines were rushed to the scene, and the fire was quickly extin- guished, the shanty being destroyed. A heavy guard is now stationed around the fence.
 It became apparent that in the lower coalfield, where are most of the col lieries of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal company, it would be impossible to operate with old hands, and many mines are now being flooded. In the Hazleton district several mines have suspended pumping because men enough are not available. In the Wyo- ming and Lackawanna districts alone are the operators holding their own. Satisfied With the Work Done.
 The striking mine workers are try ing hard to bring out additional en- gineers, fremen and pump runners, and the companies are equally earnest in their efforts to hold the employees that have been loyal to them. The un- ion has succeeded in getting out quite a number of men, and the labor leaders assert that they are satisfied with the work done. One or two collieries have been compelled to shut down their pumps because of lack of men, but in all other cases the operators were able to fill the vacancies by drawing on their reserve force of office and other employees. The mine owners claim that thus far they have employ ed a very few nonunion men and have plenty of workers to draw on.
 The entire coal belt remains com paratively quiet, although disturb ances of d minor nature are becoming more frequent. These affairs are in | the nature of demonstrations ranging III uuUnD6TS ITOIu dDOul uOZeu per sons up to about 100. At Miners Mills | last evening men and women gathered on the street corners and hoOted the men that came from the mines to go to I their homes. At Plymouth also there was a small demonstration against those still working at the engines and
 pumps in the collieries there. About | 100 men, women and children followed | the workers to their homes, calling 1 them opprobrious names all along the way. Many of the workers who go tc
 their homes are accompanied by coaI
 and iron policemen. The latter have
 been cautioned not to notice the ac I tions of the crowds unless they at tempt to do the men bodily harm. President Mitchell last night gave ou the following statement: Detailed re ! ports from all quarters of the anthra
 cite field indicate that the number o1 engineers, firemen and pumpmen who | ceased work Monday was considerably
 increased yesterday, and the probabili
 ties are that it will be further augment I ed today. There have been no disturb | ances."