The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-08-29
SHIPPING COAL.
Small Amounts Are Coming Out
Of Strike Region.
More Activity Than at Any
Time Since Trouble Began.
PLAN OF ONE COMPANY
To Mass It's Forces at One Mine
Is Frustrated.
Soldiers Jab the Strikers With
Their BayOnets.

Philadelphia, Aug 2s.-While both
mine operators and officials of the Uni
ted Mine Workers state that the strike
situation in the anthracite field remains
unchanged, it is evident that there is
greater activity at present in the coal
region than at any time since the in
auguration of the strike. Coal is daily
being shipped from various sections of
the field and several washeries are
known to be in operation.
1t does not follow. however. that any
of the companies are cutting coal. When
the strike was declared large quantity
of cut coal was left beneath the surface,
ready for the breaker. According to
miners union officials it is this coal
tina. is now being brought to the sur
face by the special deputies. foremeh
and others employed about the collier
les during the progress of the strike. 1t
also is said the big coal carrying COM
panies are now drawing on their re-
serve supply to satisfy the more press
ing demands
selling and shipping small quantities of
coal almost daily since the strike began
securing its supplies from some 6o,ouu
tons of storage. This supply has been
exhausted however. and what little coal
the company is now sending out comes
from the mines of the Susouehanna
Coal company at Nanticoke, where small
quantities are being brought to the
surface and sent to market daily.
The Reading company, according TO
its sales agents. has not sold any coal
since the strike was inaugurated except
in a few exceptional cases. where coal
taken from stocks on hand was let go TO
help out certain manufacturing inter-
estS on the line and to supply one or
two charitable institutions.
On the other hand reports from the
Schuylkill region, where the Reading
company's mines are located, state that
the shipments of anthracite from that
section are daily increasing. Within the
past few days 500 cars of hard coal have
passed through Reading. 1t came from
the washeries and the storage yards at
Iandingville and ST. Clair.
The washeries estab blished along the
Schnylkill river in Northern Berks and
Lower Schuyukill counties are in opera
| ton night and day and as high as LOO
| cars are shipped in day.
What is considered a significant move
| on the part of the operators is the re-
turn of many mules from pasture to
| the mines. Hundreds of mine mules
were taken to Lancaster anod Chester
counties soon after the strike began and
| put out to Craze. These are now being
| shipped back to the coal regions
COMPANY'S PLANS FRUSTRATED
| Wilkesbarre, Pa, Aug. 29--Ser1ous
trouble was threatened at the Prospect
! and Dorrance mines of the Lehigh Val
i ley Coal company this morning. The
| strikers heard a rumOr last night tnat
| the company intended to concentrate all
! its employees at the various mines into
| one working force and operate the Dor
| rance colliery. 1t is said the company
| has all told about 250 experienced men,
| If this number could be placed in one
| colIiere like the Dorrance the mining of
| coal would go without difficulty.
The strikers determined to Illustrate the
| plans of the company If possible, and
hof
| turned out and patrolled the roads lead
| ing to the mines. The officials of the
! coal company recognized the serious
| condition of affairs. and Sheriff JacoDs
| was routed out of bed at an early hour
| He went to the scene, accompanied by
! a large number of deputies, but no att
! tempt was made to place any additional
men in the Dorrance mine this morn
| ing and the strikers made no demon
| stration, many of them Withdrawing to
| their homes
| Tamaqua, Pa. Aug. z9.-In an encoun-
ter between troops and strikers at
Larsford this morning. Captain w. H.
Helm, of company K, Twelfth regiment,
| was slightly injured. A half dozen strik-
| ers were bayonetted by the soldiers as
| a result of the fracas. Major Gearhart,
will appeal to the military authorities
to put the town of Lansford under mar
| tial law.
| From daybreak the troops were active
lnonunion- men while on their way to
| work AS has been the case of the past
few days the troops were leered Wher-
| ever they went. The officers repeatedly
admonished the crowds not to insult or
| molest the soldiers but their words had
but little effect. At o'clock companies
K and e were placed on two trolley
| cars One of the cars preceded that
which carried the n0nuniOn men to work
and another took uD the rear. While
passing through Coaldale and Lansford
the soldiers were hooted but no stop
| was made the strikers did not make
| any violent demonstration.
At Summit Hill about double the
usual number of men availed them
selves of the protection of the soldiers
land went to work The pickets of the
strikers made efforts to stop them, bul
the warnings of the soldiers held them
at bay When the workmen had beer
loaded on the cars. the return trit
through the valley commenced Ths
word .hat more men than usual were
| reporting for work spread through th'
lower part of tie valley like wfldfire
and in a short time the streets were al
most blocked with people. When tn
| corner of Center and East Rertscf
! streets was reached the cars stopped t.
allow several non union men to get of
AS the men stepped to the ground tn,
mob made a rush for them A hal
dozen soldiers sprang from the car an.
with leveled guns forced the striker
| back, making a passageway for tn
. | non-union men When the soldiers re
, | turned after escorting their charges t
, a place of safety. the mob commences
. | to close in around the cars. The strik
ers were in an ugly mood, and when or
dered to dfsoerse merely yelled loude
and pressed closer. AS Capt. Helm, o
company x. was about to jump iron
| the car he was seized around the leg
, and thrown to the ground. Half doze
Z privates who followed him were roughl
: handled One of the men had portio
I of his shirt torn OFF, and according t
l | the enlisted men number of blow
l uere struck Major Gearharf in com