New-York tribune., 1902-05-28
MAY RUIN MANY MINES.
If PUMPS STOP TWO WEEKS
MILLIONS WILL BE LOST.
MINERS SAY OPERATORS FEAR THAT
THIS WILL HAPPEN-THREAT TO
DESOLATE COAL REGION.
iBr rELrguArH TO rHe TRIBUNE.

wilkesbarre. Penn. May 1.-THE operators
are disappointed by the result OF their poll to
determine how many engineers and pumpmen
would remain at work next Monday. They find
now. : they did before prior the strike
that the union men are more determined than
they imagined. Many men will strike whom
they felt certain Of retaining and. while all
these do not approve the strike, they will go
out to avoid the ostracism which. as non-union
men. awaits them in such thoroughly
ganized union community as the coal region
Stin, many fear that If the strike shall end in
defeat they will not regain their places. and
some have held the same levers for twenty and
thirty years.
In the Schuylkin region it is known to-day
that the men who voted to remain at work are
those oldest in the places, and they have as
sured the others that they will do no work eX-
cept at their engines. In the Scranton region
those who will work are small parties In and
about this city the strike order will be gener-
ally obeyed and few companies expect their
men to remain. In the HaZletOn district not 10
per cent OF the engineers are expected to remain
work since the policy of the operators has
been defined by the action of the Pardee COM
pauy in trying To make its engineers man the
fires and pumps The operators to-day, for the
first time realized the situation. and became
aIprerensive. Their statement so freely made.
that they would be able - keep their coIleries
in condition without the aid OF union men had
Il false note in it, State Secretary Mullahy. of
the Firemen's Union. says
They were trying big bluff and they
sec it doesn't go"
The operators spent to-day in efforts to per-
suade sufficient non-union fircmen TO aid them
in the first rush after the strike order becomes
operative next Monday. but. although they are
offering So in this region. ana presumably is
much in the large cities. the results have been
disappointing.
The men they have now get from 81 40 to
81 90 and their demand for eight-hour day
would be a wage increase of 33 l-3 per cent, so
that for an average wage of s. 10 the operators
would be able to keep all their men at work
and assure the safety of their mines. Instead
of this, they offering more money and guar
anteeins to guard the nOn-union men with coal
and iron police, who from 81 30 TO 81
day as well as to arrange for housing and feed
ing them at the mines
The clerks, bosses and other employees. who
are not union men. desired to do any work
about the mines after June =. and if they do
not will be discharged. The majority of these
will obey. but the entire number is inadequate
to keep the mines clear from water
OPERATORS WOULD LOSE MILLIONS
a State mine inspector who owing to his Off
cial position, cannot be quoted. estimated to-
night the result of the pumps being idle for two
weeks. He said;
In this region are 1I9S engineers and 1886
fremen and 200 pumpmen About 30 per cent
of all the mines in mountainous districts,
principally in districts Nos. l. ,. > and T. and
pumps are not used These would not he harmed
However ii pumps remain idle for two weeks
| figure that at least seventy mines, or - per
cent of the total number would be utterly de-
stroyed. They would he so cOngested with the
thrush of water that they could never be oper-
ated again. The loss to the owners would be
in the neighborhood of S2O,0O0.OO0. About 80
per cent of all the mines by an idleness of two
weeks of the pumps would be very seriously
damaged and Ii would take months and in
some cases years. 10 free the chambers from
the water | cannot estimate this loss in dollars
and cents but II would mount high in the mill
ions Various things might happen in the re-
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