The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-06-03
COAL STRIKES NEW PHASE
NEITHER SIDE CAN CLAIM VIC-
 TORT AT THIS TIME.
Mnjority of the Engineers, Bremen and Pumpmen Obey the Order to Quit Work-Most of the Companies How Gofng-ReaI Test Begins To-day Claims of Both Sides.

l Wilkesbarre, Pa, June 2.-The order
 of the United Mine Workers of America calling out on strike all engineers, fire men and pumpmen employed at collier | ies where the eight-hour work day with present wages was not granted went into effect o-day, and, as has been pre- dicted, a majority of the men obeyed the order. Neither side can claim a victory at this time, because the strug- gle on this phase of the anthracite coal miners strike has just opened. There was only partial showing of strength to- day The real test of whether or not the mine pumps shall be manned will begin tomorrow. Although a majority
 of the men quit work, the companies,
 generally speaking, succeeded in keep
 ing their pumps in operation. The op-
 orators feel that at present they have
 the advantage, but they are not so san
 gune of the future. The exact number
 of men who quit to-day cannot be ob-
 tained. Each side refuses to make pub
 lie their figures, but they gave out in-
 formation that roughly estimates the
 number of men affected. These esti- mates are far apart. National President
 hlliHSlII UL tlle uilipii 6"'S SNS a statement in which he says:
 Reports received from every import ant mining community indicate that where the eight~hour day has not been conceded fully so per cent. of the fire men, pumpmen and engineers have ceased work. The number will be ma terially increased tomorrow. In some sections mine foremen have positively declined to perform the work, of engi- neers, firemen and pumpmen. In some places foremen have manned the pumps and clerks have also been required to perform this labor.
 "A perfect army of irresponsible men has been employed by the coal compa- nies to act as coal and iron policemen. The services of these men are unneces- sary and their presence unwarranted. There have been no violations of law to-day by the mine owners, and I am sanguine there will be no overt acts on the part of the strikers"
 On the other hand, mining official of one of the largest coal companies. who received accurate information from the entire coal belt, makes this state 1nent:
 'IfpSfdenJ MllcneIlS 5 eSll1fldle lS loO high We have received figures from all our collieries and the general super of all other coal companies, but they are not to be given out as it would not be policy to reveal our weak spots or to betray our strongholds as far as they relate to the collieries indi- I can, however say that about 1 65 per cent of all the Lefigh Valley l men, who are scattered from near Scranton down to Shamokin went out. The Delaware. Lackawanna and Vest arn, the Delaware and Hudson and the | Erie companies, whose operations are mostly located north of here fared a | little better. The Susquehanna Coal | collieries, which are con- Lrolled by the Pennsylvania railroad, | and which are located at Nanticoke, | south of here, were cripplels less than any big company in the region. The Reading company. with forty colleries II the lower region, was the worst suf- 'erer. more than 70 per cent. of it's men to go to work. The individual
 Continued on Sixth Page)