The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-02
The MINE STRUGGLE
TO-DAY'S RESULTS MEAN MUCH TO
STRIKERS.
WILL MINES BE DESERTED?
ROTH SIDES STRAINING EVERY
NERVE TO WIN.

Down the Pumps the Mine Proper
ties Will Be in Danger of Great
Damage-If the Firemen, Engi-
neers and Pumpmen Remain at
Work the Mine Owners VIII Have
the Best of It-Hundreds of Special
Officers Have Been Distributed to
the Mines.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, June 1.-To-night
finds the entire anthracite coal region
in an apprehensive mood.
At o'clock tomorrow morning the
order of the United Mine Workers of
America, calling out all stationary en-
gineers, firemen and pumpmen, I'M
less the companies grant them an
eight-hour work day at present wages,
will go into effect and no one can fore
tell the outcome of the new move.
Victory for either side will be of i'm
mense advantage and both parties to
the controversy are striving with ali
the power at their command to win.
Ii the union succeeds in shutting down
the pumps the mine properties will
IONS of dollars. and if the employers
should be able to keep the water out
of their workings without of the aid
of organized labor, it means that the
power of the union in the anthracite
region has reached it's limit, and all
help in the effort to force the mine
owners to grant the demands of the
great army of $4,000 men must come
from some outside source.
The mine workers say they will pre-
serve the property of the com
panies if the engineers, fire.
men and pumpmen are given what
they ask for, and the companies say
they Will permit no outsiders to fix the
hours and wages of their men, Neither
side tonight shows the slightest dlspo-
stion to yield, and in the words of one
mining superintendent, Its a fight to
the finish"
President Mitchell said tonight that
this is the first time in the history Of
his organization that the union was
compelled to call out this class of en-
ployes and thus endanger the safety
of the mines. In all other instances he
said, the demands We're granted.
Trouble Is Expected.
Ihere is a fear throughout the coal
belt that the coming week will witness
more or less serious disturbances. To-
morrow is looked on by well-i informed
persons as a critical day, but it is not
believed that any serious trouble Will
occur. 1t is a fact that the labor lead
ers have counselled the strikers to re-
main quiet and commit no viola ton of
the law. 1t is claimed by the union
that nearly all of the pump men and
firemen will quit work and that about
lhree-fourths of the engineers will also
refuse to continue at work. This claim
was privately admitted to-day by
company official familiar with the
situation, While the plans of the union
have not been made public, it is known
that a thorough system has been
mapped out with a view of getting out
those men who will refuse to quit to-
morrow. A hOuse-to-house canvas will
be started, which no doubt will have
considerable effect. The methods that
have been adopted in regard to the
non-union men who will take the strik-
ers' places are not known.
Companies Are Prepared.
Practically all the non-union men to
be employed are now in the region.
The companies say that the number
of those who have volunteered to fill
strikers places has been surprisingly
large, and that no difficulty has been
encountered in selecting good men. An
army of approximately 5000 armed
coal and iron policemen, sworn in un-
der a law of the state of Pennsyl-
vania, is in the field tonight ready to
protect these men and the mining
properties. There are also scattered
throughout the country, it is said,
about 10000 men who are doing secret
work for these companies.
Every colliery in the coal belt has
either board or barbed wire fence
around it. At some of the mines camp
cars are lying on the siding for the ac-
of non-Jnion men, most
of whom will live within the colliery
during the suspension.
Miners Are Incensed.
A journey through the thickly popu-
lated parts of this (Wyoming) district
day found that the idle mine work.
ers are greatly incensed at the impor-
tation of strangers. Those workmen
who have decided to remain at work
tomorrow also came in for consider
able condemnation.
1t was extremely quiet around strike
headquarters to-day. President Mitch
ell spent the day in going over corre-
spondence. Charles H. Schadt, sheriff
Of LackaWanna county, in which
Scranton is located, to-day posted a
notice at each colliery in Lackawanna
county warning all persons not en-
Dloyed at the mines to keep away from
,hese properties and not to violate the
aw in any way.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of
the fourth week of the total suspen-
sion of mining. Mr.. Mitchell said that
he was well satisfied with the progress
Of the strike. He had nothing to say
the probability of calling out
Of the bituminous men.
Some Who VIII Not Strike.
At a meeting of the engineers, fire
men and pumpmen employed in the
collieries of the Susquehanna Coal |
Alden Coal Company and the
two collieries of the Delaware, Lack |
lwanna and Western Railroad Conapa- |
ny, held at Nanticoke to-day. it was
decided by a vote of about two to one
not to strike. About 20 men attended |
the meeting.
Mitchell Predicts Victory.
A Joint meeting of the Brotherhood |
Of Railway Engineers. Firemen. Train |
men, Switchmen, Conductors and Tele- |
graphers employed by the Central |
Railroad OF New Jersey, was held at |
Ashley this evening About 900 men |
were present President Mitchell of |
The United Mine Workers; District /
President Fahy and Charles S. Wilson. /
vice grand master OF the Brotherhood |
II Locomotive Flremen, delivered ad-
dresses. Mr.. Mitchell outlined the
strike situation In the anthracite re-
hon Ina detail and f0,Id n fba fa~ou-