The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-05-27
.elief That Many VIII Dis
obey Strike Order,
TRIKING MINERS HOPEFUL

ven II Engineers, FiTenen and Pump
q men Refuse to Jcin Them, Bitumi-
q nous Mine Workers Nav Save the
Day by Walking Out,
WILKESBARRE Pa. May 27--Strike
aders here are greatly worried today.
reports from all over the anthracite
strict IS TO the number Of engineers.
remen. and pumPmeu who VIII refuse
90 out on June . are threatening TO
cir cause Although maintaining
put front and insisting that all talk
the men refusing TO obey the order
the union is nonsense. IT is apparent
at they fear not only that many of
men now at work viii remain at
eir posts but also that as a result
re viii be other breaks in she ranks
Nlhe strikers.
lengthy message has been sent 10
-sident Mitchell telling him Of the
ae Of affairs He is expected here
= brsday. Meanwhile President Mich
and other labor leaders are doing
EhteEer they can to prepare for the
cribs Ct June . They are anxious and
VII welcome Mr. MitcbelIs return.
The Poll Completed.
Tle poll O. the engineers. fremar and
purP~en. by the operators. which gives
the first real mixing Of the attitude of
III, nan. has been completed Today
tbs reports were nearly all in. These
relorts show that practically so per
2e2t Of the engineers have given as
frances that they VIII refuse TO obey
eli Itrike order They realize that il they
leave the companies N the Iurch they
vi never again be employed by opera
RS hereabOUts. Indications are tha. -
per cent of the fremen viii stick 10
their posts, and that only about half of
the 3Umpmen viii 90 out
The object Of the companies in max
ing this poll was TO ascertain how many
men II VIII be necessary 10 have on
hand on June = II case there is no set
tIenent before that time Where dec
laTaIIOns have been unsatisfactory the
men IN some instances have been sworn
IN as special coal and iron police.
Inere viii be an attempt this week to
smut down the ColIery at Bernice. where
the only coal now mined in the anthra-
cite region is being produced The mine
has been on strike for fifteen months
Some time ago nCn-UriOu men were Sc
cured to run the cClliery.
VIII March on CoIlieTy.
It is understood that the strikers If
they fail by peaceabIe means to get the
workers to stop. viii march upon the
eoIIiery- The State Line and the Sulff-
van Railroad Company owners Of the
coIliery. are making preparations TO
guard II against assault and a number
OF coal and iron policemen have already
been placed On guard
Since the strike began two weeks ago
approximately 10.0C0 miners have left
the REGION to find work elsewhere. Re
ports have been received al strike head
quarters here which indicate that the
majority OF these are single men and
that they have in many cases sought
work IN the bItuminOus fields. Although
large numbers have found employment
in the cities. some towns in this vicin-
ity. such as ashley. PirrstCn. Kingston
and Miners Mills. have had their pouu-
latiOn5 reduced JETee-fOur hs Priests
all through the hard coal districts have
urged young men TO search for work in
other parts CT the country because they
believe the strike would be a long one
Estimate of Damages.
a mine inspector located in this city
Who is conversanr with the physical con
ditions Of the various coIlieries in the
---F--~-f-a s7s---=r-r-
innate today Of the damage which would
be done in the event Of the companies
being unable TO operate their pun1s for
d period Of two weeks He said that a
suspension Of pumping Tor that length
Of time would result in 80 per cent Of
all the mines being seriously lama ged
and that months would be required to
place them IL working order again. The
loss which would be irreparabIe he said
would be about . per cent Of the total
value Of the $50 CollierIes in the dis
trict affected by the strike
The damage n MONEY value would be
sbOu- 81 ,GlG, 600. c0lieTias being worth
OF an average Of about 81 COO 900 each.
Continuing the inspector said that 90
Per cent OF the mines would suffer no
material damage because they are IN
mountainous sections and not subject TO
cases he said, the losses from flooding
would be CCnsiJerabI BILE According 10 the
inspector the Lehigh and SchuyIkul
mines would sustain the bulk Of the
damage; The Wyoming Valley mines tho
least loss. hut unless the mines are
protected, even at the cost Of violence.
III 900 000 worth Of property VIII be
A2st-
Conflict Of Figures.
There is q conflict Of figures between
2 operators and the strikers as to the
znber Of engineers. fremen. ard
8 rupmen who VIII remain at work after
g1e .. The strike order gees into ef-
q that day Operators claim that by
OF their men and reports Of their
men a Iafge majority OF the en-
ers and pumpmen viii remain az
The strikers insist that not 10
cent Of the working force VIII work
next Monday They have arranged
inEs for this week al which the
z~s win be haraugued. and the 0p-
,rz Is viii continue making arrange
rsntf to I'll with noE-uBion men all the
macs now occupied.