Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-31
AS Told Over the Cable and the
Telegraph.
HAPPENINGS OF THE WORLD
Recalled in a Perusal Of the News Col
umns of The Evening Star.
CONDENSED REVIEW OF 1902

Following are some of the more
important happenings during the
year 1902:
I. The great anthracite coal strike.
2. Great number of seismic dis
asters.
4. End of the Boer war.
d. England and Germany coerce
Venezuela.
By far the most important event OF the
closing year was the strike in the anthra-
cite coal region. On May IL the miners al
most to a man laid down their tools ana
refused to return to work until their de-
mands were complied with. The produc-
ton Of anthracite coal was suddenly and
effectively stopped 1t was estimated that
one hundred and forty-fve thousand men
went out. The immediate result was that
anthracite coal at once jumped from ~
cents to 81 ton.
The specific demands Of the miners, as
presented by Mr.. John Mitchell, the presi-
dent Of the United Mine Workers OF Amer
lea. were as follows: M
/. That there shall be an increase Of 20
per cent to the miners who are paid by the
ton-that is for men performing contract
work. These men involve about ~ per cent
q A reduction of 20 per cent in the time
of per diem employees. Mines are operated
about two hundred days year, ten hours
a day. This demand, If granted, would re-
suit In reducing the days to eight hours,
so that the mines will be operated two
hundred and forty days at about the same
pace; hence an equivalent Of 70 per cent
Increase in the earnings no increase in the
rates Of per diem employees being de-
manded.
3. That 2.24O pounds shall constitute the
ton on which payment Is based for all coal
mined where the miners are paid by weight.
This would apply in any districts where
weighing coal would be practicable, and Of
those miners who are paid by the quantity
and to those not paid by the day.
To these demands the operators paid 1T
tie or no attention and steadily refused to
hold conferences either with the union Of
fcials or with their men as individuals
until the latter had first returned to work.
A number of efforts were made by men
OF prominence to efrect a settlement be.
these, like the efforts OF the men them
selves. failed OF any results.
But little attention was paid to the situa-
ton by the general public until the ap-
proach of fall weather. Then people began
to realize what serious thing 1t was that
the country was facing. In the largest part
of the country in the matter Of population,
and including the sections which have the
coolest weather in winteh, the use of an
thracite coal was regarded as almost as
much OF necessity as food People began
to understand that even a return to work
at the beginning of the fall could scarcely
overcome the deficit by the long term of
non-production. The situation was indeed
appalling.
Finally, after efforts by all others had
failed President Roosevelt. at the urgent
solicitation Of many prominent men and
public associations, undertook the task of
bringing the miners and the operators to
sort OF agreement under which the
mining Of coal could be resumed at once.
After number Of meetings with President
Mitchell OF the miners union and repre-
sentatives OF the coal companies and coal
roads an agreement was reached under
which the men agreed to resume work at
once The only condition as an offset to
their apparent surrender to the operators
was that President Roosevelt should ap-
point a commission to visit the mining re-
gious and make q thorough investigation
into the situation, and determine whether
the demands Of the men were reasonab BILE.
The decision Of this commission will be in
the nature Of the settlement OF the whole
controversy. The members Of this commits
mission are Judge Gray Of the United States
court, president: Carroll D. Wright. COM
missioner Of labor. recorder: Gen. John
M. Wilson, retired army officer: Bishop
Spauding OF the Catholic Church; E. z.
Clark. grand chief of the railway conduc-
tors; Edward Wheeler Parker, statistician
of the United States geological survey, and
Thomas II. Watkins, mining expert.
amounted to will probably never be known
with exactness. Besides the tremendous
loss TO the miners themselves, the state Of
Pennsylvania was very heavy loser in the
trouble, Soon after the strike was ordered
trouble broke out at some of the mines, and
troops were sent into the field. Toward the
close of the strike the entire military force
OF the state was doing duty in the field.
Several men lost their lives during the dis
order, and altogether the strike was one
of the most calamitous labor disturbances
l.. T.. 4,
A YEAR OF DISASTERS.
The year 1902 will be known in history
as one of terrible disasters. Forty thou
sand lives were lost in st. Pierre, Island Of
Martinique. early in the month of May.
The city was wholly destroyed by an erup-
ton Of the volcano on Mt Peee, five miles
distant. The ships in the harbor were al
most totally destroyed. including four
American vessels 1t Is estimated that not
more than thirty persons escaped from the
neighborhood around St. Pierre within a
radius Of four or hve miles.
This disaster was followed soon after by
severe earthquakes in Guatemala and en-
tire cities were shaken down. and II Is es-
timated that $1,000 were rendered home
less.
Hardly had the news Of these two disas-
tiers been printed before a fresh eruption
of St. Vincent. occurred. The survivors
fed into Kingston. where relief was af-
forded them.
The towns Of Kay-yan and Tchengeri In
Asia Minor. were destroyed with great loss
OF life.
succession Of earthquake shocks early
In September killed 100 persons at Kashgar
eastern Turkestan. 400 in the village OF
Astyn and 20 at Jangi the town Of Akwu.
sitche being also totally destroyed: the
earthquake also reduced the town OF Artusf
TO ruins, 667 persons being killed and ,OO(
others injured. From 100 to 400 persons
were reported TO have been killed by a cy.
clone in Sicily.
Mont Pelee in Martinique and the Sou
friere volcano on the Island of st. Vincent
erupted again later in the year, the former
killing LEGO persons and the latter ovel
1900; the village Of Morne Rouge on Mar
Unique was destroyed by the eruption
while the village Of LIE Carbet was sweep
away by a tidal wave.
Heavy floods in Japan caused the loss o.
scores OF lives.
An earthquake in Transcausasia killet
1900 persons and destroyed 1900 homes
The volcano Of Kilauea, in Hawaii. wa.
again active: the volcano Of Stromboli wa.
In full eruption.
Five thousand Chinese were reported (,
have been lost In another Of the great flood,
caused by the overflow Of the West river
THE VENEZUELAN EPISODE.
After his successful mediation in tn