The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-02
Anthracite Goal Regions In An
 ApprehensiVe Mood
ON EVE OF HARD STRUGGLE
lfsPumpmen Go Out Mine Property VIII be Damaged Thousands of DoIlars-lf They Remain
 Strike Will be Failure.

Il Wilkesbarre, Pa., June 1.-The eve of Il what is looked upon as a most important l week in the progress of the anthracite I coal miners strike finds the entire region 1 In an apprehensive mood.
 1 At o'clock tomorrow morning the or-
 der of the United Mine Workers of Amer 1 lea calling out aiI the stationary en- l gineers. firemen and pumpmen unless the | companies grant them an eight-hour work day at present wages. will go into effect l and no one can forefeil the outcome of the new move. Victory for either side will be of immense advantage. and both parties to the controversy are striving with all the power at their command to win. If the union succeeds in shutting |fdown the pumps the mine properties will suffer damage that may reach into mil- lions of dollars. and If the employers should be able to keep the water out of their workings without the aid of organ- ized labor. 1t means that the power of the union in the anthracite region has reached its limit and that all help in the effort to force the mine workers to grant the de- mands of the great army of 147.000 men must come from some outside sources
 First Case on Records. President Mitchell said tonight that this Is the first time in the history of his l organization that the union was com pelled to cali out this class of employees, | and thus endanger the safety of the ] mines. In all other instances. he said. !. the demands were granted.
 There Is q fear throughout the coal ,I belt that the coming week will witness
 more or less serious disturbances. To- ,I morrow is looked upon by well-informed persons as a critical day. but 1t Is not 1 believed that any very serious trouble | will occur. It Is claimed by the union
 that nearly all of the pumpmen and fire 1 men will quit work, and that about 1 three-fodrths of the engineers will also l refuse to continue work. This claim was l privately admitted today by a company l official familiar with the situation. The 1 companies say that the number Of those l who have volunteered to fill the strikers l places has been surprisingly large. and | that no difficulty has been encountered In | selecting good men. 5000 Armed Policemen. An army of approximately 5000 armed 1 coal and iron policemen sworn in under | a law of the state of Pennsylvania, Is in l the field tonight ready to protect these
 men and the mining properties.
 There are also scattered throughout | the country. 1t is said. about 1000 men | who are doing secret work for the com l panies .ta l Tomorrow marks the beginning of the l fourth week of the total suspension of
 mining MT. Mitchell said that he was | well satisfied with the progress of the 1 strike He had nothing to say regarding 1 the probability of calling out the bitum- l inous men.
 joint meeting of the Brotherhoods or Railway Engineers. Bremen, Trainmen. 1 switchmen, Conductors and Telegraphers | employed by the Central Railroad of New | Jersey was held at Ashley today. About i 600 men were present A resolution was | adopted pledging thet etco-operation of all | railroad men If such a move was neces- I sary in order for theimners to win their I strike.
 I Will Arrest Trespassers-
 Scranton. Pa, June 1-In anticipation Il of possible trouble this week, resulting I from the places of the striking engin-
 eers, fremen and pump runners being
 filled by other men. Sheriff Charles H.
 Schadt today sent his deputies all
 through Lackawanna county posting no- l ttceS 10 the eHtCl tHdL dii PStSSho WAAt
 trespass upon the property of the coal | companies or commit any depredations | of any kind or in any manner interfere
 with the persons employed thereon will
 be dealt with strictly according to law.
 canvass made today gives indications
 that there will be few engineers and noe
 many more pump runners who will obey
 the strike order. The firemen. 1t is be-
 iieved, will generally go on strike.
 Kissed Special Officers.
 l Hazleton, Pa. June. 1.-At 730' o'clock l tonight. when about twenty special of- 1 flcers in charge of the coal company
 agent boarded a trollew car at the Ha- 1 zleton House for Freeland, about 800 1 men rushed at them hissing and yelling. 1 It was feared that the crowd would att tack the officers and trouble would un- l doubtedly have occurred had not Chief of
 Police Ferry and four of his men held
 the excited strike sympathisers back un- | til the car left. sas
 The engineers, firemen and pump run
 ners employed at the Coxe Galleries
 unanimously voted for the second time
 this evening to obey the strike order.
 Pump Runners to Stay Away. | Shamokln, Pa. June 1.-The mine | workers and leaders said tonight that | the engineers. firemen and pump work
 CTS will remain away from the colliertcs tomorrow in order to preserve peace. The
 sheriff is contemplating the swearing in | of strike leaders to serve as deputies in
 case any are needed, and in the event
 of those deputies not being able to con-
 trol the men. he would ask Gov, Stone for troops. ,iA aAsl
 Firemen Quit Work.
 Mahony City. Pa, June f.--Three- fourths of the firemen, hoisting engineers
 and pumpmen, comprising the day forces
 employed at the fifteen coiileries of the several mining corporations in this val- ley quit work this evening In response to the call of the miners organization for an eight hour day. The night forcss
 will quit at o'clock in the morntnE