Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-11
MAKES A CHEERFUL REPORT
Superintendent McKssn Says Oempanys
Motive Power Is Excellent
UNION PACIFIC SUFFERS But LTTTLt
RAILROADS. CLAIMS AZ direct v~arianee
with Those Of strikers AZ TO
Conditions % Road and
Eaulpment.

run ms through the busy season or until
the latter part Of January, barring acci-
DENTS" said Superintendent MoKeen OF the
motive power department OF the Union Pa
cihc yesterday. Mr.. MoKeen returned sun
day after making a tour Of the road and
visiting the shops as far west as Denver
and Cheyenne. Commenting further, ne
said:
The Union Pacific Is doing a tremendous
business in the passenger as we'll freight
lines despite claims to the contrary. made
In view Of the strike which has been In
progress for several weeks. Instead OF our
good engines being laid up for repairs and
substituted entirely By old ones that have
not been In service for years, we have all
the engines we need and they are In good
condition. Our new boiler inspector, Mr..
Hemple, who made the trip with ne. pro-
nounced them in first class order. In fact.
that is the ofacial report that was made TO
President Burt"
Asked II the company would be able to
meet the extra demands which the large
grain shipments this fail would make upon
Its motive power and train facilities. Mr..
McKeen said:
I'VE shall have no trouble whatever in
transporting all the grain the company is
asked to transport 20 far as engines are
iNoHccIuous lu0TD may De some serious
dihculty IN getting enough hremen and en-
sipeers and possibly enough cars, but there
is certainly no likelihood of q dearth Of
engines and l don't mean TO convey the idea
that we will experiences a shortage Of cars.
! simply mean that In proportion we have
more available engines than freight cars.
state this that you may understand some-
thing OF the excellent condition Of our mo-
tive power.
Not Hard to Understana.
But that ought not to be hard to un-
derstand, when you consider that when this
strike started our engines were in the
best possible condition and they were 90
numerous too, that even II failures had
been 80 frequent as they have been rep
resented, our motive power would still not
be dangerously crippled. There is another
very essential point to. be considered In
this connection, that IL, that all our en-
gines were comparatively new. not any in
service are much over three years old.
II Is not true that all our best engines have
been dllapidated and shelved and replaced
by the ones Of the old series, which for
some time were abandoned. OF course, we
have . few old onea In use. but that isn't
particularly due to the. strike. We are
having a few engines fail; as a matter
of fact, that Is to be expected, but these
failures are not SO very numerous
what about those eighty new ngine
which the company was to get from the
east" was asked7
Il have not heard when they are to be
here" said Mr.. McKeen. He placed no
faith In the report that their delivery
was retarded because Of, the threat OF
the mschinists and boiiermakers In the
shops where the engines are being built
OF striking IL the engines were sent TO
the Union Pacific during the present labor
troubles. He expressed the belief that the
men In the eastern shops, at least in the
Baldwin Locomotive works, are not bound
by the unions. so as to be subject to the
influence Of the Union Pacific strikers.
Tracks Not Knocked.
Mr.. McKeen denied that the switch tracks
at Cheyenne and other places along the
road we're blocked BY loaded freight cars
that were waiting for engines to move
them. He said the tracks we're clear and
trains were running In good order. He
also denied that It had become necessary
to 'double-head' all trains up the Chey-
enne hill because OF defective engine boil
ers.
Regarding forces now at work in the
shops, they are adequate in most cases,
according to Mr.. McKeen's statements. At
Cheyenne. he says, there are seventy ma
chinists as against eighty or ninety before
the strike and twenty-five boiler makers,
which Is more than formerly. The boiler
makers work there. he Gays, IS 80 far
ahead Of the machtniets that eight or nine
engines are awaiting the latter. having
passed through the hands Of the boiler
makers. Foul engines were turned out
from the Cheyenne shops last week, he
says.
At Denver the force has been materially
increased and a greater volume OF work
viii be done there hereafter. Mechanical
facilities. a. we'll rs the number of men,
are to be enlarged. One engine was turned
out there last week.
MI. McKeen visited, the Omaha shops I'm
medlateIy upon his return and reports that
tbs force ls large and the men are salts
factory and satisfied. He says that the
forces generally have been brought mp to
such q good standard in Plumbers and pro-
hciency that II Will be unnecessary TO en-
ploy more men. and that within a couple
Of days orders viii be given to stop hiring
nonunion men.
Attempt 10 Wreck Train.
Mr.. McKeen reports that at Denver
Thursday an attempt was made BY two
strikers to wreck an engine. which resulted
In the arrest Of both men and the appFe-
henBion OF the secretary Of the local ma
ehinist's lodge. The alleged Would-be
wrec1ers were machinists. They are said
to have ridden their wheels out Of the city
about two miles to meet the incoming
train. They are charged with having put
9 bolt IN the guides. which caused mischief.
omcers were placed upon their tran. the
men caught. lodged IN jail and induced 10
make confessions. One Of them Is said
to have produced a letter from the secre-
tary Of his lodge In which the latter IN
structed the men to proceed to a certain
point and wreck the engine. Upon the dis
closure Of this evidence the secretary waH
arrested BY the federal authorities for con-
spring to interfere with United States
mail. The train was delayed three and q
half hours on account OF the accident
Superintendent exc dlscredits All re-
ports that the company has reached "a
place where q settlement Of the strike is
necessary and disclaims any intention Of
the company to open negotiations for a
settlement. Instead Of this. be says the
company Is preparing for a long SIEGE"
as may be evidenced by the dormltories
and eating houses being established In tbs
varloun ahnua IA anwn nonfarfa ~ uaamu