New-York tribune., 1907-07-02
STRIKE ACROSS BRIDGE.
RROOkLYN ICEMEN JOIN.
Each Side Confident of Victory in
Near Future.

A meeting of the striking ice wagon drivers
.rcc held last night in Brooklyn, at which it was
announced that the foremen of all the company's
stables and stations in that borough had struck
and later that these foremen were taken into the
labor organization.
The corrpany's announcement that it would be
prepared to send out its full force of wagons
this morning was received with ridcule. but
active preparations were made to meet the ener
cencv Business Agent Ferrett returned TO his
headquarters in East 9th street and Avenue d
after the Brooklyn meeting. and was in confer
cnce with his aids all night.
At , o'clock yesterday morning pickets, or
Stewards as they called. were placed at all
The company's bridges stations and stables
These stewards were on duty all day yesterday,
hut few mon appeared for work that there
little 10 do.
Ferretu said last night that not a man hal
offered to desert the organization and that they
would he Joined by the bargemen who handle the
:ce al the bridges, this morning.
Though there said to he two hundred
strike breakers put to work yesterday by the
American Ice Company in the place of the
strikers all the ice delivered seemed 10 he a
drop in the bucket, compared TO what was
needed The men who applied for work at
Waddell * Mahon'S agency, No. 41J West
Broadway carefully sifted 10 get good
men, according TO the ice company. but the
officers of the Ice Wagon Drivers Union say
that over Two thousand men who could go over
the routes more quickly than far more than the
same number of new men are on strike against
the company in Manhattan below 34th street
and in Brooklyn and the suburbs.
II was said at the depot of the company in
West goth street. near Eleventh avenue, that
about dozen wagons had been sent out. This
station was well protected by uniformed police.
About eight wagons were sent out from the
bridge AT East 9Th street, which is called Sta
ton A. and which supplies the East Side and
part Of Broadway. 1t IS responsible for ice de-
livery in the largest ice distributing territory in
Manhattan. The strikers have their headquar-
ters in a cafe near thisSplace, but kept away
from il
The strike breakers afraid, it was said
to tackle large blocks of ice as the strikers had
made il appear that IL was dangerous 10 handle
large blocks. About thirty Of the strikers were
induced 70 quit at No. 141 West 22d street and
No. I24 West 18th street, where strike breakers
are lodged and boarded by the company the
agents Of the union having in some unknown
way managed 20 get into the houses
The representatives of the company said that
they hoped n break the strike by today or to-
morrow. President Wesley II. Oler said: I'VE
expect 10 put two hundred more 20 work to-
morrow, and keep adding 10 that number until
we have enough. Every facility Is given at the
depots for those who come 10 cart their own ice
We believe matters Will adjust themselves in the
next two days. We are keeping the various
hospitals and charitable institutions supplied
with ice
Nearly all Of them have their own ice plants,
hut whatever they need in excess of their o.rn
supply we are keeping them supplied with We
are not asking the Police Department 70 supply
policemen to guard the wagons. but simply -
guard the bridges and depots. We are having
our oWn special policemen sworn in al Police
Headquarters. Every wagon send out has
special policeman driver and helper
Asked If efforts were being made TO supply
undertakers and others with whose business ice
IS prime necessity. he said:
We are serving first those who need ice most
As 10 the underta kers, through the practice Of
enbalming bodies less ice is required by them
than in former years. The hotels are getting
all they require"
There was nothing. he said, in the report Of
me Ice Wagon Drivers Union that the strike
mad extended TO Coney Island The bargen1en
who struck az the Franklin street bridge had
gone back to work and no more bargemen were
likely To quit, he said
Fifty patrolnen were stationed al and near
me East 9th street bridge known as Station 4
winch supplies the district from 18th street 10
the battery east Of Broadway. taking in Broad
way below Houston street. About seven or
eght wagons were sent out from his bridge in
stead Of the usual number Of forty-ive
The Brooklynites were supplied very sparinglv
yesterday principally by the independent deal
ers. who had not enough TO go around
Inc strikers or their sympathzers in Brook
Ign watched for the men but their vigilance did
not oear much fruit. One ice wagon which had
a driver, helper and special officer was spied at
FO'ton street and Bedford avenue. A shower Of
stones Weft: thrown and the drivers whipped urD
the horses and soon 1istanced the crowd
The worst sufferers from the strike IN Brooks
.yh so lar have been the butchers Of Wallabout
Market George Dressier president of the Mar
hetrheil Association, said yesterday that no ice
haa reached the market since the beginning of
cle strlke and that the loss inflicted on the meat
uediers H. consequence was about 81 OCG
(yEh I'D