Gilpin observer., 1914-04-23

Denyer.-Governor Ammons, who is
in Washington, has been asked by Ad-
jutant General Chase of the Colorado
National Guard to assent to the calling
of a special session of the Legislature
to arrange for special appropriation
with which to put more militiamen in
the coal strike field. Other persons
have also urged the governor to con-
sent to the action.
Trinidad, Colo, April 22.-Thirty-
three dead. more than two-thirds of
them women and children; a score
missing and more than a score
wounded, was the toll known last
night to have been taken by the four
teen-hour battle which ragged Monday
afternoon and night with uninter-
rupted fury between state troops and
striking coal miners in the Ludlow
district.
With arms ready, both sides await
ed the coming of dawn, when, it was
forecast, the battle would be resumed
which has occurred.
The militia, which Monday drove
the strikers from their tent colony,
and, 1t is charged, fired it, involving
thereby the greatest loss of life, is pre-
pairing for a machine-gun sortie at
daybreak from their position along the
Colorado & Southern railroad tracks
at each side of the Ludlow station.
On the surrounding hills. sheltered
by rocks and boulders, four hundred
strikers await their coming, while
their ranks are being swelled by grim
faced men who tramped overland in
the dark carrying guns and ammuni-
tion from the neighboring union
camps.
On the outcome of the engagement
may depend the fate of the strike
Both sides face it as battle to
death. with no thought of quarter
asked or received. At late hour it
was said here the battle could be
averted by the arrival of reinforce
ments from Denver.
Italian, Greek and Austrian miners
have appealed to their consular rep
resentatives for protection, and John
McLennan. president of the local un-
ion district. yesterday wired to the
Red Cross in Denver to be prepared to
render aid.
No train service through the war
zone Is permitted. Telephone COM
munication has been re-established.
Major Hamrock is in command of the
troops, hemmed in on all sides by the
striker lines, which extend back three
miles. Through this Gordon only the
dead wagon is allowed to pass.
Ludlow camp is mass of charred
debris and buried beneath it is a story
of horror unparalleled in the history
of industrial warfare. In the holes
which have been dug for their protec.
tion against the rifle fire, the women
and children died when the flames
swept over them
Twenty more women refugees, ac-
cording to a statement given out at
the mine workers headquarters, are
now on their way in automobiles to
Trinidad. from Bays ranch near Lud.
low, where they sought shelter when
the fire In the colony destroyed their
homes.
At late hour last night Lieutenant
Governor Fitzgerald. over the long
distance telephone. asked John McLen-
nan, district president Of the mine
workers, to arrange n truce. He said
that permission would be accorded a
committee to visit the burned tent col
ony to make n thorough search for the
bodies Of those who perished in the
fire. The committee. headed probably
by the mayor, left Trinidad at an early
hour this morning.
In Trinidad the situation is no less
acute. Men crowd the streets about
the union headquarters