Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-08-06
Surface Lines Cease Operat- ing in Three Borougls at
 g O'clock Last Night. SITUATION WORST
 IN CITY'S HISTORY
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers May Walk Out in Sympathy, Thus Tying .'p Steam and Electric
 Roads Running Unto New York,

traffic ceased in the boroughs of Man haitian, the Bronx and Richmond at & o'clock tonight. At that hour the city was Tn the grip of the nose serious transit blockade in it's history. Brook lyn was the only borough in the greater city not affected by the strike o1 motormen and conductors. Only fraction of the normal number of cars was in operation in the borough of Queens, al hough the railway company operating the lines there was more fortunate that the other public service corporations affected in retaining the services of large number of loyal employees.
 The menace of general strike that would involve the elevated and sub- way lines was growing hourly more threatening tonight. Union organizers declared employees of the traction com panies were reporting constantly at headquarters to be enrolled Wm. E. Fitzgerald, the general organizer, de- clared that by the middle of next week every employe of the Interbo- rough would be member of the union.
 Locomotive Engineers May Quit.
 A new element of danger to the traveling public was added tonight when Vim. B. Mahon, president of the Amagamated Association of Electric Railway Employees of America, de- clared delegation from the Brother hood of Locomotive Engineers, repre- senting men working on the steam and elevated railroads, had asked for a conference. It was announced at union headquarters that this rrobably meant the members of the brother hood would walk out in svupr thy with the carmen if necessary, and thus tie up the steam and electric roads run ming into New York.
 Within an hour after inc ha'ting of traffic steady streams of jitncy auto- bc~an flowing through Broad way, Eff avenue and other streets, running north and south, as well as through the cross--cwn tho~ofares. Hundreds of automobile taxicab and truck owners did, thriving business. Throngs of half-holidav oycu~Sionists returning from rearbv bc-chos and pleasure resorts waited vainlv fer sur face cars, and then descended into the nearest subway stations or climbed stairs to, the elevated platform. Most of the Automobiles were without license but the police made no efforts to interfere with the traffic.
 With (le suspension of service on the car lines the danger of serious dis order became less menacing, but the police did not relax vigilance. At 9 o'clock tonight several auto trucks, loaded with pistol ammunition left po- lice headquarters. Boxes of cartridges were left at every station.
 Hurl Stones from Roofs.
 The most serious demonstration of the day occurred tonight when police reserves charged crowd of strike sympathizers, said to have numbered at least 2,000, who were bombarding a street car with stones and attempt ing to rescue a prisoner from a plat form. Women and children hurled missiles from tenement houses. Police reserves arrived and cleared not only the streets but the roofs as well.
 Reports received by Police Inspec- tor Schmidtberger during the early forenoon showed that 598 of the l. 291 cars operated normally by the New York Railways company were in service, that the Third avenue lines in the Bronx were operating 109 cars out of 252, but in Manhattan only 73 out of 5O5 were running. In Queens the reports said 83 cars out of I'll were in operation.
 About 50 cases of intimidation and other disorderly acts during the fore noon were reported to police head quarters, including a demonstration at one of the New York Railways car barns which called police reserves there.
 Strike Gains Headway.
 As the day wore on, it appeared that the strike was gaining headway. w. D. Mahon, president of the Amal- gamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees, asserted that two-third of the employees had quit.
 Inspector Schmidtberger reported that in many cases cars had started from the barns in the early morning and were withdrawn before the noon hour, and at that time those on the New York Railways company's lines had been reduced to 467.. The strike, moreover, threatened to spread to lines in Staten Island, where the po- lice reported that 95 per cent of the employees of the Richmond Light &