The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-12-04
SOLDIERS
DIG KANSAS COAL
Volunteers Go to the Mines in U.
S. Uniforms.
FUEL TO MOVE IN FEW DAYS
Train, Consisting of Twelve coaches
Carrying Troops to Coal FIELDS,
Runs Into Open Switch at Hum
boidt-No One Injured.


army uniforms, many of which bore in
signa of overseas divisions the first
contingent of volunteer workers who
are to dig coal in the strip pit mines
of the Pittsburg field arrived here.
Thirteen hundred soldiers and vol
unteer workers have arrived.
Military control in the mining fields
of Crawford and Cherokee counties
was declared by Col. +. NJ. Hoisngton,
commanding the Fourth regiment of
the Kansas National Guard. Operation
of strip pit plants by the state began
in the afternoon.
Are Mostly Service Men.
For the most part the men are for
mer service men and members of the
American Legion. They are Il husky
bunch and were clothed for work.
Many wore heavy boots or "hohnails,"
which had protected their feet ON the
battetiedS of France.
A train with Kansas National
Guardsmen and volunteer coal strip
pit workers, en- route here, was de
rallied at Humboldt
Reports indicated that the train ran
into an open switch. No one was re-
ported injured.
Under the Kansas plan the mines
will be run through receivership ere
ated by the state supreme court, with
workers recruited from all parts Of
the state. The volunteers and any
union miners who join them will be
paid the regular wage scale plus the
ID per cent cent increase recently
granted by Or. II. A. Garfield fed
eral fuel administrator
Officials Are Confident.
state officials were confident that
by the end Of the week the output Of
coal will be sufficient to meet the de
mandS in the state caused by the fuel
famine.
Six hundred federal and loo state
troops were in the coal district for po-
lice purposes. The attitude Of the
striking miners was being watched
with interest, but the belief was gen
eral that there would be no interfcr-
ence with the volunteers.
Whether any material number of
miners will accept the governments
II per cent wage increase and return
To work was probematcal Alexan-
der ". Howat, president of the Kan
sas mine unions, declared that none
of the men would accept the increase.
Hint Work of Train Wreckers.
Kansas City Mo, Dec 2.-Reports
of the derailment Of a troop train at
Humboldt, Kan, received at the offices
of the Atchison, Topeka 4 Santa Fee
railroad here, indicated the possibility
officials said of a switch having been
thrown MS the train was passing over
it, The engine and first two ears of
the special had passed the switch, re
ports said. and the next eight cars
wer dcrailed The last two cars of
the train did not leave the rails.
Kansas City aWoke to find one rift
in the clouds of gloom caused by thd
fuel famine. The bright spot was the
settlement of the railroad Switchmen's
strike, which had been tying up the
meager supplies Of coal on track in the
local yards and which officials said
would now be moved out for immedl.
ate use.
However the situation was far
from normal and conservation meas
urcs, some more drastic than those dur
ing the war period, were going into eff
feet Mass meetings of citizens were
called to discuss Ways Of meeting the
emergency and every effort was being
made 10 Impress the general public
with the necessity Of fuel curtailmcnt
in all directions.