New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-02
10000 Strikers Suffer
Heavy Losses in Fight
With Sheriff's Forces,
W. Va. Officials Report
Machine Gun Fire
Sweeping Invaders
Attacking Army Seizes
Roads, Takes Control
of Wires in District
spee,o, Dispatch to The Tribune


Heavy fighting between striking
miners and sheriff's deputies, state
police and citizen volunteers, which
broke out again at IL o'clock this
morning is raging along the ten-milc
battle front in the Coal River valley,
in the region of Sharples and Blair,
Logan County. Reports of casualties
filtering through are that fifty or
more of the invading army of miners,
estimated to be ten thousand strong,
have been killed.
How accurate this estimate is can
not be told here, as the only informa-
ton from reliable source as to the
casualties came from Sheriff Don
Chain of Logan County, who de-
clares the miners had lost at least
sixty men.
Little information has reached
here from the miners side. Accord
ing to Sheriff Chain, the loss Of
three men has been suffered by the
defenders. These men fell in tho
first clash between the miners and
the volunteer army early yesterday.
Fight on 25.Mile Front
The fighting was resumed later in
the day, according to information re.
ceived tonight by Prosecuting Att
torney Mullen, of Boone County, who
said the battle" now extends along
front of twenty-five miles.
From a miner who came here to.
day it was learned that the miners
loss had been very heavy. His state
ment was that 'it will take a week
to bury their dead" He had made
his way from the battle front.
A report from Logan said fighting
had broken out at Crooked Creek.
and that Logan County deputies
were being compelled to retreat be-
fore the miners.
Observers in scout planes who few
over the battlefield to-day, from Blair
to Jeffrey, say the miners are slowly
withdrawing their forces from the foot
hills and moving to the rear. A con-
siderable force, however, remains In
Blair, where the fighting yesterday wss
of sanguinary character.
Machine Guns Check Invaders
During to-day a steady machine gun
barrage was thrown on the miners
hiding places at the foot of the ridge
in the Blair sector. This prevented
the heavily armed miners from rush
ing forward in an effort TO reach the
top of the ridge where Sheriff Chains
quickly mobiized troopers are fairly
well intrenched behind crags, rocks
and trees.
A special train from BIuefeld and
Welch carrying reinforcemenss of vol
unteers for the Chain army arrived at
the front this morning. The men were
rushed to the advance positions on tho
ridge to relieve large number of de-
tenders who had been under fire for
twenty-four hours.
Word also reached here that large
number of striking miners from
able to effect junction with the at
tacking forces near Blair, and that
during the day they had intermittingly
poured a not life fire on the defenders,
position at the top of the ridge.
Reports received from the entire bat--
tie front as we'll as those areas which
have seen little fighting are to the
effect that the miners are in posses
sion of nearly all the wires leading
into the battle area. Many of these
have been cut, others torn down for
miles and the few telephone and tele-
graph lines left intact are practically
useless, because tAe miners will permit
no news that is not favorable to their
cause to pass over them. Several small
towns in the Coal River Valley are
completely dominated by the miners,
and while little depreciation from these
sections has been reported, the miners
refuse to permit any person not favor
able to them co enter the district, or
any news not censored by them to 20
out.
Train Service Suspended
All train service between st. Albans
and Logan has been suspended. 1t also.
is reported that all vehjcular traffic
along that route has been stopped by
bands of armed miners, who are pa
trolling the roads in the Coal River
district in a thorough and military
like manner.
All ammunition and firearms and a
great quantity of provisions have been
confiscated in this territory by the
miners, who are applying the seized
arms to their own use.
One of the significant bulletins re-
ceived here this evening was that the
miners during yesterdays battle sd
vanced nearly two miles slorg frcnt
five miles long. This advance was
checked by steady and well directed
machine gun fire.
Word came from Charleston tonight
that military headquarters there had
made a request to the War Depart.
ment in Washington to DELAY the
sending OF regular troops into the
zone in order to permit the use of the
several thousand. citizen volunteers
who are pouriRztinto this territory