Evening star., 1924-05-11
PITTSBURGH MAYOR
ORDERS CARS BE RUN
Promises Police Protection to
Strikebreakers--Trolley Service
Completely Suspended.
DANGEROUS TUNNELS CLOSED
No Chance Taken for Recurrence
Of Gas Poisoning.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
PITTSBURGH, Pa, May 10.-Mayo-
William A. Magee late today made q.
formal demand upon the Pittsburgh
Railways Company to restore street
car service at the earliest POSSIBLE
moment with whatever forces are
available" The demand, which fol
lowed a strike at midnight last nigh
of $500 motormen and CONDUCTOR
was answered by the announcement
OF the company that an effort would
be made Monday to restore service
with 500 men from outside cities
Service was completely suspended to
day.
In asking that the COMPANY al
tempt to restore service, Mayor
Magee Informed the company that tho
city was preparing to furnish tho
necessary police protection. City
council, meeting in special session
later in the day at the mayor re-
quest, passed an emergency" ord1-
for the purchase of tear gas equip
ment, riot guns and other material
Cites Franchise Terms
THE duty of the Pittsburgh Ea8-
ways Company under the laws Of TN
3
ed to it," Mayor Magee's letter 70
Arthur W. Thompson, president II
the railways company, stated, Is -
make every effort to restore the sery-
ice at the earliest possible moment
/ assume that you will imme.
diately proceed to operate the cars Of
the Pittsburgh Railways Company
with whatever forces are available.
The worst traffic jam in the city OF
Pittsburgh resulted from the strike
Extra shuttle trains were provided
by the railroads to suburban towns.
but afforded small relief Automobile
traffic blocked the downtown streets
at intervals throughout the day.
SAs the result of a traffic jam in the
New Liberty tunnels thirty persons
were overcome by carbon monoxlde
gas thrown off by automobiles. and
the tunnels closed temporarily TO
the South hills for mile and an
eighth, were recently completed and
opened to restricted automobile traf-
fic pending the completion of tn
ventilating system.
Protection Guaranteed.
In promising police protection tn
street cars operated during the strih..
Mayor Magee suggested that cars be
run as trains in districts not served
by railroads. Policemen in automo-
biles would provide protection 10
such trains, he declared. Representa-
tives Of the carmen, when advised OF
the plan to operate cars Monday. de-
clared there would be no interfeT-
ence by the striking carmen.
The strike was made effective after
the collapse of negotiations initiated
by Mayor Magee to adjust the de-
mands of the carmen for an increasc
in pay of from 81 cents to AZ cents
an hour Both the carmen and the
company agreed to arbitration II
principle, but were unable to agree
upon the form and scope of such ar
bitration.
In a statement issued tonight John
s. Rearden, international represents
tive of the Garments union, declared
that the carmen had offered to settle
the controversy for a 3-cent-an-h
increase" The company contended
during the negotiations that its
financial condition was such that it
could grant no increase.
One of the Liberty tubes was re
opened for outbound traffic tonight
with an extra detachment of traff1
officers to regulate the passage or
cars. An automobile was admitted
to the tube every ten seconds.
The blockade of the tubes resulted
from a jam of city-bound traffic on
the street leading to the tunnels. Two
lines of automobiles were blockaded
the entire length and deadly gas soon
poisoned the air. Many motorists
abandoned their cars and staggered
from the tubes, while pedestrians
overcome while walking through
were carried out by first-aid crews
from the United States bureau %
mines and members of the city fire
department. While a number weTe
taken to hospitals. it was expected that
all would recover.
Engineers in charge of the tunnels
were notified that d. r. Levy, an eN-
pert in tunnel ventilation, would IL
rive in Pittsburgh tomorrow from
New York to advise in the problem OF
ventilating the tubes