New Britain herald., 1928-02-11
1902 COAL FAMINE
 WAS WORST IN CITY
Situation Recalled by Threat of
 Strike by Miners

The threats of a coal strike which
 were heard during the past week. while they may be nothing more than mere rumblings, recall the in- numerable strikes through which both the anthracite and bituminous industries have passed with the usual hardship on the consumer, perhaps the greatest walkout being that of 1902, when one of the worst coal famines in the experience of New Britain was suffered. This was the great strike" to which all his- torians point, the event which mark ed the turning point in the career of Theodore Roosevelt, the occur renee which threatened to turn New Britain, in common with all New England, into desolate area of freezing homes and closed fac tories.
 As for the national and historical side of this momentous event: The anthraci miners, under their union leader, John Lewis, demanded high VI a ten-hour day, and the recognition of the principle of collective bar gaining. Because of the abhorrenCe which the operators held for this last principle. the owners refused to so much as treat with the union, and on May IF, 1902, 147,500 miners walked out and production was brought to a standstill.
 Throughout the summer the two sides failed to break the stalemate, and in the fall President Roosevelt took unexpected action which was completely unprecedented. He did what was considered interfering in private business-he called a confer- This met on October 3 but proved futile in itself. However. it led Sec retary of War Elihu Root to take a hand and soon both sides consented to the appointment of a board of ar bitration, which Roosevelt named judiciously. This board granted only a nine hour day and practically turned down the other demands of the strikers, but the decision was accepted and on October 2S the miners resumed work.
 Locally, much hardship and more alarm was created by the strike. No sooner had the walkout occurred than the fear of fuelless winter l,,it tair fif,Y near panic. Prices began to soar al- most daily. going from well under $10 to more than $20 and s25 ton. while the poor people paid a cent pound for the increasingly precious coal and carried it home in hods, pans, or bags. Coal shipments ceased and existing supplies in the local yards diminished rapidly in spite Of the restrictions which the dealers established in limiting sales to one customer to one ton or even a fraction.
 Take Lumps From Factories
 Factory employees began to conceal Jumps in their pockets when they left, and close watch had to be kept of them. The factories themselves faced the prospect of shutting off steam. and the rapidly emptying bins actually forced curtailment Of oper- ations in some plants.
 Conditions were aggravated when cold weather set in, and there was no relief when the strike was set tied. The news of the return of the miners caused great rejoicing, but this could not be burned and there was no mitigation of the severe famine. With the whole country des- titute of coal and no supplies at the week before shipments could be brought through. And the railroads themselves were so badly in need of coal that on at least one occasion they confiscated carload of an- thracite consigned for this city and turned it to their own use.
 The various substitutes came into great demand. and desperate New Britainites seized their axes and took to the surrouning woods to cut their own feul. This resulted in the passing of much of the wooded country about New Britain, the Plainville region now knSwn as Sunset Rock" suffered particularly hard. Here grew the heaviest and thickest timber Tn the vicinity, and in spite of all the property owners and town officials could do the fuel