Evening star., 1946-10-15
Shot Knocks Out
Po)We;rLinein
PittsburghStrike
New Aet Of Sabotage
Brings Rotating
BIockout' to Area
BY the Associated Press

IL 4ooOItII1, WV -
rifle bullet fired into a $1,000
volt transformer today crippled
electrical service to the strike
weary Pittsbyrgh area, causing
service to be shut off periodical
ly to communities in an 817-
square-mile area.
Shortly after the damaging OF
the transformer, the Duquesne Light
Co. put into effect a rotating sched-s
ule of blackouts to the 100000 in
habitants
A company spokesman said the re-
duction in available electricity made
the curtailment necessary in the
district, already operating on sharply
reduced power service because Of the
strike by an independent union OF
electrical workers.
Third Instance Of Sabotage.
It was the third instance Of sabo-
tage recorded by police in the o.
day-old labor dispute.
The reduction in electricity forced
the Pittsburgh Railways Co. to cur
tail it's already limited trolley service
on which the majority of Pittsburgh
workers depend for their transporta-
ton. Trolley service was resumed
last night after an 18-day layof.
The company had hoped to operate
200 trolleys today, but the number
was shaved to about 100 because OF
the damage to the transformer. This
was about IL per cent of the city's
normal streetcar service.
Went Through Transformer.
The company said the shooting
occurred at its Colfax station near
suburban Springdale.
A spokesman for the firm said no
one saw the shot fired but that the
bullet went through the trans
former"
"Thfs cut out a large portion Of
the load and required switching OF
considerable number of circuits
he said.
Sections in the area were without
current from to Is minutes. A
large portion of the total load was
lost, which means that consumers
all through the Pittsburgh area will
have to conserve current more
strictly than ever.
''The transformer went out at 6:27
am"
Other Sabotage Charges.
On October the light company
attributed to sabotage breakdown
/ in its Brentwood station which tenn
porarily cut of service to some
10000 persons. Earlier a power
| failure in the industrial town of
Clarion also had been blamed by
the company on sabotage.
Power service was cut OF for brief
periods in McKeesport, East Liberty.
Glenwood and Squirrel Hill after
the bullet hit the Colfax transform
er today.
Allegheny County detectives and
deputy sheriffs Immediately started
an investigation.
More than half of the 5000 mem
bers of the Independent Associa-
ton of Employees of the Duquesne
Co., now in the fourth week OF a
strike that has made $4,000 workers
idle, go to the polls today to decide
whether they want to change their
union affiliation.
|, Four Unions On Ballot.
On petition of the United
Mine Workers, District so, the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board sane
toned a collective bargaining elec-
ton for 1923 of the employees. Those
concerned with production and
maintenance, clerical and technical
workers will not participate.
Names of four unions appear on
the ballot: the Independent Asso-
citation, the UNIV District SO, CIO
Public Utility Workers and the AFL
international Brotherhood of Elec-
trical Engineers.
A clear majority is needed for one
of the groups to be certified. Should
there be no such majority, run OH
election between the two unions re-
ceiving the highest number of votes
would be ordered by the NLRB.
| For some of the workers it would
be their second balloting in less
than "a hours. Last night an in
surgent group held turbulent mass
meeting in Carnegie Music Hall and
voted 430 to 1913 for submitting strike
issues to arbitration.
Officials are Heckled.
| Union officials had refused to
sanction a meeting to vote or arbi-
tration and there was no indication
they would pay any attention to the
ballot. Before the vote was taken
the meeting was addressed by Mayor
David L. Lawrence, Allegheny
County Commission Chairman John
j. Kane and others. The officials
were heckled throughout their pleas
| for arbitration.
| President George L. Mueller of the
| independent union did not attend
last nights rebel" meeting. He ar
rived at the scene with large crowd
lof followers but police prevented
them from going into the hall.
What effect the vote would have
on the strike was questionable. Mr..
Mueller contended the action was il
legal. The insurgent leaders claimed
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