Pittston Gazette

              WKAT11EK CONDITIONS. } 43 Cafettc THE HOME PAPER Forecast Until 8 p. ni. Tomorrow for Eastern Pennsylvania. I'or the People of PltUton and Fair and warmer tonight* rain and warmer on Friday. Vicinity. AIX THE HOME NEWS. SfiTTT V*71 ' , WEEKLY ESTABLISHED 1880. 1 DAIf.Y EST. BY THEO. HART 1882. PITTSTON, PA., FRIDA" , MARCH 30, 1906. TWO OKNTS A COPY. I T? lYiTJ T PAflUa FOKTY CENTS A MONTH. f JtiilUXL 1 rAUW SUSPENSION OF WORK HAS BEEN ORDERED ■ n ■'• 91 ■ WflKS If -J J  gy M J i '„ W j\l IV" ' "b "*\V • il *^1/ NO AGREEMENT WITH SOFT COAL OPERATORS The Joint Conference Adjourned Sine Die, Leaving Affairs in Such Condition That a General Soft All Anthracite Mine Workers Ordered by Their Scale Committee to Cease Work on Monday M orning, Pending the Result of the Conference With YOUNG MAN MET DEATH Coal Strike Will Probably Take Place on the First of April. Brakeman Killed in Goxton the Op arators. Yard Last Night. IMPORTANT ACTION TAKEN BY MINERS' CONVENTION TODAY JOINT MEETING- OF COMMITTEES TO BE HELD IN NEW YORK TUESDAY r The VU'lim Wiis Frederick Cox, of Nay re, Who Was Married Only a lD« Months Ago—Stepped in Front of a Pusher En- Resolution was Adopted Making it Possible for Operators who Agree to Pay the Scale Demanded to Continue the Operation of their Collieries Though Decision to Suspend Work Was Reached at a Meeting K'iue mill Cut In Two. of the Anthracite Scale Committea Held at the Coxtop yard, of the Lehigh Valley railroad, was the scene of a distressing fatality last night at 11:55 o'clock. The victim of the accident was Frederick Cox, aged 28 years, a resident of Sayre, who was employed as brakemail on a freight crew running between Sayre and Coxton. His train had just reached thu yard from Sayre and was lying on the main track, waiting to pull into a siding. Cox was •Standing on the tracks in what is known as Riverside yard, at the lower end of the yard, and stepped out of the way of one train, only to get directly in front of pusher engine No. 'J58, which was about to pass out of the yard. He was knocked down on the track and the wheels of the engine passed over his body, practically cutting it in two parts. The remains were taken care of by the yard officials, and were sent to Sayre a couple of hours after the accident, 011 express train 10, which passes west over the. mountain cut-off and which was Stopped at Coxton for the purpose of taking on the body. Cox was a married man, his wedding having taken place a few months ago. He had been In the employ of the Lehigh Valley railroad for about one year. Not long since he became a member of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen and was In good standing in that organization at the time of his death. National Headquarters in Indianap- olis Last Evening. Employes of Othar Companies Strike. Indianapolis, Jnd., March 30.—The communication from the operators regarding an appeal to President Roosevelt was acted on at the miners' conference this morning-. Delegate Kyan moved that the communication he received and placed on file among other memorials for future reference. The motion was carried. passed by them last night, requesting that he appoint a commission to investigate the bituminous coal situation in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Western Pennsylvania and to report to the president Us findings of facts and recommendations. The President will give the matter his most earnest considered, but It is likely that before he shall take any definite steps toward the creation of such commission he will ascertain the desires of the miners in the premises. Indianapolis, Ind., March 30.—The anthracite scale committee has ordered a total suspension of mining work in the anthracite region to begin Monday morning, April 2. This action was decided upon at a meeting held in this city last evening. At the same meeting It was decided that the anthracite scale committee would meet the operators' committee of seven In New York city next Tuesday, In accordance with the request contained in the letter sent to President Mitchell by President Baer recently. CORNELIUS N. BLISS. The committee which met last evening at the national headquarters of the United Mine Workers consisted of the three executive board members from the anthracite districts, the three national board members from those districts, and "National President Mitchell. This committee had been given power to formulate the demands of mine workers. There was also present the members of the subcommittee to which had been delegated the power to formulate the demands in detail and present them. This consisted of the president and secretary of the three anthracite districts. They were John Fahy and George Hartlein, of District No. 9; W. H. Dettrey and John P. Gallagher, of District No. 7, and T. D. Nlcholtg and John T. Dempsey, of District No. 1. President Mitchell was also a member of this subcommittee. All the members were present. Mr. Bliss, whose name has been mentioned In connection wJtli the use of life insurnnee money In politics, has served in four presidential campaigns as treasurer of the Republican national committee. He is a native of Fall River, Mass., Is a wholesale dry goods merchant and was a member of I'resideut Me- Ivinley's cabinet The question of signing the scale In individual districts, as asked for by F. L. Itobbins, was takun up by resolution of II. C. Perry, of Illinois. The resolution follows: "Whereas, Tin- operators CDr the Central competitive coal district, have as a whole refusal to agree lo mir dei nil lids to restore (lie llMKt mining; and day wage scale anil, Washington, March 30.—The Presl- ELECTRIC EIGHT CONTRACT AWARDED EAST-EVENING. (Continued on Page Three.) A REMARKABLE RESCUE "Whereas, .Many Individual operators lutve expressed their willingness lo grant the restoiitlion of the above scale, issued At the conclusion of the meeting, the following official statement was "The Committee appointed !Dy (lie KhamoUiin convention on Decemlier M, met tonight and had under consideration the letter signed by Mr. Baer, dated .March 2(1. ami wired the following: Fourteen Miners Alive in "Therefore, Iki it resolved that this convention assembled authorize the national ami district ollicials to make agreements thai any ami all o|levators engaged in the operation of coal mines to provide for the restoration of the scale ]taiCl In 1#08 for mining ami day lain*- ami deal work for a licrlod of two years, beginning' April I. J900. Ami the equivalent of lliu above demands lie the basis for all other bituminous contracts. "If agreeable to you. a meeting of in New Y«,rk at 10 o'clock Tuesday, A sildcring the, wage settle in tlic untlirn (lie joint subcommittees will be held lDril 3, for tlx; purpose of further eoil•it© lleld' French Mine. Surprise Was Given to Everybody When the Councils in Joint Session Gave the Contract, Without Any Speechmaking to Edward J. Rutledge. "The committee having tlx' matte miners, except tlie men imntwry to r ertlcs. to .sii.s|DciHl work 011 lay mo structions from the comiMittoc apiioin "The entire miners' comnMttcc wll Tuesday night to hear the report of t "John MitclK ll, Chairman. "T. ID. N lei tolls, W. If. Det "Districts Nos. 1, 7 and !D." The Men Were Victims of the Terrible r jn cluirge instructed the anthracite mi tlie pumps and preserve the proprning. April 2, pending furtlicr illled by the Shumokhi convention. I meet In New York at « o'clocklie joint sulieommiUce. ORDER NO SURPRISE. Fire on March loth—They Were Taken Out of the Mine Alive Tills Morning—Had Been Suspension of Work Had BID WAS DROPPED STILL FURTHER, MAKING THE PRICE $50 FOR ARCS Subsisting oil Horses rey, John 1'aliy, Presidents, Been Anticipated. "Ho It furtlier resolved, tliut where sncli agreements are secured with Hie miners and mine laltorcrs, they slmll abide thereby and work iu- accordance wttU same.'* Feed, Lens, France, March 30.—Fourteen miners who wore entombed In the Courrieres mine at the time of tho great fire disaster there on March 10, were taken alive from the mine this morning by a searching party which was engaged, in exploring the mine. MM LIVES IN DANGER of steel just missed their heads and dnsliod ifoU'ii. About. nine workman Were standing In the path of the falling mass. A yell from nearby apprised them of their danger and they dashed away for their lives. All except Prank Delancy scattered to both sides, but he rushed ahead and, by a superhuman effort, just got out of the way. With several others he was somewhat injured. In descending the stack struck a five-inch steam pipe leading to Ewen washery and broke it in two. A rush of steam followed the report and a cloud of it arose before" it was shut off in the fire room. The derrick pole was broken by the fall. The (ieucral Expectation is that All Bids of the Citizens' Electric Illuminating Co. for Arcs Was the Same as Before — Some Talk of the Councils' Action Baing Contested. The question was raised whether an operator could sign the scale for liis mines in ono state and not in oth- V11I011 Miners Will Obey the Or- der to Itcniain I'rom Work 011 Accident at Ewen Was Very M outlay—Con I Com pa 11 les ers , whether J. H. Winder, for example, could sign for his interests in Ohio, without signing for his West Virginia interests. The men had lived for 20 days shut off from the light and almost  prlved of'alr. Fortunate. Steadily Preparing to Guard Properties. "To the select and common councils extended out «rf the room nnd part of the city of Plttston, Gentlemen: way down the stVps. The councilmen We agree to furnish the City of Pitts- who arrived a minutes late had ton for the term of five years the most the utmost difficulty in forcing: their up-to-datte enclosed are lamps for way through the crowd, which waited street lighting at the cost of $50 per patiently amid discomforts for the annum for each arc lamp; and for the session to start. same period we will furnish ineandes- When City Clerk Flannery called cent lumps according to specifications the meeting to order, about 10 minfor the cost of $17 per incandescent utesl past S, the roll call showed the lamp per annum; and we agree to following to be present: comply with all the other terms and Select—Messrs. M. J. Toole, Gavin, provisions of the ordinance and spec- Connell Murphy, Kehoe, Malion Hlchiiications. if you so desire we wij) ard Walsh, Loughney, Thompson apd permit you to select tile lamps, thus McAndrew Insuring you the latest and best President Mitchell, disclaiming to speak for the convention, said as far as ho was concerned, any operator signing for his mines in one state, must sign for all his mines in any With one exception they were all well when reached by the rescuers, although they could not have lived much longer. The action taken by the United Mine Workers' scale committee ordering a suspension of work in the anthracite region, beginning next Monday morning, (lid not occasion much surprise to the people of the coal region. It had been foreshadowed that there might be a suspension dating from the Ilrst of the month, though some people professed to believe that the suspension might be ordered by the operators instead of the Mine Workers. The indications were that the suspension would come, and it was simply a matter of who would issue the order. As it developed, the union leaders took the initiative, and It goes without saying that the order for suspension will be obeyed by the members of the union. Nobody expects to And any of the union miners working on Monday, no matter what inducements may be held out to them to continue at Work. It remains to be seen what action the operators will take in regard to the suspension order. The majority of people Incline to the view that the operators will not be displeased over this action of the union, inasmuch as they are In a satisfactory position to work. There is an abundahce of coal in stock, and practically all of the companies had taken steps to prepare for a suspension of work. Under the order of the scale committee, any men who may be needed by the companies to man engines, boilers or pumps, or maintain the collieries In good working condition, will be permitted to remain at work. In the meantime, preparations are going forward for the protection of the various collieries, in the event of any suspension trouble. Quarters are being prepared at the various collieries for the housing of guards, the same as wos done during the strike three years ago. Rumors were rife about the street to the effect that the colliery companies might be expected to order all miners who drop their work on Monday to remove their tools from the mines, but no official notices in regard to the matter wepe Issued today. Interest will now center in the conference of the operators' and miners' committees, which will lake place In New York on Tuesday. Many people are still clinging to (he hope that It will bo possible for the two sides to come to an amicable understanding In regard to a new agreement and that the suspension of work will not be of long duration. It Was Not a Boiler Explosion, but the Falling of a I-urge Stack anil The rescued miners were taken from shaft No. 2. As the searching party was engaged in this shaft noises were heard. The explorers called out and there were answers to their shouts. They began digging hurriedly in the direction from which the answers came and finally dug out 14 miners. They were quickly taken back to the foot of the shaft and taken to the ground above. Derrick, Which Broke Heavy other. Steam Pl|ie — Escapes Delegate Perry said his resolution did not contemplate this. Seemed Almost D11- The danger to the men in the mine, of whom there were only a half dozen, lay In the narrow escape of a large steam pipe which the falling pole and stack missed by less than six inches. It is ten inches in diameter and runs parallel with the pipe that was broken. This ten-Inch steam carrier conducts steam to the head of No. 7 Delegate Monny questioned whether the signing of the Scale under the resolution would be dependent on the district officials decision and not the vote of the miners themselves. IIICIllOUS. That several lives were not lost by the accident at the Ewen colliery of the Pennsylvania Coal Co., yesterday afternoon about 3 o'clock, is most remarkable. Men working at three different points were placed in the gravest danger, yet there were but a few injured and those to only a alight degree. The accident was mentioned in yesterday afternoon's Gazette and was given as a boiler explosion, which was from the best information obtainable at press time and ■ arose probably from the fact that a large steam pipe burst with a terrific report and that a great cloud of steam followed it. The breaking of the steam pipe interfered with the washery to the extent of forcing Its shutdown. What caused the accident was a large iron stack, about to be placed over one of the boilers, which, with the derrick used in lifting it, was dashed to the ground by the unexpected snapping of a rope. Delegate Perry explulned' that the signatures of district officials was necessary. When It comes to conditions, the questions are to be decided by ail parties Interested, perhaps in district conventions but not by the officials alone. Owing to their possible effect in making a future settlement the question was raised whether the proceedings of the convention were to be taken verbatim. Secretary Wilson said that they would not be published unless ordered by the convention. Common—Messrs. Rellly, Patrick Toole, O'Brien, White, McNevln, Carden, Touhill, John Kelly, Hopkins, Henzey, Foy, Early, Thomas Kelly, When they were cut off from escape by the explosion and fire which followed the miners took refuge in a stable used for the mules employed in the mine. They had subsisted for days on the lunches of their dead comrades which had been taken down on the day of the disaster. "Enclosed find certified check fo: $1.5011 on a Pittston bank as required equipments. shaft, also into the shaft and to the fans. Had It been broken the fans would have stopped, the carriage rendered powerless, and the pumps made useless. No. 7 is a gaseous working and the stopping of the fans would have resulted in danger to those inside, especially since the bottom vein men would have no means of escape. Altogether the accident was most fortunate. The monetary loss Is comparatively slight. The corps of men engaged in raising the stack was in charge of W. P. Davis, and it seemed that every visible precaution had been taken to prevent a mishap. "It is our understanding: and It is made a condition of this proposal that we shall have the right and privilege to furnish light for commercial purposes co-extensive with that of the company now operating in your city. Respectfully submitted. (Continued on Page Five.) OFFER FOR THEATER. When this food had been exhausted they ate oats and wheat which were kept in the stable for the mules. Water was also found and in this manner the entombed miners managed to sustain their lives. "Edward J. Hutledge, for the PUtston Light, Heat and Power Co.. about to become Incorporated." Some Outsider is After the Broad St. Playhouse. the full proceedings be printed and given to the delegates. Vice President Lewis moved that There was little nourishment, however, In this food, and it would only have been a question of hours when the men must have succumbed. One man was already In a serious condition but the others were well. The above bid. accompanied by a $1,500 certified check as a forfeit for the execution of a contract within 20 days, tyist night won the municipal street lighting contract for the next five years. The proposalQ which was a drop"of $'j on arc light a year from the last bid of Mr. ltutledge and $10 below the other bid. that of the Citizens' Electric Illuminating Co., broke up the almost even division of councils heretofore noticeable on the electric lighting question and brought over to Mr. Ilutledge all but eight members of the Joint session. The bid Is $-'5 an arc light a year cheaper than the contract under which the city has been buying Its lighting from the Citizens' Electric Illuminating Co. for the last live years. Lewis said there would be an infinite number of questions when a settlement of difficulties was sought and that the proceedings should be published in detail for record. Lewis appealed to the convention to go out of the convention as a unit whatever action was taken. Lewis's motion was Offers Were Made to (lie Stockholder* Yesterday by an Agent, Wlio Re- ONE GAS VICTIM DEAD. fuses to Tell Whom lie Itep- resented'—Says lie Will One of the rescued miners was a boy of 14, who had endured the hardships to which all had been subjected with all the courage manifested by his seniors. There were probably 20 lives endangered by the accident, including pump runners and company men working in No. 7 shaft, a short distance away. There are four nests of boilers in the flreroom at Ewen and four draught stacks surmount it. These draught stacks are built of brick for a distance of about 15 feet from the ground, on top of which are iron stacks four feet in diameter and 40 feet in height. They are divided Into two parts, one of which fits Into the other at a point 15 feet from the top of the brick section. The company decided to raise the height of the stacks 25 feet and, for this purpose 25 feet of the Iron work of the first stack was removed. In order that the welding could be done. It was while this lengthened piece, 60 feet long and four feet In diameter, was being raised back to Its place that the break in the rope occurred. The derrick pole was 70 feet long and when It was placed upright on Wednesday rope supports were run In several directions in order to maintain it upright. One of these supports extended close to the next stack, ten feet above and a short distance to one side. It was (his that caused the mischief, the rope weakening under the Intense heat. ltetiirn Soon carried Compilers Situation. Other at the Hospital Ex- The search for a theater has reached Pittston. For two weeks Wllkesbarre and Scranton have been, hotbeds of playhouse talk, every day bringing forth a new manager looking for a house, a new site, a new combination, or something else of the sort. Now some one wants the Broad street theater, in this city. The directors of the theater company, who are the sole owners of the stock, were approached yesterday by a stranger, who made an otter for tl®; stock Hi refused to give his name for publication and would not tell what Interests he represented In the endeavor to secure the theater. Altogether ho was a very mysterious person. He approached the directors separately ana put a proposition before them, one that would net them a good profit on their Investment lit the new theater built a few years ago. All, however, refused to part with their stock at the figure quoted. The agent autld he would return In a short time with another pi opiuilHou. n |s believed that he represented either the Keith or the J'oll Interest*. Hath of these YttlklevtUc melt are (tabling for the exclusive entrance to Ibis section and in Scrantou ami Wltkcsbarrc, HoruuWiii especially, U Is proving a bailie royal. I'olt U practically a newcomer Iu (be vaudeville Held but has been very successful, and it Is believed that Kettli. allied with sonic other Interest. i» irying to crush him The ow tiers of the HroaU U»i|rve that III!) vvill ' •» nD ■II. i i.u tu. ida} house. Washington. March 30.—The coal strike seems to be up to President Roosevelt. This morning he received the telegram sent by the operators at Indlunupolis containing resolutions pected to Recover. Said that tli«D Ptiul Youth's Name Was SPECIAL NOTICES. Charles Leslie, of IiulTnlo—Other '•me Ills Name as Arthur A POUC NKW HUHPLY OF Conway, of »7:i Niagara Tlio Citizens' ICicctrlo Illuminating Co., it Is understood, will take Ultra 1 steps to prevent the execution of u contract on the award of last night, claiming It wila not legally made. The old company will assail the action of council, according to current report, on tho ground that It 1m illcKal to award municipal lighting contract to an Individual ami that the fact that an Individual may claim to represent a company about to he Incorporated has no effect on tho statute, a company not Incorporated hcing not ux- Istant. A precursor of this action Ilex in a letial opinion as to thU phase of the atvard, which U printed elsewhere. VEQKTA HLEH Street—Living Youth will ho offered you tomorrow at thlH Conscious at market. Incluillni; these v«(rtablM Times, which have lift'ii absent from the mar- ket (luring the whiter months, ami One of the two young men found unconscious on (he burning culm pile of Harnurn colliery yesterday morning, died this morning at 5 o'clock at the hospital. He never regained consciousness from the time he w»p found and there wan 110 hope that he could recover. He was about l» yearn old. HIh death resulted both from the partial asphyxiation and the burns. The tlames did not touch his body Mid his clothing was not burned through, but his entirft back was baked brown from Ihe Intense heat ot the culm burning under where he lay. Juki now coming Into season Itm' ami buck shut! can now be hail ut this market, totcether with a full Ladies' Hne Shoes \ Miiu'k uf nUu r fivxh lUh HHAItl'M MAKKKT, both phonea. VUUH JUK.VT Hl'VHUV IHmiipOM MIMI VW KM. MiuhD tu m U Ml U.5U nimI M. Wkllr |ImD lul ImmIm. uMly per |wtr. The awarding of a lighting contract wa« unexpected, it was generally thought that the tiuc*tio1( would remain unsolved and go over 111 the new council for action. The low hid of Mr. ttullcdgc was what won the livid. The matter wan dcclded without any argument, which appeared to disappoint the large crowd assembled tit witness Hie dotUK* of the session. uuy. of HT3 Nlagrtra street. Uuffalo, X. y. When uu endeavor was made to secure further Information from hliu be would not answer. He Is not yet out of danger, but it Is believed that he yvlll recover. i'Mli Ik- hvK-iUCiI tuniiMPfuW Ml tlti» vttirf 1 S2.00 INW » Itti'tii' VftiMy »l thult'ii The stuck was raised to the desired height and was just about to be drop, ped to the proper place when the guy rope extending over the stack broke. At this time William Pa hey and Charles llowcrs, of Hchastopol, were standing where the stack was Intended to be placed. As the big pole and the stack lurched forward they took a tight hold of the lop of Ihe erected portion of the big chimney and elung for lives. The big piece The second youth was not so badly burned and he was brought back to consciousness early this morning. He was In such a state, however, that It was only at Intervals that the hospital attendants were able to secure lucid answers from him. He llrst said that his companion was Charles Smith, of Philadelphia. and then he gave his name us Charles l-eslic, of Huftalo. After being nsked many times lie tsuve Ills own name as Arthur Cutt- aim-It, tHi'iutUim vMki |w»k mm4 \ BOSTON : SHOE STORE, • it L a* at IHt-Uti'ti# UKAV UAUkNT. \ UWJnmJHUIMII |*»V W *MW .. *.«.!. U.U. « » 4 luniU. .\ImD flt'nli vliU'kt'iiM. The body of the dead boy will be held at the hospital until the Huffalo authorities arc comuiunlcutcd with. Wt* uuifctC out wwii IhiIuiiui miiI wit' «tu4 liuaiaulvw U to ImD iluD Urn iiualtly Mm|| t mi I I'ruv- \dwMtt c Pittsburg. March SU.—The prospect of a soft coal strike tuis'cau*cd another advance In the price of soft coal of fD0 cents a ton, making the present rule I-.5U per tun. Heinle the hour lOI the council meeting arrived -pctlulots began to lile into the city hall and ovcilpy the limited amount of standing room at the rear of the council eiwtuUnf. Heft ue H o\ioc|t there j-uvt that 'VliD wiili murkvl (Uui tfUva )«DD! V lee I'testdent Ulvh.udim |D| thD fcirle liatirvud (nUd a vUit to fcitV vol He Ires In l|tt« \wtutiD tod-U