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732 HISTORY OF MARYLAND.
This proclamation Avas printed in hand-bill form and distributed among
the employees at all points of the road, and at conspicuous places in Baltimore. At the same time eight companies of artillery serving as infantry,
under the command of General French, from Fort McHenry and Washington,
were despatched to Martinsburg, and reached there early on the morning of
the 19th. Their presence in the town overawed the strikers, and if men
could have been found to run the engines, all the trains that were blockading the track at that point could have been moved away without any
hindrance. But the company's employees were so completely intimidated by
the strikers that they were afraid to return to work, even when the soldiers
were standing by to protect them. Only tAvo trains were started from Martinsburg on July 19th; the eastward bound train arrived safely at Baltimore
■about midnight, Avhile the westward bound train arrived at Keyser, where it
was stopped by the strikers.
The strike had now extended to the Ohio Railroad, and it was feared that
the employees on the Pan Handle route would also join the strikers. The
neAvs from the Pittsburg and Fort Wayne and Chicago Road was not of a
reassuring character, Avhile ominous despatches came as to the temper of the
men connected with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Road. Strikes
were also apprehended on the Ohio and Mississippi, and the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Roads. The western division of the Pennsylvania Railroad
was blockaded, and on the Erie Road business Avas seriously interfered with.
Troops were being called out in both Pennsylvania and New York. In this
alarming state of affairs no freight trains went from or arrived at Baltimore,
.and thousands of dollars were lost every hour by the sudden paralysis of
trade. Some, of the cars were loaded with perishable goods, others with
merchandise which the company Avas under contract to deliver promptly, and
not a few with cattle, sheep and hogs, which were perishing of hunger and
thirst. The effect upon the revenues of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and
the business of the toAvns through which the road passed was disastrous; but
the greatest sufferers were the misguided men who had taken this method of
.resisting the execution of an order by which they alone profited.
From the day the order went into effect, nothing of a malicious design happened in Baltimore until the 20th of July, excepting the wrecking of a freight
train on the 17th, in the southern suburbs of the city, by a misplaced switch.
The running of trains being stopped, the brakemen and engineers had an
opportunity to meet and confer Avith the striking firemen, Avith whom they
were in full sympathy. The number of train-hands thus thrown out of
employment in consequence of the strike, numbered in Baltimore about two
hundred and fifty. A large portion of these were faithful to their duties, and
stood ready to resume their work as soon as they were relieved from the
intimidation to Avhich they were subjected by the rioters and their leaders.
In justice to the railway employees, it must be said that it was not their whole
body, but only the dissatisfied and unreasonable element which consented to
| Title | History of Maryland - 3 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000769 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 732 HISTORY OF MARYLAND. This proclamation Avas printed in hand-bill form and distributed among the employees at all points of the road, and at conspicuous places in Baltimore. At the same time eight companies of artillery serving as infantry, under the command of General French, from Fort McHenry and Washington, were despatched to Martinsburg, and reached there early on the morning of the 19th. Their presence in the town overawed the strikers, and if men could have been found to run the engines, all the trains that were blockading the track at that point could have been moved away without any hindrance. But the company's employees were so completely intimidated by the strikers that they were afraid to return to work, even when the soldiers were standing by to protect them. Only tAvo trains were started from Martinsburg on July 19th; the eastward bound train arrived safely at Baltimore ■about midnight, Avhile the westward bound train arrived at Keyser, where it was stopped by the strikers. The strike had now extended to the Ohio Railroad, and it was feared that the employees on the Pan Handle route would also join the strikers. The neAvs from the Pittsburg and Fort Wayne and Chicago Road was not of a reassuring character, Avhile ominous despatches came as to the temper of the men connected with the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Road. Strikes were also apprehended on the Ohio and Mississippi, and the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Roads. The western division of the Pennsylvania Railroad was blockaded, and on the Erie Road business Avas seriously interfered with. Troops were being called out in both Pennsylvania and New York. In this alarming state of affairs no freight trains went from or arrived at Baltimore, .and thousands of dollars were lost every hour by the sudden paralysis of trade. Some, of the cars were loaded with perishable goods, others with merchandise which the company Avas under contract to deliver promptly, and not a few with cattle, sheep and hogs, which were perishing of hunger and thirst. The effect upon the revenues of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the business of the toAvns through which the road passed was disastrous; but the greatest sufferers were the misguided men who had taken this method of .resisting the execution of an order by which they alone profited. From the day the order went into effect, nothing of a malicious design happened in Baltimore until the 20th of July, excepting the wrecking of a freight train on the 17th, in the southern suburbs of the city, by a misplaced switch. The running of trains being stopped, the brakemen and engineers had an opportunity to meet and confer Avith the striking firemen, Avith whom they were in full sympathy. The number of train-hands thus thrown out of employment in consequence of the strike, numbered in Baltimore about two hundred and fifty. A large portion of these were faithful to their duties, and stood ready to resume their work as soon as they were relieved from the intimidation to Avhich they were subjected by the rioters and their leaders. In justice to the railway employees, it must be said that it was not their whole body, but only the dissatisfied and unreasonable element which consented to |
