d ▁the ▁mile age ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁day ' s ▁work , ▁increasing ▁it ▁from ▁ ▁to ▁, ▁without ▁increasing ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁cre ws . ▁In ▁total , ▁the ▁company ▁would ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁dis charge ▁fully ▁half ▁of ▁their ▁work force . ▁ ▁The ▁Train men ' s ▁Union ▁was ▁act ively ▁organ izing ▁on ▁the ▁news . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁workers ▁of ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁and ▁Ohio ▁Rail road , ▁which ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁significant ▁presence ▁in ▁Pitts burgh , ▁received ▁a ▁pay ▁cut ▁of ▁their ▁own . ▁ ▁July ▁ 1 9 ▁ ▁On ▁Th urs day ▁July ▁ 1 9 , ▁one ▁crew , ▁led ▁by ▁Con duct or ▁Ryan , ▁sent ▁word ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁not ▁take ▁out ▁their ▁train . ▁The ▁company ▁called ▁for ▁rep lac ements , ▁and ▁when ▁ 2 5 ▁conduct ors ▁and ▁bra k emen ▁refused ▁to ▁act , ▁they ▁were ▁immediately ▁fired . ▁Yet ▁a ▁third ▁group ▁attempted ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁train ▁but ▁were ▁attacked ▁by ▁the ▁strik ers , ▁who ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁stock ▁yards ▁at ▁East ▁Liber ty ▁Street , ▁and ▁convinced ▁the ▁men ▁there ▁to ▁join . ▁T ogether , ▁at ▁ 8 : 4 5 am , ▁they ▁captured ▁the ▁main ▁track , ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁switch es , ▁and ▁brought ▁rail ▁traffic ▁to ▁a ▁halt . ▁ ▁David ▁M ▁W att , ▁acting ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁rail road ▁super int endent ▁Robert ▁Pit ca ir n , ▁who