The Forgotten Morewood Massacre in Westmoreland County

As you ride down US119 near the Pa. 981  Mt Pleasant exit you will pass by an old YMCA and Sports complex . If you get the sudden feeling of sadness or grief there is a good reason.
7 Coal Miners would loose there lives near this intersection during the Morewood Riot as it was known  across the street from Morewood Coke Ovens which where on the site at the time.
They where a thousand strong protesting wage and labor conditions in a prolonged Labor Stoppage at the all too well known and Infamous Henry Clay Frick coke ovens ,when Sheriffs deputy's let loose a volley of fire killing the 7 Coal Miners instantly and 2 who would pass from their wounds on April 2nd, 1891



 




 


  There is nothing left of the town of Morewood or Coke Ovens only the superintendents office to see  and a road with a name.
It was all but forgotten tragedy .But luckily it has been remembered by a handful of people who helped to get a state marker in place and a memorial where they are buried. 
One of a handful of bloody and deadly encounters between lboir unions and management .

It seems even today unions only know one way to negotiate and thats with force,threats and intimidation .
 Which has gotten hundreds killed. and why groups like the Iron & Coal Police, Pinkerton's and Baldwin Felts detectives  where formed in the first place. You have a right to strike , stop working for some one  and  to protest you do not have the right to destroy property and when you do the results seems to always be the same and so was the Morewood Massacre or Riot as it is some times known. 
Instead of working with management to make things efficient and increase production so wages and benefits  can rise its always strike and destroy . This is why unions get very little support or sympathy from the general public.



A most Unusual and Mostly Forgotten War memorial on Pittsburgh's North Side

If you walk thru West Park on Pittsburgh's North Side and walk behind the National  Aviary
you will find one of the most unusual War Memorial in the area .
Built in 1914 as a remembrance of the  Spanish American War









an actual Torpedo Tube  of the USS Maine   which was sunk in Havana Harbor in Cuba and which started the war is on display ,as well as one of the 3 plaques is dedicated to Lt Friend William Jenkins  who was Killed  on the USS Maine and only Pittsburgher aboard it at the time. Only 2 other city's have a piece of the Maine as part of their memorial displays
 

While it was originally believed to have been an Exploding Mine in the harbor which sunk the ship more  modern explanation  is believed to be a  fire in a Coal bunker on the ship caused it to sink when the fire broke thru the bunker into ammunition bunker nearby.



While the truth may never be known we do know many served and perished during the war and we have a permanent naval base on the island of Cuba as a result.

I grew up in Carrick and one of my Neighbors Charles Martin was a Spanish War Veteran and actual Roosevelt Rough Rider who charged San Juan Hill  who was 101 years old when I spoke to him and he always thought our own government was behind its sinking.
Mr martin was present during the ceremony for the memorial

Special thanks to Jaison Viglietta  For the excellent pictures he recently posted on Face Book of the Memorial  below.





Little known UFO Incident in Kittaning Pa. area Involving a Math teacher and his studies of it.

I was recently contacted by Dave Croyle Owner of WTYM 1380 AM /103.7FM  about a newspaper article he came upon from 50 years ago and was invited on his morning radio show to talk about it. along with Fred Saluga  Regional VP of MUFON

Seems a High School mathematics teacher J. Mitchell Blose

Had an encounter with UFO's on his Farm Property in  Yatesboro section of Armstrong County
where he claims a UFO landed on his farm.

Mr. Blose went on to having a UFO research group at Kittaning High School where as many as 80 students became interested in it.
Dave Croyle is hopeful one of those former students will contact him about the school club.