Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-01-19
THE COAL FAmINE.
Not a Lump i'm the City.


: of Cumberland coal was exhausted up
wards of two weeks since. The Pittsburo
coal gave out several days ago. The Sc
vance and the Poplar Mountain Coal Com
panies emptied their yards yesterday, and
Tor the time being we are in bad fix.
There was considerable speculation
among our citizens yesterday in regard to
the condition of affairs. To have the coal
supply exhausted Just in the middle of win
ter Is, to say the least OF it, rather serious
business.
| The Poplar Mountain Company had an
immense stock on hand at the beginning
OF the season, and when it became known
yesterday that the last lump was gone. il
created no little stir. The Office Of the
company was visited by hundreds of their
patrons, making diligeut inquiry for the
black diamonds, and they were greatly dis
appointed when informed that it was i'm
possible to accommodate them. This
company has had very much to do with
keeping down the price during the season.
and particularly since the scarcity of COIL
became known. They continued to sell
out daily, and received no more for the
last load than they did for the first.
The Sewanee Company, too, have had a
regular set of customers for years. They
have been uniform in price, and prompt
and reliable in their business transactions
Tbs office of the company yesterday was
also swarming with our citizens, looking
for the needful, but the coal was net to be
had. But this was not all The company
has been receiving regular daily supplies,
and 1t was rather a rare occurrence to dis
| appoint their customers But lust al the
most UnfsYorable time there is strike al
the mines. Here is a copy of dispatch
received on Tuesday night by Van McIver,
Esq, the agent of the company:
| CowAN, Jan. 17.-Van MeIver, ESQ. /:
Both miners and conyicts refuse to work
to-day. Don't rely on getting coal for
while. j. @. WARNER, Sec'y,
The information contained in the above
! dispatch became known early yesterday
morning, and of course it created almost a
| panic.
About noon, however, Mr.. McIver re-
ceiVed another dispatch which was little
more hopeful It was asfOllOws:
CowAN, Jan. l6.-Yan McIyer, Esq. /:
Nothing done yesterday. Ali the convicts
go to work to-day Miners will not.
Having considerable trouble on all sides.
But matters are improving.
J. @. WARNER, Sec'y.
With reference to the strike at the |
mines, it appears that on Monday night |
last the miners held meeting, and resell |
we'd not to work, and on Tuesday morning |
notified Mr.. Warner of their intentions. It |
is also understood that the miners had |
some influence with the cOnvicts, who, |
notwithstanding persuasions and threats, |
could not be made to enter the mines /
Later in the day, however, some forty-ive 1
out of the conyicts sent to that place agreed |
to go to work, but they were perfectly /
new in the business, and could make but |
little Roadway without the assistance of the /
miners. The other convicts were taken 10
the barracks, and fogging administered /
to six or eight of the leaders, which acted /
like charm, and yesterday morning it was
understood that the entire force of conviets
would be at work.
Upon the receipt of the first intelligence /
of the strike yesterday morning, Warden |
Chumbly of the penitentiary, with twenty |
additional guards started for the mines, |
with the intention of forcing the convicts |
to go to work.
But the city is without coal, and what next? |
We will here state, however, that there is /
upwards of 80, 900 bushels of what is called |
the nut coal at the Sewanee yard, which |
beats no coal all to pieces, and burns fine |
ly in stoves. This will afford some relief. |
As coon as Mr.. MeIver was apprised of |
the condition of affairs at the |
mines, he displayed an energy that
is commendable at the critical mo-
ment. He Immediately dispatched one |
of the attaches of his office to Louisville, |
with instructions to contract for the ship |
ment of coal to this city, and to remain |
there and see that the cars were loaded. |
The gentleman in question arrived in
Louisville yesterday at ] o'clock, and an |
hour afterwards telegraphed back that lie |
had carried out the instructions, and that |
five car loads would arrive here on Friday |
morning, and about 1880 bushels dlIy /
after that time as long as was Eeces- |
sary. Upon its arrival, Mr.. Iger intends |
to sell this coal at cost, which will be about |
thirty cents per bushel, with carriage ad- /
ded j. w. Thomas, Esq, Superintendent |
of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad, |
notified him yesterday that upon its arrival /
at the depot of the Louisville and Nash
vile Railroad, he would, upon being nOti-
fed, have it transported to the Sewanee
yard free of charge.
Mr.. McIver also telegraphed yesterday |
to Knoxville, ordering supplies from Coal
OISch AlACoJ VIII OOLuLuChCC dAAAS- 4
ing in few days. He also made arrange
ments with Mr.. Thomas, Superintendent
of the Nashville and Chattanooga railroad
to dispatch Immediately cars to the Battle
Creek Mines near Bridgeport, and expects
returns from that quarter by Saturday
morning. So things look hopeful.
In regard to the Poplar Mountain Com
pany, we would state that there is thirty
thousand bushels in bsrges, which will be
started the very minute there Is a sufi-
Gent amount of water. The river was
rising briskly at this point yesterday, and
5 feet on Harpeth shoals is all the water |
that is necessary, and the time from the |
mines to this city is forty-eight hours. We |
therefore hope for coal from this quarter |
next week.
The steamer Umpire, which departed |
Yesterday, will return with load of coal. |
In the meantime, the artificial coal is |
being manufactured as rapidly as possible. |
There were upwards of one hundred loads |
in the sheds yesterday, but the article was
not sufficiently dry for delivery. Mr.. |
Loiseau was perfecting arrangements yes |
terday to introduce fiues in order to dry |
more rapidly. Up TO yesterday evening,
he had orders for $50 loads, which hs will |
comnIeRce delivering next week; and if |
the drying process can be remedied, ne /
can turn out large quantities daily.
We are glad to learn through ou- accom- |
modsting friend, Col. NJ. L. Blanton, Su- |
perintendent of the Edgefeld and Ken |
lucky Railroad, that he visited the coal |
fields of Kentucky early this week, and |
found every thing stirring The railroad |
track is laid to Morton's Gap, which is |
within seven miles of the end Of the track |
coming from the other wsy, leaving now |
only the seven miles to lay, which they
think can be done in two weeks or ten |
DAYS, if the weather is good, as they are
ali working like beavers to finish the track |
so as to bring us coal and raise the embar- |
go on our freezing city, by landing twenty
car loads of coal per day.
They are now laying the track within
1S6 yards of Jones mines, and will finish
this week, when he wishes to ship us four
car loads day. All that can be done to
make everything ready is beirg done by
all. We rejoice to know that the Edge
field and Kentucky Railroad is amply pro- |
yided with any amount Of fine coal cars,
and is fully supplied with facilities for |
hauIing all the coal that can be brought to |
their road. Their line has never been in |
better trim; and with the present efficient |
| and energetic management we are satisfied
nothing will he lacking on their road to