The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-05-19
DARK DIAMONDS -
ARE SCARCE
The BituminOuS Coal Famine Grows More
Serious.
ENGLAND TO Send over A SUPPLY
Railroads and Factories Are on Short
Allowance-White Star and Cum
arders Not Affected, but Other
Lines Carry a Double Supply.
CLEVELAND. Nay 1s.
7PHE miners held final consulta-
tion today, at which they de-
cided to continue the fiNht until

Ill
cided to continue the fight until
U the operators agreed to restore
the old scale. President Mcbride made
an address to the delegates, urging
them to use only peNcpable means to
gain their end. and to strengthen
their lines by extending organization.
The miners will attempt to organize
the districts in Illinois. West Virginia,
and Pennsylvania, where the men arc
still working, aud get them out, but In
the opinion of n leading Pennsylvania
operator this will tako so long that the
miners now idle will gradually go back
to work. At noon the miners ad-
journed
The situation in the bituminous coal
famine which prevails all over the
country is unchanged today, although
the dscision OF the striking miners to
continue their course, may. 1t is
thought here, have the effect OF call
ing out other miners who have not
struck as yet.
Railroad and steamship men, and
also manufacturers. no longer seek to
hide the fact that the coal famine is
Gripping them. In fact, the famine
has assumed the most serious proper.
tions. and it has begun to bs u ques
tion whether many industries may not
be forced to shut down for lack Of
fuel to help their furnaces going.
Within the past dozen years, the
East particularly, has felt from time to
time, the pinch resulting from q short
allowance Of anthracite coal, but a
famine in bltuminous coal has never
been experienced here before, and,
with the growth OF machinery adapted
to the use OF bituminous coal only,
consumers are at loss what to do.
On May /, when 1t was thought that
the strike OF the 200, 900 coal miners
would be at an end in few days. and
the supply of bitumnous conl had not
been so greatly reduced. bituminous
coal sold. delivered alongside Of vessels
in New York harbor. for from So 60 to
So. 25 a ton. Today the same coal Ia sell
ing at from s. so to So a ton.
STEAMSHIP LINES AFFECTED.
The steamship companies. particu.
larly the English lines. which burn
soft coal entirely because OF its cheap.
ness as well as its great steam-makIng
qualities. have begun to prepare for the
coal famine aud, with the exception Of
the White Star and Cunard lines, have
notified their home offices to
have their steamships loaded
with coal for both the west
ward and eastward voyages. rs the
agents said that they could guarantee
that suffiient quantity Of bituminous
coal could be purchased here to supply
the needs OF their steamships for the
return voyage, AS consequences.
many of the trans Atlantic steamships
will carry their own coal from the
other side for the whole voyage.
But the railroads cannot simply tel
egraph to the other end Of the line aud
get fuel, aud many railroads are cutting
down all extra trains, and running
only passenger. mail and baggage
trains There was report that the
New York Central had started usinl
hickory wood, but it was a trihs pro :
mature.
The chief supply OF bituminous coal
at present Is coming from the Virginia
region. where the colo.ed miners re-
fused to strike. and few small mines
In the Cumberland region A. thes,
mines the mon are working night and
day. but rs New York alone uses about
so. 600 tons a week, tho small amount
mined 10 not sufficient to supply one.
half Of the demand.
When the full realization that there
was to be coal famine dawned upon
the large coal dealers Of this city they
naturally began to figure on the cos
OF importing coal enough to tide over.
and the result has been that at leas'
$50. 900 tons Of English bituminout
coal will be shipped to New
York from Nova Scotia, Cardiff, Wales
Newcastle and Liverpool inside Of
few weeks. OF this amount so, 00(
tons have already been bought at d
cost OF 81 to 81 so u ton laid down In
the docks here. with IS cents duty ant
transportation charges paid.