The Portland daily press., 1899-11-17
A COAL FAMINE
Is Threatened the Cities
Of This State.
Hard Coal As Well As the Soft
Variety Is Going Up.
It Will Reach SO a Ton
in Some Places.
Much Coal VIII Be Imported
Here by English Steamships.

something unexpected happepsi some Of
the interior towns of this state, notably
Biddeford, Saoo, Augusta and the towns
on the Upper Kennebec and Penots,ot
may experience coal famine. This
statement was made to PRESS reporter
yesterday by one OF the large coal dealers
In this city
as has before been stated In thes, col
umr the trouble has been CAUSED by the
wave of prosperity which has swept over
the country. Tho big roads which oper-
ate through tire coal fields are having all
the freight they can have at prices more
lucrative than Is paid for hauling coal.
Thes, big roads haul coal two and three
hundred miles to the ssa ports at prices
far below what would bs charged for
one-sighth Of the distance here in the
esss. As soon as the time camel. when
ths $, roads could obtain anything elss to
haul In the shape Of freight they took
advantage of the opportunity and about
all of their rolling stock has been 50 en-
gagged for many months This is the
primary oaus, of the coal shortage. but
there are many other things which have
aided in bringing about this condition Of
sffairs.
One of the big Portland dealers was In
Philadelphia recently to zee II he could
not obtain enough soft ooal to fill his con-
tracts. He found at that port. where an
enormous amount of coal 10 usually to
bs found awaiting shipment. two and
three hundred vessels and not two thous-
and tons OF coal on the docks altogether.
In previous years his arrival In Philadel-
phia would bring about him many agents
who desired to disI oss Of GOAL to him,
but on this trip he had to hunt up the
agents and his offers Of high prices for
coal had no effect whatever.
This conditi on of affairs which has re-
GENTLY become more pronounced 10 where
the towns atovs mentioned are to suffer.
They obtain their coal supply in the sum-
mer from vessels which sail up the rivers
on which they are located, and they usu-
ally figure on having enough coal on
hand to last through the winter. During
the summer these towns and cities were
unable to lay up enough coal. owing TO
the difficulty to obtain 1t. to last them
through cold weather. Now TINT winter
has come and tbs rivers are closed TO nav
igation or will shortly be olosed because
Of tbs Toe, this coal dealers in these towns
find themselves wi thout enough coal on
hand to carry than Though tn, season.
and they must depend upon Portland for
their supply by railroad.
AS has been said. soft coal cannot 5s
Obtained In large quantities and the mills
are toand to suffer on this account.
Here In Portland whsre many coal deal
srs have contracts to supply mills for thu
year at a stated price per ton thsy are
forced to furnish hard coal instead of soft
coal, as tn, latter cannot be obtained.
Hard coal Is becoming scarce and 10 now
retailing In PORTLAND at 81 per ton with
a prospect of its reaching 81 or even $3.50
before the winter IL ended. those dealers
which have been so unfortunate to CON-
tract to supply soft coal at $3.50 per ton
to thu mills which are large consumers
will be forced In many cases to supply
lard coal instead. 1t can be readily seen
what thu loss TO Portland dealers will
be when they are supply ing coal at ". 81
per ton which they could sell at home
for SO or even ~.
In Biddeford yesterday coal dealer Is
quoted In an interview as stating that
hs expected coal would reach - per ton
before thu winter Is ended. 1his inoress,
will be felt In other places as we'll as in
Biddeford. 1t Is the poor man who suffers
from this Increase and not this wealthy
man. those who now have their cellars
filed with coal are fortunate, but those
who have their winters fuel still to buy
are to be pitied.
As the days go by the certainty Of n
coal famine in Maine increases. With
the great demand for coal thu price of
wood has gone up. and 1t will be still
higher before the snow Is off the ground,
SO those who are In a position to know
declare.
1t Is an Ill wind which blows no one
good, SO the adage says. This time 1t
will be the English steamship people who
will be benefited by this condition.
Many of the steamships have been bring
Ing Just enough coal over here to serve as
ballast in seasons past, but this winter 1t
IL believed they win lind the English coal
q profitable cargo. Already some Of the
long headed dealers In Portland nave seen
the hand writing on the wall and have
placed their orders for soft coal with the
Engl ish mines, This coal after the duty
OF 75 cents ton is paid will net the deal
ers here handsome profit II the condi-
ton of the soft coal market does not
change. Manufacturers who have NO sup
ply of GOAL on hand and who are derend-
ing upon 1t to run their mills, and who,
unless they are fortunate enough to have
a firm contract with some Of the middle.