The age-herald., 1900-02-12
NEW ORLEANS AND THE COAL QUESTION Some Dealers Predict a Famine
 in the Spring. THINK SUPPLY IS SHORT Others Hold to Different Opinion Heavy Shipments rom Alabama-British
 Are Stocking Their Trans
 ports at the Port
THINK SUPPLY IS SHORT

New Orleans is disturbed over the pros poets of a coal famine that seems to be staring her in the face. Some of the deal- CTS of that city are of the opinion that the coal now being lowed from Pennsylvania which Is expected to reach New Orleans within the next few weeks will be sufficient to meet all demands until other shipments can be received. Other dealers take a dif- ferent view of the matter, and predict a scarcity of "black diamond in the spring and summer.
 The biggest shipment of coal ever sent down the Ohio river, consisting of 100000 bushels, left Pittsburg about a month ago. Several of the barges were lost, however before reaching Cincinnati, by reason of the river being filled with floating ice. The barges have now succeeded in getting be- low the ice and will experience no further trouble from that source.
 A Dealers Views
 Captain Coyle. a coal dealer at New Or leans, in an interview published in the Pica- yune of Saturday, says:
 ''rhe Ohio river has been frozen up, so that very little coal is coming here from Pittsburg, and number of barges have been lost. The supply from various sources is barely sufficient ito meet the daily de- mand. Our stock of coal is depleted. owing to the heavy drafts made upon it last fall, when the Ohio was too low to float coal barges, and New Orleans was experiencing a coal famine. This is the time of the year when we are accustomed to lay in a stock
 
 early fall, during the low stage of the Ohio. As things are, the supply is so small that we are pushing a hand-to-mouth pol cy, and it is impossible to accumulate a reserve stock of coal''
 When asked if New Orleans could not get coal from Alabama, being so much nearer to New Orleans than Pittsburg, Captain Coyle said:
 "New Orleans can get but little from Alabama because almost all of the Ala abama coal is needed for ironmaking pur- coal here, the Louisville and Nashville rail- road has been using Alabama coal shipped over its road. The parties to whom the coal is shipped have to replace it with Pitts burg coal"
 Different Opinion
 MT. Wilmot, another coal dealer. differs with Captain Coyle. He made the following statement to a Plcayune reporters:
 eve have no special reason for believing that there is a coal famine on the tapis. There has been a great deal of ice Tn the upper rivers, but just now it is clearing off and we expect continuous tows of coal here .;rxI,+ ,1o burg coal which started some weeks ago have all gotten below the ice belt. properly speaking, and will be unhampered in their movements southward. We are expecting a great deal of it here during the approaching few weeks; quite enough, I should think, to assuage any fear the people may have as to famine Ice is gathering again upon the upper rivers, and it may be that with a continuous drain upon our supplies here by other than home consumption, the scarcity spoken of may come later, but do not be- lieve The British government has been buying a great deal of coal from us, stock ing their transports, and that has been a heavy drain upon the New Orleans supply received from the Pittsburg mines.'
 Captain Woods, another leading dealer, who has been receiving large consignments from the Alabama mines, thinks there is little danger of the New Orleans supply growing short Captain Woods just a few days ago closed contracts for a large con- signment of Birmingham coal, and already a great deal of it has been barged down. This coal, being so much nearer than the Pittsburg article, will not be in the least retarded by the ice. It is shipped by rail from Alabama to Greenvile Miss, and there barged down the river. Now and then railroads, taking advantage of their posi:lcn as carriers, appropriate a few cars, but this appropriation is not recokoned as being sufficiently extensive to materially effect the receipts by rail in New Orleans.
 More Alabama coal is being shipped to New Orleans thss winter than ever before. and the demand is still greater than the supply. The Southern railway has greatly increased its facilities for loading barges at Greenvllle by putting in several additional tipples.
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