New-York tribune., 1902-06-19
HARD COAL ON MANHATTAN
COMPANY SAID TO HAVE SECURED A
SUPPLY OF ANTHRACITE.
MAYOR LOW CENsUREs DOUGHERTY FOR
USING BITUMINOUS-DEALER SAY
THEY HAVE MADE OFFERS.

USING BITUMINOUS-DEALERS SAY
THEY HAVE MADE OFFERS.
startling abatement of the black smoke
nuisance along the Sixth-ave. elevated road was
noticed yesterday. The locomotives were burn
ing hard coal again and making no more smoke
than they did previous to the coal strike. 1t
was supposed that the Manhattan Railway
Company had secured a supply of hard coal
Thousands of passengers on the trains noticed
the change and expressed their delight over
the relief from black smoke when they were III
the cars.
Officials of the Manhattan Railway Company
declined to say how much hard coal had been
offered yesterday in response to the company
advertisement for %, 600 to-. Mr. Skitt, the
general manager of the company, issued state
ment saying that the company was endeaVor-
ing in every way possible to lessen the smoke
nuisance. and adding:
With this end in view. the remaining stock
of anthracite coal is being used exclusively on
tho Sivthaye line from hundred fifty
ninth-st. to South Ferry, thus reheHlis ne
shopping district on Sixth-ave. entlreIS @ ol
smoke. and one-haf the trains on columbus
ave The fragmentary lots of hard coal Sc
cured from day TO day will be USED Win 'iio
object in view If no considerable amount OF
anthracite coal is offered to-day. the numpeF oi
trains running on the Ninth-ave line VIII De re- re-
duced tomorrow. with additional cars TO ao can
train. which will relieve Ninth-aNe ana lur'iei
relieve Columbus
A number of passengers who were forced TO
use a shuttle train on the Sixth-ave. elevated
line between Fifty-eighth and Fftleth sts. sent
a protest to the Manhattan Railway company
Yesterday declaring that it was an outrage u
force them to leave cars al Fifteth-st and take
crowded Harlem trains They spoF' OF taxing
the subject to the if the shuttle tram
was continued William f. King one OIL 'he
sgners of the letter. said:
Clig SemblanCe
excuse for this action. The railway IlSih'ise
ment will simply make itself appear rldlcuiouS
If il offers the coal question as an eXplaiia-
ton 1t is only doing as il has done Tor years,
endeavoring to reduce expenses at the cost oA
public convenience and comfort
Mr., skitt's explanation was that the COM
pany took off the through trains to Fifty-
eighth-st and ran shuttle trains from Fiftieth-
st to lessen the smoke nuisance. adding: Ihls
lessons considerably the use of coal, and with
the least possible inconvenience to the public.
Mayor Low sent letter of censure to Com
missioner Dougherty of the Department OF
Water Supply. Gas and Electricity yesterday
upbraiding him for using soft coal. The letter
says
regret to learn that in the pumping station
in Ninety-seventh-st.. near Columpus-a'e, you
have been using soft coal AS TINS Is contrary
to the Sanitary Code, inasmuCh as IT produces
Objectionable smoke. l desire you to furnish me
with an explanation of tins action IN the
mean time It appears that it is the duty
of the department to buy hard coal, II IL IS on
tainable at the market price BE klnd enough
that hard coal ls substituted ioi SUI ''''t
without delay.
Commissioner Dougherty yesterday referred
newspaper men who made inquiry about the use
Of soft coal at the citys pumping station to
Deputy Commissioned De Long. See Chief En-
gineer Birdsall.'' said Mr.. De Long Hes ne
man who looks after that. He gets the salary.
so it's up 10 him TO do the work / don't see
any cause for any fuss anyhow. just because
we've burned a little soft coal 10 keep our
pumps going" Mr.. De Long declared That he
had not heard of an offer to supply the de
partment with hard coal at a fair price Mr..
BirdsaH was not in his Office. having started on
a trip Of inspection
President Lederle of the Health Board was
receiving reports yesterday from coal dealers
who had tried to sell hard coal to the Manhat-
tan Railway Company. and had failed. because
the company would not pay the price asked.
He said the summons which there was
hearing on Tuesday had been secured in order
TO permit the company make good its con
tention that il could not get hard coal for its
locomotives at any price. Some coal dealers
said yesterday that they had Offered coal in
considera BILE quantities to the company. but the
company declared it wanted broken coal. and
could either pea coal or buck wheat coal.
Dr. I.ederle announced yesterday that he
would give public hearing at the office % the
Health Board. SiXth-ave and Fifty-hfth-st., 1t
- p m. to-day. at which the Manhattan Railway
officials would he represented He said he was
anxious to have the coal dealers of the city
tend the hearing and listen TO what the fiCials
had to say about the impOssibility of getting
sufficient anthracite to run their engines He
hopeful that something might develop which
would show way for the railroad company to
obtain enough coal to ahate the smoke nuisance.