New-York tribune., 1902-12-09
COAL SUPPLY SHORT.
SNOW HINDERS HI CLING
anthracite Sells at 50 to s1I-Lsttte
I4r71Ues-East Side Stations
4ctiUe.

Itttle coal came 70 New-York yesterday, and
little has arrived since Fridays snowstor1n hin
dered the traffic of the coal roads The city
has been running with only two or three days
stock Of coal ahead, and this diminution OF new
supplies at time when the cold weather is in
ereasing the need is causing a situation that
at the least. looks serious.
The coal dealers throughout the city have been
extremely reticent about the amount Of coal
that has arrived mere in the last few days; but
yesterday one OF them admitted that the ques-
tion OF meeting the city's wants was causing
them some anxiety, little no coal had
come to town since last weeks storm. and
two feet of snow was reported along the line OF
some Of the coal roads. If coal comes here to-
morrow the situation will be relieved, but one
or two days more viii mean inconvenience to all
and suffering to many.
Coal yesterday commanded speculative prices.
The point was, to get II, and little complaint
vas made at high price. a few of the larger
dealers. such as Curtis & Blaisdell and Burns
Bros. kept 20 their scheduled price CT 81 a
ton for stove sizes OF anthracite, but many who
had heretofore refused 10 raise their price above
81 were yesterday quoting coal at SS, and
most of the sales at prices ranging from
SO to S11. 4 man who was able to get ton OF
coal delivered even at the latter price had cause
10 count himself lucky.
The people of the East Side, who live from
hand TO mouth, were hard hit by the combina-
1ion Of cold weather and scarcity Of fuel The
price OF coal pailful is still low, 10 and Il
cents pail Of thirty 70 thirty-f1ve pounds The
normal price last year was 10 cents; the high
price this fall was 25 cents. delivered in the
7enerents. But q great number of those who
were able and willing pay yesterday could
not get their coal, owing 10 the shutting off Of
the supply by the hindrance Of traffic. Those
ronversant with East Side affairs said that only
the small coal supply stations that sell at low
prices prevented such trouble has never been
seen here.
But these coal supply stations could not be
gin to meet the demand In front of each was
r. crowd OF shivering, thinly clad children and
ehawl-wrapped women. waiting in the cold for
the fuel they needed TO cook their food and to
keep life in their bodies At the yard of Alfred
BARRIERS Son. at No. 377 Water-st. the first
station opened 70 sell cheap coal to the poor,
there only six tons 10 be sold until late in
rhe afternoon. and many stood for hours clutch
ing the tickets that entitled them TO their pail
ful Of coal and waited eagerly for the coal TO
arrive At about O'Clock coal Was obtained
AS the news became known crowds
gathered around. blocking Up the street and
cianoring FOR coal. The place was kept open
Until midnight. that many as possible might
he furnished with fuel and kept from freezing.
Though there has been strike in the BIZ
luminous coal fields. soft coal is selling at higher
prices than some OF the finer grades OF anthra-
cite. Houses that quote soft coal at So 90 a
foa ask only from 81 to So for buckwheat and
pea anthracite The dealers strenuously deny
that this is due in any way to an attempt on
fhe part Of the dealers the soft coal operators
70 make speculative profits because Of the pres
ent crisis. The cause Of the high price Of soft
coal is said to be the increased demand from
those who were driven TO use il because of the
imI disability of getting the anthracite and now
find that its greater steam producing power
rrs hes economical. and the difficult
~ in obtaining proper transportation for the
large amount demanded The dealers say,
further, that these smaller grades Of anthracite
have not advanced proportionateiy in price be-
cause they cannot be burned in all furnaces.