Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-09
PROMISES NOT KEPT
COAL SUPPLY FALLS BELOW
AMOUNT GUARANTEED,
Claim That the Citizens Committee
Gained Nothing-Statement by
Mr.. Thomas w. Smith.

From what might be considerded relia-
BILE and authoritative source it was learned
today that the fifty cars of anthracite coal
promised to Washington daily by the man
agement of the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal and Iron Company have failed to ma
terialfze UP to the present; that the volume
of coal brought to the city daily from the
mines Of that company is considerably less
than the promised amount.
> 1t Is also understood, and from the same
source, that the shipments of hard coal to
Washington for a number of days previous
to the visit Of the business mems commit
tee appointed by the District Commissioners
to Philadelphia were considerably larger
daily than since the prev Use made by the
management of the Philadelphia and Read
ing Company to the committee
The person who gave this information to
The Evening Star also declared that the
business mems committee gained absolutely
nothing by its visit to Philadelphia. He
said that Mr.. Lounsbury, the Philadelphia
ard Readings local sales agent, had long
before the visit to Philadelphia made a re-
quest for seventy-fve cars of hard coal a
day for Washington to relieve the appre-
tensions of a fuel famine and alleviate
actual needs.
Chairman Smith Talks.
Mr.. Thomas W. Smith, president of the
Board of Trade and chairman of the bust
ness mems committee, said this afternoon
that he was unable to understand why the
Philadelphia and Reading Company should
not fulfill it's promise, if 1t is not already
doing SO.
Il believe 1 am good Judge of human
nature" Mr.. Smith said. Il am positive in
my belief that Mr.. Henderson, the general
manager was sincere and honest when ne
told the committee that his company would
a IN OFT =, Of.
thracite coal daily
AS to the statement that the committee
failed to accomplish anything, 1 would say
that lis Investigations showed to the peo-
pie of Washington that the Philadelphia
and Reading and the Pennsylvania compa-
MES have been and are selling to dealers in
Washington delivered coal at 1915 and Sc
a ton, respectively, and that some dealers
have been and are selling coal at prices far
in excess of the usual added profit of s1.50
a tom
The cold wave of last night and this
morning has greatly augmented the de-
mand for fuel of every kind. The offices Of
the local coal merchants were crowded all
Gay by persons anxious to get coal of any
kind. An interesting feature of the present
situation is the apparent dearth of bitumi-
nous coal in the city.
Barge With 800 Tons.
Capt. Baird, superintendent of the State,
War and Navy Department building, re-
ceived word this morning of the arrival of
barge at the foot Of G street with 800 tons
of furnace coal for the big granite building
at 18th street and Pennsylvania avenue, and
he at once began to remove the precious
commodity to where it would do the most
good. This is said to be the largest single
shipment of coal to this city since March
last.
The superintendent says that private re-
ports from the mines are to the effect that
there is still much water in some of the
principal mines that the lowest and richest
galleries cannot be worked to their proper
capacity, and the estimate is made that it
will take three months more of pumping to
drain the mines.
About fifteen hundred tons Of hard coal
from the Pennsylvania mines arrived here
yesterday evening in their barges, in tow
of the large tug Volunteer of Baltimore,
and are now lying at the Georgetown coal
piers to unload their cargoes. The barges
came from Philadelphia, and the tug took
them in charge at Chesapeake City, at the
Maryland end Of the Delaware and Chesa-
peake canal. and hurried with them down
the river to this city. This is the second
tow of coal-laden barges to arrive here
since April last, before the coal strike be-
gan, the first tow of two barges having
arrived about two weeks ago.