The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-19
COAL IS
NO HIGHER
HERE YET.
The Only City on the Seaboard
Where Prices Remain
Unchanged.

Providence, II is claimed. is the only
city on the Atlantic seaboard today
where the price OF coal has not been ad-
vanced as result OF the great strike In
the anthracite coal regions.
New York and Boston led In the ad-
vance. the price being 81 higher than a
week ago. Stove coal is quoted in this
city at s6.25 per ton. which is the same
as IL has been for months past.
or course, prices in former. years have
usually sagged at this time OF year, but
In view OF the strike the dealers are not
making any concessions.
In fact, one big dealer said today that
he could not replace ton Of coal sold at
s6.25 for double the amount received for
1t. With the exception OF a few specula-
tive lots held I'm New York for famine
prices. there is no free coal anywhere,
Dealers In this city when visited by a
News reporter today said that In their
judgment there was no danger OF an i'm
mediate coal famine in this city.
GREAT CALAMITY THREATENED.
This statement was qualified. however.
Should the bituminous coal workers de-
eide to strike In sympathy with the an
thracite workers, of which there was a
probability, the industries OF the country
would be paralyzed and the nation would
be visited by the greatest calamity seen
in years.
Wall street. and financial panics gener-
ally, would be as nothing compared 10 Il.
Mr.. Robert f. Smith, the senior men,
ber OF the coal firm OF r.. f. Smith e. Co.,
OF South Water street said the demand
for coal at this season of the year was
not great enough TO cause a famine.
Dealers generally" said Mr.. Smith,
have about the normal quantity OF coal
on hand and the demand for domestic
use is small.
The only purchasers are people who
| 60 out OF town and have their bins filled
| for the winter during their absence. There
| is no excitement anywhere so far as car
| see. Prices are unchanged and there will
| be no advance unless the strike should be
| prolonged.
Should the bituminous mines decide ia
strike the conditions would be material
| ly changed and the industries of the
country would be paralyzed.''
The manager of one OF the largest coal
| companies in this city said today that
| he had private advces from Philadelphia
| this morning that no concessions would
| be made on either side and that the indi-
cations were that the struggle would be
bitter one.
ROADS CoNFIsCATING COAL.
Already" he said. "the coal carrying
roads. notably the Erie and Pennsylva-
MIA companies, are confscating to their
own use, bituminous coal consigned TO
eastern points. We have no redress. be-
, cause the railroads are backed up by the
state of Pennsylvania in this highland
ed course.
This action on the part of the anthra-
cite roads maddens the bituminous min
ers and they may strike In sympathy in
consequence. Should action on their
part be taken IL would work
incalculable harm as there are really no
stocks on tor of the ground at all.
For every day the miners remain out
Il will take three or four days TO catch up
The mines are filling with water, the
ventilation becomes foul and the machin-
cry gets stiff and 1t takes a long time to
straighten things out"