The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-04
SITUATION HERE is
EXCEEDINGLY GRAVE Y |:
Factories May Shut Down Owing
to Coal Famine.
DEALERsAR ARR. in BAD STRAITS
Customers Pushing Them for Steam
Coal, and They Are Begging c. &
o. to Haul It-West Paying
More Money for 1t.

The coal situation is far more serious
in Richmond than many have any IDEA.
Factories, where thousands are en-
ployed. are in danger OF shutting down
because of the lack Of COAL This Is not
the anthracite Of Pennsylvania, but the
steam or bituminous coal OF the Ne"
River District and West Virginia All
the tobacco factC.ies and many others
are almost compelled to have 1t, ana
while wood is possible fuel, it is Well
nigh. impracticable.
The situation may be seen in i IS gravity
when the following statement from one
Of the most extensive dealers here IN
steam coal is read. This gentleman
said to Times writer last night that
he furnished steam coal to several Of
the largest tobacco. and a number OF
other factories of the city, and also TO
leading hotel. He got all his coal OF
necessity over the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway Company. Not carload OF
coal had come into the city for two
days. The Chesapeake and Ohio had
promised him coal two days ago, but
none had come.
He has 4 contract with the factories
to furnish them with coal. The proprie-
lots dEc W lliIIl
ply and he is in terrible straits about
getting it. He went to the Chesapeake
and Ohio Office yesterday and begged for
coal, as his customers were urging him.
The Chesapeake and Ohio people said
they We're sorry. but there was not a
carload of coal nearer than Glasgow.
which is beyond Lynchburg. They are
mining about 300 carloads q day-about
one-third as much as usual under normal
condtionS-but that most Of it was go
ing West because it brought S1.23 more
Sthere than here. The dealer was much
upset. He found a friendly dealer. who
had two carloads, which he consented
under the circumstances to let him have.
This Will last about three days.
oN1INOUs WORDS
This gentleman uttered these ominous
words in closing his statement:
When this is done L do not know what
will or can be done. The factories will
have to close, suppose, and the hotels
will be greatly embarrassed. The situa-
ton is exceedingly grave
Mr.. NJ. O. Brooks, general manager Of
the Chesapeake and Ohio Coal and Coke
Company, made the following statement,
which is entirely consistent with the In
formation of the coal dealer:
'The opera tors are getting out little
more than twenty-five per cent. Of the
ustomarv amount of coal. They are
getting So more a ton in Chicago for it
than in Virginia and the East, and are
sending it there
The result of the conference of the
operators and miners With the President
! yesterday was eagerly awaited. It's
failure of accomplishing anything was a
great disappointment here
WANT DECISIVE ACTION.
In the clubs last night citizens were
clamoring for a Cleveland or Andrew
Jackson at Washington, the opinion be-
ing that some decisive action should be
taken at once to end the strike. The i'm
preston seemed to be that Mitchell, in
agreeing to arbitration. scored a point
on the operator
Anthracite, fortunately for Richmond,
can be of all the Goals most conveniently
dispensed with here. It Is used for heat
ing residences, whether by furnace or
latrobe, and in ranges, but not in facto-
ries and manufacturing plants. Wood
and coke gre fairly good substitutes
The North. where the winters are severe.
will be the greatest sufferers from the
lack of anthracite. But for Virginia and
Richmond, as every place, the word "ap-
palling'' was used by the President adj
visedly If the tobacco and other facto-
ries here are shut down, the consequence
is unpleasant enough even in imaginat ton