The daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1902-19??, 1902-12-16
MANY ORDERS
BUT NO COAL
One Company Has Requests
: For 5000 Tons But They
Cannot Be Delivered.
SOFT COAL PRICES GO UP.
Warm Rain Relieves Local
Situation For a Few
Days at the
Least.

Its the same story; no coal in the
city and none on the way here.
Having become tired of hearing
the pleadings OF hundre ds OF houss-
keepers lor Coal when it is impossi.
bic to deliver tho fuel one of the
leading com anies had its tele-
phone "out OF service this morn
ing when effort was made to learn he
latest developments 10 the coal stu.
atlcn. This company has orders
Tor 5000 tons OF coal or more than
1t can deliver in six months. To
take other orders would ouly en-
barrass the company and add TO
the disappointment of the consn-
mers when they are informed event.
ually that the coal cannot be deliv.
cred, therefore, the company has
decided to book no more orders
Wnen coal is received it will be de.
lIvered to the first persons on the
list and SO on until the supply Is
exhausted.
One East side company took aload
of anthracite to West Fifth street
house yesterday afternoon but the
driver would not put 1t in the cellar
OF the house until he "saW the mon
ey' for it. Then he wanted the
cash before he removed the coal from
the wagon, but as this was imperti.
nence to vengeance, the house wife
gave the fellow the privilege of put.
ting the coal In the cellar or taking
1t back to its owner. The man un.
loaded the coal and sot his money. He
gave out the information that stove
sizes of coal would 60 up 81 a ton
next week, but the George w. Bush
x Sons Company announced this
morning that they had not fixed an
increased rate nOr would they.
The remarkable feature. of this
high market is that it prevails in
spite OF the fact that the solt coal
production to-day is the largest the
country has ever known. and that the
operators are prepared to send out
millions upon millions Of tons if the
railroads Will transport it.
Manufacturers hear with alarm
he news that bituninous coal will
sell at higher figure than anthra-
lite. Soft coal usually costs aboat
20 cents 10 81 10 ton at the miues,
and the freight to tidewater is 81. 10,
lhe usua retail price here is from
70 to $3.50, 50 the present ruling
ate is more than double the normal
igures, and to have soft coal sell at
=, so ton more than is asked for
team sizes Of ofantbraCte is something
hat all coal men would have saida
car ago could never occur.
REASON FOR THE RISE.
The rise of the price Of soft coal
o figures never before reached is
lie to the fact that, in spite of the
Enormously increased demands, the
ailroads are bringing East no more
oal than they did two months ago.
he Pennsylvania carries weekly.
n its lines east of Pittsburg anL
lie, about 500, 900 tons, Just as il
id months ago. and there appe rs
have been no special effort to n
'ease this amount, though he
are clamoring for car. nd
re anxious to make the Tits
hich the East will pay for heir
ltput. Soft coal men insist nat
ley can and will do much to re-
eve the coal famine in the East IL
e railroads will help.
Yesterdays sleet and snow. and
G warnings Of the Weather Bu-
au that new storms and still
lder weather We're coming ere ed
rlous alarm all over the city and
lndreas haunted the coal o.ices
king for coal. The drivers found
to make good time
Dng the ice covered streets. Many
rses fell and werefhjured. Carts
oke down in turning out of the
+ tracks and twice as much time
usual was occupied in making
g trips, Dealers were almost in
spair and house keepers were
mOrouS.
A continuance Of Snow aud sleet
II make local conditions worse
d hamper work at the mines,
ere sidlngs must be kept free O.
DIV 10 order that coal cars may
hauled out on the main tracks.
Happily, h<wever, the warm
n has dispeled this fear for the
lc.