New-York tribune., 1902-10-06
LACK EVEN IF WORK BEGINS.
AN EXPERTS GLOOMY VIEW FOR THE
COMING WINTER.
IBY TELEGRAPH To TIRE TRIBrxy.I


washington. oct. 5.-Anthracite will he scarce
and difficult TO obtain in large quantities for a
long time after the resumption Of work IN the
mines. according To tAe opinion Of Or. David
T. Day, chief Of the III -iion OF mines and min
eral resources Of the United States Geological
Survey. Or Day. who .s the best informed man
in the government service as 10 the coal re-
sources Of the country, has been frequently
called TO the White House for consultation since
President Roosevelt began his efforts 10 settle
the strike.
In his opinion. n the strikers should all re
turn 70 work tomorrow, and II the mines should
he worked TO their utmost capacity working
men in shifts IL would be at least six months
before the supply of anthracite would bear a
normal relation 20 the demand. In discussing
this subject Dr. Day pointed out that the annual
output Of the anthracite mines Of Pennsylvania
was sixty million tons. or bout FIVE million
tons month. The demand is fully up % this
supply that in normal times very large
surplus stocks Of coal can be accumulated. and
now after an almost total stoppage - produc-
tion Of four months. there is practically no sup
ply on hand. Domestic bins are empty. the
sheds Of the coal yards have been swept clean.
and every ton in the producing region has been
shipped 10 market The season Of the year in
which the consumption of coal Is greatest is
setting in. and even II the mines could begin
turning out coal at once at the rate Of FIVE mill
ion tons a month they would not keep pace
with the normal demand for consumption dur
ing the winter months in the face Of the fact
that there is no surplus left over from the sum
rner 10 draw on this year
The mines could not az once resume their nor
nal rate Of production. Many Of them have
been flooded and damaged by water TO such an
extent that il would be several weeks before
they could be put in full operation At other
mines buildings have been burned and ma
chinery destroyed or damaged. and much time
would be lost in starting them again. In view
of these conditions every days delay I'm starting
the mines. with winter setting in Increases the
danger OF suffering and death among The poorer
people and Of great inconvenience and dis
comfort among the well 10 do II the mines
can be started at a reasonably early date IL is
believed that the prevention or distress will de
pend largely upon the management OF the coal
pToducing companies and the retail dealers.
The companies have said that they VIII not IN
crease the price OF coal and If the dealers will
limit the amount sold TO a single customer 10
his immediate needs, as is proposed 70 be done
in washington il is believed the winter can be
passed without severe haLush'ps, rms = on 'he
assumption that the mines are soon 10 be
started II they are not, reliance VIII nave 70 be
placed on substitutes for anthracite Dr. Day
is disposed TO believe that the chier reliance VIII
have 10 be on bituminOus coal and that the
principal source OF supply viii be the bituminous
mines OF the United States with some little as
sistapce from foreign fields. He says that the
supply OF Welch anthracite is so small that not
more than $4,000 or 10000 tons Of that coal
could be imported annually Nlthout running the
r,rics nm 10 a prohibitory figure. and that the
amount that could be brought In at once would
NOT be an appreciable factor in meeting the pres
ent demands.
Mood can be used only 20 limited extent, as
few houses have facilities for wood nres Oil
and gas can be extensively used Tor cooking
nurncses and are being used in this way a
scale never approached before, but oil and gas
heaters have not generally been found adequate
nj
and DR. Day does not expect that they will be
extensively used