New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-27
COAL SITUATION GROWS ACUTE.
SUPPLY A LITTLE LARGER, But PRICES HIGHER ACTUAL
FAMINE THIS CITY
SUFFERING ON EAST SIDE
DR.. LEDERLE SAYS HEALTH is MEN
ACED-DEALERS HIDING COAL

The coal famine. which has been foraytng
the borders of the city for the last few weeks.
NAV now he said TO have invested It. camped
before the walls only he driven away by the
ending of the strike. and that goes on bring
ing disease. want despair. and perhaps death on
those who cannot buy fuel because there Is
none TO be had.
Already the poor of the East Side, who are
purchasing what little coal they can obtain by
the pailful at the rate of $50 ton, are feeling
the effects of a condition more alarming than
any of similar import that has confronted the
city in many years. are actually suffering, and
| in homes of plenty as we'll the inability to buy
coal is causing more than inconvenience.
Rents are being raised on the East Side. and
disease is far more prevalent than usual owing
to the cold and cheerless condition OF the tene-
ment houses
President LeIerle of the Board of Health in
his reports of Wednesday and Thursday, de
clared that the health of the East Side
menaced by the coal famine. and that. by
son of the inevitable suffering from cold. dis
ease will greatly increase.
This would be particularly true President
Lederle said 'in the cases Of those suffering
from dphtheria and tuberculosis. Such pa
tients must have warmth. It is indeed
| rious situation"
It has been admitted that even should the
strike be declared off in a short time. of which
| at present there are no Indications the amount
of coal that will reach here will not supply i'm
| mediate demands.
| The retail dealers will make no more schedules
of prices to be quoted by all. and each viii
charge whatever he Ikes-and get II There are
| not many of them, however, who Will be obliged
| To figure what they shall charge Few Of
| them have any coal 10 charge for. The last
| schedule price was so a ton What the every
| body for himself rate will be depends on how
| cold the weather is.
| Persons who are able to buy diamonds cannot
get coal; in fact coal is worth more than dla-
| monds at present.
| HIDING THEIR COAL
| Anthracite has become so scarce in this city
| and the demand by dealers and consumers is
| so persistent that great secrecy is being main
| tained by those who fortunate enough to OBJ
| tain a supply The dealer who has coal is
willing to let the fact be known. as other deal
| ers would make his life miserable with appeals
| to him TO share his good fortune with them
| The four thousand tons which arrived from
| Wales Thursday and was brought here by
the Perkins company, who announced that every
| pound of 1t had been sold two weeks ago.
| though it could not be learned who the pur-
| chaser purchasers We're IT was said had been
| contracted for by the Manhattan Elevated Rail-
L
| No 195 Broadway, It said:
| I'VE prefer to say nothing whatever regarding
the matter. absolutely nothing" said an official
| of the company.
| rs coal so precious that you are not willing
| to let It be known that you have any?" was
| asked.
| we shall be able to anthracite on our
| lines the answer Further than that
| have nothing to say"
| One of the largest retail firms in the city has
| 621 tons of domestic sizes hand to-day, and
is selling only to its customers of long standing
| and to exceed half ton at time. This
| company usually has twenty thousand tons on
| hand at this season. besides having the bins of
| many of its customers well stocked.
| This year said member of the company
| all our customers without coal We see
| no ray of hope in the situation. During the
| summer we bought a coal mine in the anthra-
cite region and obtained permission from the
| union work the mine, hoping to be able
| supply part of our own needs But our miners
| take every kind of an opportunity to quit work
| They don't want to work, although they have
grievances.
| Another dealer bitterly denounced the opera
| tors for repeatedly asserting that large guam
titles of coal reaching the New-York mar
| ket from the anthracite region.
"It is unfair to the retail dealers" he said
The public reads those statements and come to
US believing that we can get some of this daily
| shipment of thirty thousand tons for them if
we only will. The truth is the operators are
| not sending any anthracite here at all. / have
watched all the receiving points for this market
| for weeks and no coal is arriving"
| The price of pea coal advanced to SO ton
| yesterday This 81 more than was asked on
| Thursday. Soft coal is held at 81 ton.
| he county of WeStchester,
| many wealthy New Workers have country man
| sons is threatened with coal famine the local
dealers having practically exhausted their sup
| ply. Already many people in Mount Vernon
| New-Rochelle. Port Chester. Yonkers White
| Plains, Pelham, and other towns who have been
forced to start fires because Of the cold rain IN
the last week burning soft coal Cord wood
is also being used in such large quantities that
| the demand is keeping a big gang of woodchop-
pers in the woods day and night. In Mount
Vernon and New Rochelle there are about a
| dozen coal dealers who have but few tons on
| hand and this they selling at $12 ton
| In Tarrytown Irvington, Ardsley and Dohhs
| Ferry the poor suffer from the scarcity and
| high price. In New-Rochele it is said that
| Adrian Iselin. sr.. tried to get large supply
| of coal from the local dealers, but could not get
/ it. as they are delivering only consgnments or
half ton. At Larchmont Greenwich and Riv
| erside several steam yachts have been forced
out of commission because of the shortage of
coal The Mount Vernon Board of Education