Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-26

Another day Of the greatest coal strike
that the country has ever seen has brought
| no suggestion or promise Of q satisfactory
| solution Of the problem Of fuel for the
winter that Is fast approaching. Dealers
who usually carry the largest amount Of
anthracite coal. and who, 1t would seem,
might be near to the operators in the
pennsylvania districts, are apparently as
lacking in knowledge Of what actually ex-
lists there in the way of a settlement Of the
strike as the humblest puIc chaser OF the
product Of the mines.
Stories came from Philadelphia and Bal
timore this morning that there is pos
s1bilfty of famine in the bituminous
product. A number of dealers who were
questioned on the subject were inclined to
the belief that this was simply a ruse to
put up the price Of soft coal. Within the
past few weeks the price Of bituminous
coal has gone up, but this is only natural
when 1t IS understood that the soft product
must necessarily, and to great extent,
take the place of anthracite. Water in the
Chesapeake and Ohio canal is lower today
| than for many months, and the boats that
are engaged in the transportation OF soft
coal from the Cumberland district are
carrying smaller loads than is customary
at other times in the year.
Local dealers in coal do not look for
! shortage Of soft coal. declaring that there
is plenty of the product being mined. They
are emphatic in the belief that there should
not be a panic unless the operators in the
bituminous fields are to assume heartless
air and shall try to restrict the output in
the interest of forcing up prices.
comparatively few tons Of anthracite
coal were sold today. and the uniform price
was $16 a ton. AS during the past few days,
| the coal was delivered in homeopathic
doses.
Washerwomen are among the greatest
sufferers because Of the prolongation Of the
strike. A Georgetown man who Is engaged
In business down town told today of COL
ored woman who has looked after the fam
lily wash for years, but who had approached
him this morning and asked him to advance
her some money with which to buy some
coal.
Il have been accustomed to pay 20 cents
bushel,' the woman told this George
town man. 'At the present time / COM
PEELED to pay GO cents a bushel 1t is hard
to get coal even at that price but l must
have 1t If I am to do your work.
This Is only one of hundreds of instances
of similar kind that may be found in
Washington.
Boom in Oil and Gas Heaters.
Business in oil stoves and gas heaters
and ranges is greater today than at any
time in the history of the city. Many deal
ers have trebled and quadrupled their or
ders. The demand for stoves that can use
oil Is greater than for those of gas Oil
stoves and heaters range in price from 80
cents and a dollar up to $3.50. One great
advantage in their use is that they can be
picked up by hand and transported to any
room in a house with very little trouble.
The price Of coal oil has not been ad-
vanced to any appreciable extent, as yet,
but there Is every reason to believe that
the oil companies will have excuse for
doing if the demand for the product shall
increase and the coal strike is not settled
soon.
The gas companies Of the District Of Co
lumbia are more or less perturbed over the
situation. Something unusual it Is for the
directors of the Washington Gas Light
Company to hold daily conferences. Yet
this has been deemed expedient during the
past ten days. Not a bushel of coke has
been sold by either of the two companies
| which supply light to the city of Wash
ington during the past month. The COM
panies are using the refuse of the coal for
heating purposes.
Double Price for Wood.
Comparatively little wood has been hauled
to the city from the outlying districts That
which has reached the city has brought a
price almost double in many instances and
in some cases more than double the price
that usually obtains.
The suggestion that the railroad COM
panies are responsible for the slow influx
Of bituminous coal to Washington, Balti-
more, Philadelphia and other cities along
the Atlantic seaboard is denied by railroad
men, who point out that the price Of haul
ing is regulated by the laws Of supply and
demand. together with the cost of hauling
and that 1t costs no more to haul a carload
OF coal or any other freight at this time of
the year than it does at any other time Of
the season.
Provision Made for Navy Department.
Capt G. w. Baird OF the navy, who is
superintendent of the State War and Navy
Departments building. has been obliged to
purchase soft coal for use in the building
Under present conditions about seventy
tons a week are necessary, but when the
heat is turned on double that amount will
be required.
Last spring Capt. Baird purchased coal to
the extent Of the room In the building and
at the beginning of the fiscal year contract
ed Immediately for 500 tons of anthracite
but only a portion OF 1t could be delivered
There Is now hand in the building
enough anthracite coal to supply the de-
mands for three weeks.
Capt Baird, however has caused An in
vestigation to be made Of the situation in
the anthracite region and says the largest
mines are from one-half to seven-eighths
IuH VI water. ana thaI IL Will take three
months to pump them out and have them
in full operation so that the demand for
coal can be met.
On account Of this information he con-
suited the controller as to whether he could
be allowed to purchase soft coal for the
State. War and Navy building. and such
permission was granted. 1t Is the inten-
tion Of Capt Baird to have the CRATES
where soft coal is burned arranged SO that
there will be minimum Of smoke
90
ers today further advanced the price Of
soft coal 81 per ton to $3.50. With today's
advance soft coal has appreciated in price
$250 ton this week. The price Of hard
coal remains at SIS a ton, but there is little
to be had here.
Races Postponed Again.
TERRE HAUTE. Ind. September o.
me Grand Circuit trotting races have been
POSTPONED until tomorrow on account of the
condition of the track. The first raea vs,,
be called Saturday morning at q ocIoc,r