Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-13
THE COAL SITUATION
Not As Bad As Generally Sup
posed.
No Need for Augusta People to 90 Cold
the Coming Winter.

as regards fuel in Augusta the coming
winter" remarked an Augusta gentle
man who is in position to understand
the situation. yesterday. There is
plenty of good hard wood available in
addition to Q good supply of soft COAL
But can soft coal be burned in on.
ordinary stoves and heaters?'
queried the Journal man.
Il do not see why not? It is used for
household fuel through the West.
OF course our people are not very ia
miliar with it, but they would soon get
accustomed 10 it. While it is far
dirtier than anthracite in use, il will
produce quite as much heat. 1t re-
quires. however, considerably more
care in handling"
How is the outlook for wOOd?"
Good. There is more wood on hand
than has been available at any one
time for the past twenty years. There
was q very heavy cut last winter. The
shedding slumped very early in the
spring with The result that most of it is
still piled up in the woods. The first
good snow storm after the fall freeze
will bring this out and put it into the
market. Quite a number of people
have also been cutting through the
summer and such wood will be in
pretty fair shape for winter use-es-
peciaIly in heaters in connection with
a certain amount of thoroughly sea-
soned wood"
What is the outlook for anthracite
coal?"
That is hard to predict. There ap-
pears to be very general feeling, how
ever that the big strike will not last
much longer. There are said to be
millions of tons of coal all mined and
waiting to be run through the break
ers. OF course when this is made
available the situation will be at once
relieved. While the supply may not
come in rapidly enough to enable us
to put in a full winters supply of coal
at one time, it will enable the dealers
to keep US all going by supplying us a
ton or two at a time. The resumption
of work in the West Virginia fields
which will doubtless be run to their full
capacity. and the steady increase in
the output of coal from the strike
region has already relieved the situa-
ton somewhat. I expect to see cargoes
of anthracite coal come up the Ken
4
freezes up.
Inquiries about the city showed that
the public institutions were fairly well
supplied with fuel.
The Insane hospital which uses soft
coal has its fuel all on hand, with the
exception of one cargo for which q
vessel has been chartered the latter
part of this month.
The postoffice has about coal enough
on hand to last until November. II is
thought, however, that soft coal can
be used here if it should be necessary
although, possibly this might involve
some change in the CRATES.
The City hospital has about ten tons
of anthracite on hand, and eight cords
of mill slabs. Hard wood in four foot
lengths can be successfully used under
it's boiler. and with the supply of fuel
already on hand it is felt that no seri-
Gus difficulty will be encountered in
getting through the winter.
| The State House has half a bin full
| Of coal-about thirty-five tons-on
hand at the present time. This will
| last about a month and a half longer.
| After that it will be necessary-in the
| absence of anthracite-to use soft coal.
! This can be done without any change
| in the present CRATES.
| There are only three or four tons OF
| coal on hand at the Court house. This
will last about a week longer Aftel
this in the absence of hard coal, it will
! he necessary to resort to soft coal OF
wood. 1t is believed that in either
event this would not involve any
changes in the present heating sys-
TEN. The county has a contract fol
coal as well as for wood, so that there
! is no danger of the Court house or jai
being cold the coming winter, what.
ever may be the situation. as regards
anthracite coal.
| 1t will be seen, therefore, that The
outlook for fuel the coming season J:
not nearly as desperate as many peo-
pie imagine. Good seasoned hard WOOD
is selling for six dollars cord, anc
soft coal-of which there appears to be
a good supply, is bringing the same
price per ton.
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