New-York tribune., 1902-06-09
SOFT COAL FOR LONG TIME.
OPERATORS SAY 1T WILL HAVE TO BE
USED OR FACTORIES CLOSED.


Prominent coal operators who were seen yes
terday said that in spite Of the soft coal ord-
nance New-York factories would have to burn
soft coal for many weeks. Henry s. Fleming,
president OF the Anthracite Coal Operators AS
regions said yesterday:
believe the strike of the anthracite miners
will last two months but there will be no soft
coal famine, anyway. The soft coal strike in
West Virginia will not last long, and the btu
mnous miners in Pennsylvania who have a
contract with the operators will not strike. If
they did, their contributions to the striking
anthracite miners would be cut off off and the
know this themselves, and no one knows it
better than Mitchell.
Mr. Fleming said he took no stock whatever
In the letters sent to President Lederle of the
Board of Health from dealers saying there was
plenty of steam coal The sizes for use in New
York were not in the market.
The sizes in the market have 70 be mixed
with soft coal, or they could not be used at ALL.
he continued. This city will have to burn mere
and more soft coal until the strike is ended. 1t
will not be settled The independent operators
are cooperating with the coal carrying COM
panies in resisting the demands to the end"
Another independent operator said that the
factories of the city would be stopped in two
days if only soft coal was used. On the ques
ton of buying anthracite from dealers, he said
that there were many difficulties in the way of
the use Of Welsh coal
IN the first place" he continued. the cost
of bringing 1t here would be very great. In the
second place, 1t is not screened. and is delivered
al! sizes mixed together. like soft COAL
Several of the members Of the engineers and
firemens unions said that if Cardiff coal was
sorted in the sizes required here, it would burn
nearly as we'll as the American anthracite. One
fireman said:
''It very much resembles the anthracite in this
country. I do not think it would pay however
to bring it here and then have it screened and
sorted
The Manhattan Railway Company has fair
supply of anthracite coal in its bins for its
engines, and iEs agents are searching high and
low to add many tons to the supply hand. so
that the road will not become tied up for want
of coal The report that the road might be
seriously crippled If the coal strike not set
tied in the near future declared to be true
by Alfred Skitt vice president and general man.
ager of the road. The engines can burn soft
coal mixed with anthracite. but they cannot
burn soft coal alone When asked yesterday
how much anthracite coal the company had Mr.
Sktt said
We'll were not burdened with big supply
What We have may last some weeks, and before
il is consumed we hope to refill the coal bins
If we cannot get more hard coal will be un-
able to the engines when the present supply
is consumed.
rs there danger of the road being paralyzed
for lack of coal immediately" was asked
mo, and before our present coal supply is
gone may find a way of bridging over the
difficulties that may arise in operating the road
Resolutions were passed al yesterdays meet
ing of the Central Federated Union condemning
the methods OF the operators in guarding the
mines and requesting the Governor of Pennsyl-
vania to his good offices to end the strike.