The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-12
Many of the Poor of Chicago, How
ever, Are ~oreIy Afflicted, and the
Deaf Rate In Increasing.
PLENTY COAL ON SIDE TRACKS
But 1T Is SAID TO BE KEPT THERE
By INTERESTED DEALERS.
Reading Railway shipping Great
Quantities of Anthracite, but Main
~ to Eastern Manufacturers.

weather ana the 1uel StrlnBency are cdus-
ing much distress in many towns. The big
cities, comparatively. are not suffering as
much as the smaller places. coal being less
scarce. though selling at high prices. How
ever. IL the cold spell continues few days.
stocks OF coal in Chicago Milwaukee and
other cities may be depleted. Dispatches
from interior points report that the resi-
dents of several prairie towns have been
forced to burn outhouses. shade trees and
even fruit trees to keep warm. Whole
communities are unable to buy coal or
wood.
1t Is the poor in the big cities who are
feeling the effects OF the fuel stringency
most. Two thousand persons In this city
are suffering from ailments directly due to
cold and exposure resulting from the coal
famine. according to the weekly bulletin
of the health department issued to-day.
Serious results are already seen in heavy
Increase in the death rate. and the health
department brands the men responsible for
the situation as guilty of constructive
homicide" The death rate last week for
children under five years Of age was 1872
per cent. greater than In the corresponding
week OF last year. and among persons over
sixty years cf age IL was 36.7 per cent.
greater.
The Arcola incident that resulted In the
Seizure Of sixteen carloads Of coal by citi-
gems who were amply able to pay for fuel,
but were unable to secure 1t either from
the mines or dealers, has not been repeat
ed at any other place to-day. but the rail-
ways are guarding against further confis-
ration.
The chicago & Eastern Illinois Railway
rfo1 70 hrfV de of onft
TO Chicago to-day from central Illinois and
western Indiana. but owing to the blizzard
the road was barely able to handle its or
dinary traffic
The temperature In Chicago to-day
dropped "a degrees in less than two hours.
and tonight is lowering around the zero
mark. The cold wave was preceded by
snow Toward night brisk northwest
wind sprang up and in the outlying dis
tricts the snow is drifting several feet deep.
The actual search for evidence of a COM
bine of coal dealers for the purpose of
forcing up the price of fuel in the Chicago
market will be undertaken tomorrow by
the special grand jury which began its task
yesterday under direction of States At
torney Deneen and Attorney General Ham,
lin. Twenty-Five coal men. some of them
chiefs In the councils of corporations oper-
ating mines. have been summoned to ap-
pear before the grand jury and tell what
they know of the ring which Ii is said
exists. 1t is the intention that no one but
coal men shall be examined, and under
Mr.. Deneen's direction a series of pointed
questions have been arranged for the pros
pective witnesses.
Trainloads of coal cars sidetracked and
freight crews TO hold the consignments in
definitely, IL is said. have been discovered
by the parties who caused the investigation
TO be made. 1t Is also asserted that beyond
the city limits. on one and probably on two
roads. many tons of coal have been taken
~ toh m 'ne t chrs r anu heaped upon either side
OF mile. The grand jury will insist upon
being Informed why this coal has not been
brought into the market and put on SALE
thus relieving the coal famine.
Several cities IN Indiana notably Ft
Wayne and Bluffton, report the partial
failure of natural gas. the coal supplies
keeping warm to-day A dispatch from
on hand in Milwaukee Is estima ted at one
hundred thousand tons and dealers saw
there Is probability OF soft coal famine -
Dispatches from different points in the
Ohio valley indicate almost zero weather
and serious sleet storms. In Cincinnati the
thermometer registered twelve degrees
above to-day and Is nearer zero tonight.
&chCWiHb tiic anu Slccl VI last 0lSnl
street-car traffic was greatly interrupted
early in the day.
Louisville has been tit subject for an
ice carnival to-day. A heavy fan of sleet
which began early this morning coated
the pavements and streets with a layer of
Ice varying in thickness from one-half to
one inch. The temperature did not go
lower than fourteen degrees above zero. 1t
is feared that some damage has been done
the crops by the sleet
AT Naysviile, KY, there was a blizzard
to-day. with northwest winds. At Owens
boro. KY, the sleet storm was the worst
Known and street-car traffic was suspended.
The supply OF coal Is ample at ali points
along the Ohio river. but almost all points
on the interior are suffering. as no cars can
be secured 10 baul the coal piled up along
the river. The river being high at this
time and very rough on account of high
gales there Is much suffering with the
smaller craft.