Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-05
The Delay in Unloading Coal.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:


The Star has done the people Of Washing
ton valuable service in keeping them well
informed in regard to the condition Of the
coal supply. We have been greatly bene-
flied by the daily statement thus furnished.
and now 1 ask for the use Of The Star to
add my mite in throwing light on the pres
ent condition of matters. A part Of Tues
day and also Of Wednesday was spent in
investigating the manner in which the coal
was unloaded from the cars in the north
west and southwest sections of the city It
would be better perhaps to say the manner
in which it was not unloaded. At a private
yard in the vicinity Of the B. and o. freight
offices there were several hundred tons of
anthracite coal In cars standing on the
tracks connecting with the B. and o. line.
large number of cars stood on these
tracks full Of coal to the brim. No coal
had been taken out OF these cars, though
they were entirely accessible to vehicles.
Al a number of cars there was one vehicle
only at a car, into which a colored man was
at intervals trying to throw a small shovel
Of coal. Considerable Of the coal was miss
ing the cart or wagon and landing in the
mud, of which there was a plenty, two or
three inches deep. At one car were two
wagons Of a capacity Of two tons each, into
which two colored men, the drivers were
After timing them for few minutes l cal
culated that they might possibly load
wagon in an hour and a half, If they ex-
hausted the budget Of gossip they were
standing around and within the vicinity of
this yard, waiting for an opportunity to
load with coal Some Of these teams had
been in line. SO the drivers told me, since
before daylight. Some of them had been
able to get one load, while others had not,
at o'clock, been able to load up. One
driver told me at the latter hour that he
had hauled one load to the yard Of dealer,
morning, but that II he could get to the
coal to load he could haul five loads of
ton each. There was neither scarcity Of
coal nor of vehicles to haul it.
At the Office of a firm owning q large
number of teams and vehicles I was told
that they would haul and deliver coal to me
on the sidewalk for 81 a ton, provided It
was taken from car or yard where the
tunity to load. They would not, however,
agree to haul from the place I have de-
scribed on any other terms than by the
hour. On Tuesday. said the gentleman in
to haul a load Of two tons. After waiting
all day long the team finally reached the
car, with the result that but one ton was
secured. and for which 1t cost So for the
delivery, the charge for the team being N
this case by the hour for ten hours.
On Wednesday between II and o'clock
I investigated the conditions on Maryland
avenue, where found sixteen full carloads
Of coal at 1 o'clock and eight or ten cars
from which a part of the coal had been
removed. Taking the capacity Of the cars
as shown thereon, calculated the quantity
Of coal then awaiting removal at 500 tons
Of anthracite There were six cars Of
only one Of the cars having had any coal
removed therefrom. Here. then. at 1
o'clock was coal enough to load 800 coal
carts. and at half-past there were not to
exceed one dozen vehicles loading or MAX
ing any attempt to load. All Of the vehicles
In sight were at the side Of the cars, the
drivers OF the vehicles soldering or max
Ing a pretense OF shoveing coal into their
carts or wagons. 1t was rare instance
when as much as ten or twelve pounds of
coal was taken up in the shovel. / obtained
the information from those living along
the avenue that the coal was brought there
early In the morning and taken away at
night by the railroad company. At least
this was true of the anthracite. There
were men TO be had for assisting in unload
ting this coal for 81 rs day. and two men
can work rapidly in shoveling coal into a
cart. and three In shoveling it into a wagon,
without interfering with each others work
Hoppers for holding a ton may be hooked
on to the side OF car. the coal shoveIed
into them by number Of men constantly
employed for that purpose, and when the
cart or wagon comes to the side OF the car
the coal can be dumped In. and with the
result Lnat TWO or tnre6 LOADS OF coal
be gotten out while but one Is taken by the
present slipshod and snatl-creeping system.
1t must be obvious to the most obtuse in
tellect that the railroad companies are not
justly to blame for not hauling coal II they
are deprived OF the use Of their cars by
those to whom coal Is shipped by reason
OF the failure Of the constgnee to unload
the coal.
There are but two conclusions to be drawn
from the state OF affairs now existing, and
both may be correct. It may be the Dur.
pose Of some Of the coal dealers to create
the impression that there Ii no coal to be
had by pointing to their empty coal yards
rs evidence of such condition. and
co ipled with this Is their incapacity to de-
wise business methods In unloading coal
from the cars when received. In either
case the coal dealer ID immensely the gamer
by reason of the enormous prices he de-
mands for the coal In either case the coal
consumer pays the bills Keeping the coal
cars standing around for days, perhaps for
week. he can with assurance point to the
fact that the railroads cannet haul the coal
that il now being mined. There II no doubt
but there b q largerquantfty OF coal stand-
Ing on sidetracks out1ide Of Washington
for which there u not sufficient room e the