Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-12-18
Fuel Famine in the Northwest to Be
Broken Within Twenty four Hours
INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION ACTS
OmciaIs q thern Pacific and
Great - - Promise Imme-
- .ts-RepIies from
~ dlroad Presidents,

] WAS represented nN James AAtil AelA VI
! Chicago and Franklin X. Lane Of San
| Francisco.
Mr.. Lane is taking personal charge OF
the fuel famine inquiry, while Mr. Harlan
is engaged in the car shortage inquiry. 1t
was decided that since the fuel famine was
| the most important, there being already
many reports at hand Of suffering from the
! cold in North Dakota, it should be the
| first to be handled and settled. Mr.. Lane
questioned r. c. Blanchard, division super
| intendent of the Northern Pacific at Duluth,
and D. NJ Phnbln, assistant general agent
Of the Great Northern at Duluth, today.
| Before Mt Lane had finished his examina-
! tlon of the witnesses both had promised
that relief would be forthcoming within
the next twenty-four hours and orders
have been given to rush coal to the suffer-
ing towns, all other traffic being made sec
ondary until supplies shall have been fur
nished.
It puzzled the attorneys and judges Of the
commission in the afternoon session why
II was that it took a freight car on the
average about thirteen days to make a
trip that could be made at a ten-mile rate
in twenty-five hours.
Freight Moves One Mile an Hour.
E. c. Blanchard, division superintendent
of the Northern Pacific at Duluth, by
whose testimony this situation was brought
out, explained it by stating that hot boxes
frequently delayed the progress Of a car
and that various other causes contributed
to the delay of the car in transit. Accord
ing to the testimony Of the Northern Pa
chc official, it would not be uncommon
for n freight car to move from point to
point at the rate Of a little less than a
mile hour
#E,~W rrrau mn fnn In
shipments in every commodity-grain,
lumber from the coast, merchandise, coke,
coal and wood products,
Judge lane asked the witness for how
long a period Of the year it took such a
very long time as from ten 20 thirteen days
, to move a freight car $50 miles, and he
was told that the conditions were most
unfavorable to speed during September
| October and November.
? And you know about this every year,
don't your" asked Judge Lane.
, "Yes, we expect it," was the reply.
/ "You have nine months to prepare for it, -
stated the court
"Ycs, we try to do our best" was the
! answer of Superintendent Blanchard.
TeIeErams From Railroad Presidents.
WASHINGTON, Dec 1--.---Three more re-
sponses have come to the Interstate Com
roads in response to Chairman Knapps tel
egram Of last week, calling attention to the
= reported shortage in cars and the COM
piaints of a lack of transportation for the
necessities Of life and of fuel From the
information conveyed by the railroad COM
panies today the commissioners express the
= opinion that one cause for the shortage II
e fuel is that the dealers have not stored w
= in advance sufficient quantities for the win
C ters supply but have ordered only sufi'
r cient supply to last from day to day. Re
= plies were made public today from Presi-
dent Hill of the Great Northern, President
= A. ]. Earllng Of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
e St Paul and President Howard Elliott OF
d the Northern Pacific company.
Hill Blames shippers.
Following is the message from Mr.. Hill:
Replying to your message repeated from
) St Paul to New York Am on my way tC
r St. Paul to meet commissioners now. Goa
y scarcity Is not due to want OF cars. Thou
- sands Of empty cars have been moving from
% the head of Lake Superior to the grair
l. fields all fall, and the coal ordered by loca
n dealers has been only sufficient to supply
% from day to day. During the last two
- weeks there have been very heavy snow
storms with the thermometer below zero
Snowdrifts around stations from six to hf
n teen feet deep have temporarily blocked
right OF way over all other traffic are beint
n sent and road is being opened as fast al
conditions will allow. The fuel difficult,
Is temporary and Is being rapidly RENE
died. The general condition applying to al
traffic is due to the rapid increase in ton
mage to be moved. Owing to difficulties il
Z. disposing Of freight at terminals the av
= erage car movement varies from fifteen Z
e thirty miles a day. Our increase in loco
o. motives and cars since last spring is from
"A 10 to II per cent in number and mo e thai
- that In capacity. which, with reasonable op
Of the trafic Inability to secure labor a
,e any price has badly delayed the comple
= ton of additional main tracks and termi
"a nals. We nave orders for new locomotive
l. 20 be delivered between now and June / 70
te p per cent increase IN capacity and 600
freight cars TO be delivered between Jan
e. uary and September Capacity of the latte
r is $4,000 tons. However, relief can Onl
come through increase in double track an,
terminal facilities We are arranging 10
P0OHOO0 covering next two years to pro
r vide additional tracks, terminals, equip
(Signed) JAMES j. HILL
y, Following is President Earrings message
There has been no deficiency in car sur
plies on the lines. of the Chicago, Milwau
Kee & st. Paul railroad greater than usual
occurs In the fall movement OF crops east
NJ ward and merchandise and fuel westbount
=, The motive power OF the company has bee
al sufficient to move all its traffic promntIy
sr There has been no failure or unusual della
be IN transporting fuel or other necessities q
life. Movement Of fuel has had prefere nc
over other western traffic for the mas
ay forty days and will be continued as lon
rs Csignedj A ]. EARL1NG.
.rt Dealers Advise TO buy EARLY.
ca President Howard Elliott Of the Nortber
Pacific Railway company telegraphs III
commission from ST. Louis as follows:
m There is scarcity of fuel in some part
ay 81 tne country served by our line, but W
- 10 not know of any shortage of Ofbe
hecessarles OF life. Our company has dor
m ana VIII continue tn do all that n can
as prevent sunertng. The company realized
June and July last that the fuel suTpi
was likely TO be insufficient and that IN
general increase In business would produC
coAsestlOn IN the autumn. We tkerefou
y. urged all dealers at that time 10 loo
N' ahead ana provide a stock OF coal "a m
ere ana 70 Try TO md new sources OF sunni,
ter Illnk the reason given Ina your messa n
~, nalnely, extraordinary delays In moving
~ INCORRECT 50 far as this COMPANY is Cor
ed. cerned. The difficulty In Montana. Idah
ana washington Is that not enough ca,
= belng produced TO supply PROMPTLY m
increased domestsJ trade and al the 'ss IN
Inc t,fne furnish the railroad with fuel =
le- lhe operation OF its trains Then I'M \,
.ng NeIhDer, unprecedented foods In ana abo1
-. tne S1seade mountains damaged our tracl
icy 20 that trains could not move over In
poLLant parts OF the road for more tha
MeeA and number Of important ca
11llEes could not be reached This hoC
uainase complicated the situation
The Increased Use OF Fuel.
5O0 In North Dakota and Afinnesota m. a,a
eld culty II part Is due 70 trying To- mo,
CONTINUED on second ~,