The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-19
NORTHWEST FACES
SH|I0).RTAG.EOF COAL
Cold Wave Finds Vast District
+ Inadequately Supplied with
+: Fuel.

I With: winter IS breath upon them, the
smaller cities and villages Of Mime
sofa and the northwest are facing a
coal famine. ssjzs, a|s4s.,.. 81 . s..
There is coal, but it is not where
the consumer needs it in ample uuanti-
ties. It is at the docks, not in the
villages, and a degree OF temperature
that is, almost a cold wave prevails
over the northwest. 81 =.E5#
The peril lies in the fact that many
towns are pursuing a Z hand -to-mouthb
policy as regards coal, and on the rail
roads is placed the, blame for this con-
dltlon. These towns have exhausted
the local coal supply and are unable
to; stock up, .altho they have exhausted
every means m their power. a long
ana possibly a severe winter is at: hand,
chill into thousands of homes. -, = =
:, whenever: q carload Of coal arrives
1T isSeagerly seized upon, but in a day
or two it is gone, while the people
VAT VAT anxlously for the arrival Of the
. Menace Of a Blizzard, =.
"A blizzard which, would tie un traf.
ne 4, even Tor brief: period would cause
Stocks are fairly large AZ tha = I
points, but as long as the coal remains
In the locks, little comic OFT n o;ven s. z
consumers. And even at the lake.ports
mere Is not enough coal to supply the
northwest thruout the winter. There
VIII be. a. shortage in soft coal before
the. winter 49, over, and the northwest
will be compelled to depend upon, all
rail ceipts: lsF, -. 49,. -, -. =,
? Had the railways listened to the al
most frantlc~ appeals. for fuel and made
an eHort to- move a considerable GUAM
<tlty Of the. big stocks which have been
accommodating &c II, i the last few months,
Cne danger. OF a. coal famine, on the
verge of whiehstl he northwest now finds
Itself, would have, been averted. II
Fl 81. - Warns the Railroads. -
"There sis:a scarcity of coal in the
northwest says H. ". Ross Of the the
boss Lumber company today, and un-
less the railway companies bestir them
selves there is likely to be severe suf-
ferlng thru the lack Of fuel. There are
many mar towns turnout the, northwest
occasional receipt Of a car Of coal.
:, There does not appear to be any
scarcity Sc, of coal at the lake ports, but
the difficulty. is !. with the railroads.
We have waited upward of a month
to have an order filed, and then an
other week or ten days for the cars
to be, moved after they were filed.
This does not look like car shortage.
which is the explanation given by tie
roads. II the ears were. moved as soon
as loaded. 1t seems to me that there
would be less complaint Of car short.
age III. - s7..ll.' e., =.
= Other operators of line yards tell
substantially the. same story, altho the
conditions vary on the different lines.
Towns along the st. Louis and Omaha
systems are reported to be in fair shape.
altho the yards are far from being
stock ed.a ss;,,.5.$ ....,< r. =.
Along the. western divisions of the
Milwaukee. road and at several towns
along. the Great Northern it lis said no
coal is to be found except a little in
the hands of consumers for Immediate
use, which will be exhausted in. a few
days. @,ffzt:.s q