Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-07-31
MAY BE FUEL FAMINE.
The Government Has Issued a Timely
 Warning. --f

WaShlngt0n, U. C., July ol.- Warnings, official in character, have been issued by the government to all persons, particularly in the west and northwest, to guard against a fuel famine next winter by laying in, as soon as possible, sufficient supply of coal to carry them through the months of cold weather.
 It was the desire of the govern ment officials, in issuing the warn ings. to avert, if possible, such a sit- uation as developed last winter, when thousands of people in the rural and small town districts of many of the western and northwestern states sui fered incredibly from a scarcity of fuel. Many persons were frozen to death in their own homes, because of their inability to obtain a supply of fuel. Frantic appeals from people stricken by what amounted to a calamity were received by the gov- ernment, but, at that time, little could be done to aid them. The rail- road lines were blocked with snow and, in some instances, it was physic- ally impossible for the railroads to reach small places with an adequate supply of coal. The interstate com merce commission received informa- tion that several towns in the north west did not get any coal by rail or otherwise between the first of Janu- ary and the 18th of March. The country districts. surrounding these towns, were in even more serious straits than the towns themselves.
 Tremendous efforts were made by the railroad lines to transport fuel to the stricken people. Freight of every other kind was side-traeked and fuel trains were given right of way, so far as was possible Some of the railroads even went so far, as to give coal to people in the small towns when it was possible to get it to them. Efforts of this kind erased the situation. in some degree. but the suffering in many sections was frightful, nevertheless.
 In the opinion of Acting Secretary Woodruff of the interior department. such a fuel famine as occurred last winter is not imminent during the coming winter. All the government stations throughout the country have been supplied with extraordinary amounts of coal already. and informa- ton received by the department indi- cates that the warnings issued by the government have been needed, as the small towns and rural districts in var ious parts of the country are laying in large supplies of coal and other fuel.
 Immense deposits of coal have been discovered during the past year by the experts of the United States geo. logical survey. Corps of these experts have been working assiduously. par ticularly during the past six months. in locating and classifying the coal deposits. They are adding daily 10 the areas classified and opened to en- try. Secretary woodrun says that By November 1. all land in the pubic land states known to contain work able deposits of coal will be classified 1 and subject to entry" In practically every instance. these coal areas are located conveniently to transpOrta- tion lines and settled districts. SO that a fuel famine now could occur only by a failure tO mine the coal that Is in sight.
 All of the government coal lands are subject to entry at prices fixed by law. Fully 25.DDO!0oO acres are neld at min- mum prices of S10 and s20 an acre: 220OJ0 acres at s50 an acre. and more than 5000 acres at SIS an acre. With such enormous amu1nts of coal in sight. particularly in the very dis tricts that suffered last winter. 1t is regarded as unlikely that q serious fuel ! famine will be permitted to develop ! the approaching winter.