The sun., 1910-01-09
WEST FACES A COAL FAMINE
FACTORIES AND MANY PUBLIC
INSTITUTIONS CLOSED.

Railroads Unable 20 Deliver FueIAIthOugh
There 10 an Abundance at the Mines
Railroads COnlscate Coal on sid
Ings TO Keep the TrAnic Moving.
cold weather is causing factories in many
Indiana cities to shut down for want
of GOAL and hundreds of persons have been
forced into idleness while there are orders
on hand to keep them at work II coal could
be had.
Hardly any Of the factories are running
full time and even those that have a sup
ply on hand are outstanding, IL az there
10 no certainty when another supply can
be got.
The railroads cannot haul the coal.
though there is plenty at the mines
President Kolsom of the Indiana Opera
tors Association says that aside from the
heavy general business OF the road
in the last six weeks there has been con-
tinued cold weather. which diminishes
the motive power one-half. that two en-
gines are required to haul what is a load
for one in ordinary weather. and besides
the two engines burn more cosl thar
they ordinarily do. The result OF this
Is that roads are furnishing empty cars
to the mines on the stipulation that the
coal is to be for the railroad company's
own use.
In number OF cities prices Of coal have
increased greatly in two weeks and there
is suffering among the poor which charity
organizations cannot relieve because the
coal cannot be got. Some railroad COM
panies have been compelled to confiscate
coal on the side tracks in order to move
trains.
DEs MONIES, Ia, Jan. s.-Proepects
OF another fall in temperature make
the coal situation critical in this State.
So acute has the situation become that
the State Board OF Railway Com mis-
sioners has appealed to the railroads
to abandon passenger trains 30 far as
possible and devote their facilities to
hauling coal.
The miners have refused to work on
Sunday. although in many cities and
towns the fuel supply is not sufficient TO
last until Monday.
Factories in every city in the State have
closed for lack of fuel and hundreds of
men are out Of employment.
Gov. Carroll said to-day that the State
institutions have less than two days sup
ply on hand. The State University has
been closed for three days.
When the Governor learned that women
local coal Offices and begging for coal he
ordered that the coal intended for the
State House use should be divided among
the sufferers and that hard coal be used
at the State House instead.
The railroads have been able 20 bring
a few carloads Of coal into Des Moines
in the last few hours, but II was as a drop
in bucket. Present conditions are with
out parallel in the history OF the State.
OMAHA. Jan. 8.--A serious coal famine
exists in many towns in Western States
and there win be great suffering unless
the situation in quickly relieved
The Northwestern Railroad has issued
orders to give right of way to coal trains
over passenger, mail or express trains
Officials are bending every effort to move
coal. Passenger and mail trains have
been held up at various stations in the
State to allow coal trains to pass, and the
company is supplying a number OF towns
with coal from it's own supply. The
officials assert not a single car has been
conhscated by this company.