Omaha daily bee., 1912-01-14
COAL SITUATION is SERIOUS
Submerged Pit at Electric Light
Plant Has Helped Many.
COAL PRICES, ARE ADVANCED
General Manager Walters HustIes
Special Train of Coal from
Wyoming ON Pnssen-
ger Time.

A huge submerged pit built last sum-
mer by the Omaha Electric Light and
Power company. holding thousands Of
tons Of steam coal, is saving the day In
Omaha. This pit was built at cost of
10000 to hold steam coal under water TO
preclude tho possibility OF spontaneous
combustion.
During the last few days, when the
railroads have been unable to get coal
into Omaha in sufficient quantities 10
keep all supplied the electric light COM
pany has been furnishing coal TO various
dealers who had demands from apart
ment houses where large numbers are
housed. During the warmer days of De
cember the electric light company had
this pit filled SO that after caring for
many, the company now has enough coal
on hand 20 run Its plant for two months
The company did not advance the price
on the coal il furnished. Coal has also
been sold the street car company.
stocks Running Low.
While dealers are not predicting a coal
famine, they all admit that the stocks
are rapidly becoming dangerously low.
This applies TO the domestic. as well as
all grades Of steam and heating coal.
As a result Of the short supply. dealers,
any combine have raised their prices
80 cents per ton all along the line.
Hard coal that week ago was selling
at $3.50 per ton. has been advanced to
81. The same advance has been made
on all the grades OF soft coal.
The dealers are taking care OF all their
old customers, but are not taking on any
new ones, nor are they selling in large
quantities. The ton per customer rule
has not been adopted, but II Is likely to
go into effect next week unless the stocks
are replenlshcd prior to that time.
There is plenty CT coal en- route, but
the difficulty is in getting 1t here. The
railroads assert they are making every
possible effort 10 push coal along, but
still It does not arrive. Officers of the
roads make the assertion that coal has
been classified as preferred freight and
is sent ahead of everything except per-
ishable goods and provisions. NotWith-
standing this. dealers say that hundreds
OF cars Of coal consigned to Omaha are
tied up at sidings in Kansas. Missouri.
Iowa and Illinois and that for days no
effort has been made to move them. For
instance. one dealer states that ten cars
OF his coal has been tied up in the yards
at Plsttsmouth for days, where It still
lays without an effort being made to
get IL into Omaha.
Another thing with which the local
dealers have 10 contend is the appropria-
ton of coal en- route. They say that as
coal cars pass through the small towns
Of Iowa and Kansas, farmers who are
In town with their teams. load up their
wagons and haul the fuel away, regard
less Of the protests Of the trainmen.
So far as the situation Is concerned,
dealers say that the supply Of steam
coal is practically exhausted and that
there is not enough to last more than
another week. The street railway COM
pany has supply sufficient 10 lags
until Monday. The packing houses have
enough to run them next week and many
OF the large office buildings are about
in the same situation.
For domestic purposes there is enough
hard and soft coal. provided no more
should arrive, to last two weeks. in the
event it is used sparlngiy.
The Northwestern road is the first t.
Jump into the breach and make an effort
to relieve the situation Immediately. Cen
erlI Manager Walters has ordered sre-
cial train from the Goa. mines at Yellow
stone, Wyo. 1t has already been loaded
and Is en- route. runnias on passenger
time schedule. Several Of the cars Tli
be dropped at o'Neill. where there is a
shortage Of coal, but the greater portion
Of the cars will be brought on to Omaha.
reaching here sunday night.