The sun., 1915-12-19
new MENACE TO MILLS
IN SLOW MOVING COAL
With Short Supplies Of Fuel,
Plants Must Close il Not
Relieved.

The railroads have adopted mos. radi-
freight congestion that has existed on
the Eastern seaboaid for many weeks.
II is difficult for shippers to under
stand. however. how tracks arc to he
cleared unlcss there il close cooperation
among the various connecting lines. In
tho last Two days the Pennsylvania BAL
timorc and ohio, Philadelphia and Read
ing. Jersey Central, Lehigh Valley and
New Haven have restricted shipments
from other lines and three OF the largest
have declared an absolute embarso upon
all shipments from connecting railroads
shippers IN New York city received no.
ticc yesterday that temporarily the
Pennsylvania Railroad would receive no
freight Of any character. either for do
.nestic Of foreign shipment There is
danger that In the effort to relieve the
freight Jam manufacturing industries
will be temporarily paralyzed for lack
Of fuel to operate their plants. Most
of the coal mines have storage facilities
for only two days output and must stop
operations II cars are not moved, Much
Inconvenience, annoyance and absolute
loss too is being entailed upon Industries
points than to those indicated on way
bills.
one result OF tho present tie,Lp Is an
advance In spot coal to 1855 a ton at
Now York and 81 AT the mines. This
applies to steam coal. Coke Is In much
the same position as coal and high
premiums are being paid for any fuel on
wheels. Local agents are being ha-
rassed by demands to trace shipments Of
coal and coke, which without the full
aid OF the railroads Is simply an impos-
s!blity under present conditions. More
letters and kilograms are being received
from New England and other Eastern
points that plants will bc idle IL raw
material is not available within twenty
four hours. The spot market on iron,
which was developing rapidly ten DAYS
ago, has been checked by the alarming
traffic situation. There Is n disposition,
however, to make the best Of a bad
situation. as II IL realized that trans
pOrtation companies are cndeavoring to
mend traffic service. The movement OF
barges and floats is also seriously inter-
fered with by reaction from the railroad
tieup, and high premiums are being paid
for charters, and enormous freight rates
are demanded and paid where it is pos.
sibo to move freight to prevent greater
losses
The placing last week Of several large
structural steel orders TO be used In
subway building and elevated railroad
extension In tho metropolitan district
indicates that the total orders taken
by the fabricating shops during the cur
rent month will be close to the average
monthly sales OF the last quarter. which
will bring the total tonnage placed dur
ing the calendar year In excess Of l,400.-
900 tons. the largest yearly tonnage
taken by the bridge builders and other
fabrcatng shops since 1909. Several
large contracts placed earlier In the year
will probably be closed In the next two
weeks, which may even increase the
December tonnage to within 90 per cent
Of the record breaking contracts placed
IN November.
Although the orders for rolled steel
products booked by the subsidiary COM
panes Of tho United States Steel Cor
poration In October and November were
equal TO Ave months capacity Of the
mills on the basis of the recent extraor-
Hlu Ia 4 n {lliratn In -