The Oskaloosa herald., 1916-12-21
MAYOR To TAKE
DRASTIC ACTION
WILL coNFIscATE COAL READY
FOR SHIPMENT.
DIES MONIES FACES FAMlNES
Aside From Scarcity Of Coal, Water
In River Getting so Low as to
Threaten the Shut Down of
Electric Plant.

! Des Moines, Dec 20.-With the city
facing ccal shortage Mayor John
MacVicar announced to-day that the
city would confiscate coal it finds in
cars ready for shipment out of Des
Moines if it becomes necessary to
save the people from freezing to death
~ Des Moines.
1--WE will pay fair price for 1t and
haul it to cold homes with city teams
he said. "This is no bluff. We are
going to confscate any coal we find
in public places where it is necessary
to keep people from freezing to
death"
! MacVicar was empathic in his claim
there was no real coal shortage in
Des Moines. A retail coal dealer de-
clared that retailers in Des Moines
find it almost impossible to buy coal
while cities where there are not coal
fields near have no trouble at all.
Evidence has come to me that
coal operators are combining in an
effort to keep coal production down
and thus hold up the price," said the
riayor.
| Another Famine Faced.
Des Moines is facing another fam
inc. It is not of food or clothing or
furniture, but that all-prevading ne
cessity-electricity.
So great is the danger, that the Of
ficials of the Des Moines City Railway
and Des Moines Electric companies
are worried. They are afraid that un-
less weather conditions better, the
citizens may have to go back to the
primitive candle and oil lamp for
light and walking for transportation.
And all the trouble can be attributed
to the weather-last summer and fail
and this winter Also, the Des Moines
river plays an important part in the
tragedy, for such it may be.
The dry weather during the sum-
mer and fall months so reduced the
supply in the Des Moines river that
now it is but mere stream, instead
of a big river. Each company used an
enormous quantity-about 2O,0OO,0OO
gallons every twenty-four hours for
each plant-in the manufacture Oh
the Juice"
May Go Back to Candles.
If the weather continues mild the
companies believe they can pull
through, but should eight or ten days
of real cold weather coem in a row
and freeze up the river, then Des
Moines will begin walking and using
candles.
AT the present time the flow OF the
entire river is estimated at about To-
600 gallons a minute. This is much
less than it was a week ago. Each
company has used every means with
in its power to increase and better
the supply and now they are resting.
They have done everything in their
power and have spared no expense.
Providence is about the only thing
that can help them now.
The electric company uses only a
condensing system and the street car
company has both condensing and
non condensing plant. In the condens-
ling system turbines are used for mo-
tive power because they can be run
cheaper and heretofore there has
been plenty of water.
Would Cripple Car Service.
Should the river freeze up and the
flow of water stop, the electric COM
pany will be forced to shut. down. II
might manufactur little electricity
by changing to the non condensing
system with its present equipment,
, but the supply would be cut more
than half
The railway would fall back upon
: its noncondensing system which
would allow it to manufacture about
two-ffths of the Juice" now being us
ed. This would mean that the service
. would be badly crippled, especially
: during the rush hours. Officials state
that it would not affect the light"
i hours very much, but in the morning,
! az noon and in the evening, the ser
vice would be poor.
Coal confiseated.
Des Moines. Dec. 20. - On the
ground of public necessity in face of a
coal famine, Mayor John Mac Vicar
this afternoon ordered seized a car
I load of coal belonging to the Bloom
field Coal Co. The full car of coal
will be delivered by city teams at cost
IN homes without fual