The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-12-16
Bins Empty in Big Build.
ings From Canal Street
to Battery.
HOSPITALS MENACED
Board of Aldermen APP
pealed To to Protect
the Poor.
PNEUMONIA ON INCREASE
All Signs to Be- Darkcned on
Sunday and Thursday
Nights.
PNEUMONIA on INCREASE


New York's fuel famine. which for q
week had been pinching tenement dwell
ers. proved Its democracy yesterday when
the chill of unheated ofices and homes
was felt by all classes. The employer
in the downtown ONCE buildings BID
on his fingers as hard and as often a.
the myriad Of clerks in the same sky
/ scrapers.
For lower Broadway's towering struc-
lures were without coal. II never ha1
happened before in history and It seemed
incredible. bu. rapidly cooling radiators
and crippled elevator service bore con-
viction in upon the doubters.
Supplies In the bunkers Of the great
buildings yesterday varied from enough
for a few hours IL used carefully to ten
+ wheelbarrow loads. which was the exact
amount on hand in the basement Of the
City Investing Building. Just one ele-
Nator was running in that building. and
that editce was little If any worse OF
than the others. The Equitabl Build
ing management sent "A notice to ten
ants asking them to refrain as much a.
they could from opening windows or
wasting steam.
The great hotels are much worried.
The Waldorf. for example, frankly said
it had only enough to last until Monday
afternoon.
II was announced that $50 public
schools are scraping the bottoms Of
their bins and must close II relief 10
| not TO be had quickly.
Deaths from pneumonia for the week
erded At noon yesterday we're 26S.
the highest record for the season ana
one OF the highcst tolls this malady
| ever has taken in any week Of any
, season.
There Was no immediate hope for a
! let up In the cold wave Indicated in the
wea ther forecast last night With the
thermometer showing |" degrees above
zero at ! 80 a. N. the forecast OF fair
and continued cold for to-day and to-
morrow will he sad news to thousands Of
poor and rich alike who are without coal.
Frozen Fuel Near At Hand.
The madden!ng part of II sll was
that there are at least 10000 tons Of
coal just across the harhor-frozen 20
stiff in cars that II has to be mined"
out
. The city got 900 tons Friday n
got perhaps 10000 tons Yesterday. More
VIII come in to-day unless there In
another blizzard, There arc zoo men
al work in Jersey unloading fuel from
cars to barees for New York This
seemed like very few. but the Fuel
Administration and the railroad heads
agreed that terminal facilities are such
that no more could work without get
! ting into one anothers way. Day ana
! night gangs are being used.
/ The condition in poverty stricken
neighborhoods grew steadily worse.
! There were coal lines at the smai,
! yards and before such basement shops
/ as could get any fuel to sell. Most Of
such places. however. we're closed In
! the upper East Side. cellar dealers were
said to be getting $3.50 a ton, selling
by the hushe
\ committee Of Aldermen wrote
/ u letter to Frank l., Downing. Presiden,
Of the board. suggesting that $500, O00
! he used at once to set coal for the Door
! that the city assert itself and demand
| Federal cooperation that $1,000. 900 be
'iSed to create coal reserve to avert
any such famine for the rest OF the
! season.
/ While the law forhids Sunday sale.
! OF coal. it was semi-otticialy announced
! that dealers who can get any fuel need
| not worry over prose Ut ions II they sell
! II to-day
J Brooklyn Jared best OF all the bor-
! oughs yesterday. getting some .. 900 tons
whrh helpei considerably. The Bronx
! Jared worst. with .?o tons,
Reeve ScheN, county Fuel Admins.
| traitor, Instructed dealers to refuse coal
| to those who merely seek to buttres.
| thef supplies lie suggested a police
census OF Easements to learn who are
| the hoaricrs
Ta'ricn Jones, Superinten ndent Of SUD-
| plies in the Department OF Education
1 q M 14.,.
| 100 public schools are down TO hard nan
with only one to me days SUNNY Of
coal on hand. lf this supply is not aug
inented early in the week these schools
Will l." forced to close
Al the meeting of the Board Of Lduca-
ton next Tuesday it Is expected sus-
sestion will be made to lengthen the
christmas holiday for lt least two
weeks, the loss Of time to b, made I'm a,
, the end nf tho term in June and July
II is estimated that about goo toms of
coal week can in this way be con-
served
II is also suggested that there he p
Capitalization of all night activities in
the schools for the purpose of conserving
coal through a saving Of light
Representatives of the Federal Fuel
Administration will he present at tho
meeting Of the Roari of Aldermei ol
Tuesday to favor the proposed ordiua ance
for the sale Of coal by weigh, ins'H /. ..
, measu
Reports from hospitals throughout
tn" greater city state that while they
are not particularly hard pressed for
their Immediate needs, they view the
situation with apprehension and are TAX
ing active steps to arrange for deliver
les at the earliest possible moment.
Rig Hotels short Of Coat,
few Of the city's big hotels are Sc
verely menaced by the shortage J. w
Rogers one of the managers OF the Wal
dorf-Astoria, said last night that the
supply Of coal there was Just enough 10
last until 4 o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
Ralph Muschcnhem Of the Hotel Astor
said I'VE still have enough to last "A few