Evening star., 1918-01-23
COAL SUPPLY HERE
AGAIN HITS CRISIS
Amount of Fuel AIarmingly
Short, Result of Rail
Congestion.
DEALERS NOT TO BLAME

Unless the Garfield conservation or
der, reinforced by the freight embargo
announced today by Director General
McAdoo. results in a speedy breaking
up Of the eastern railroad congestion,
Washington will be confronted by a
coal shortage far more serious than
any yet experienced. AS 1t is, supplies
today are alarmingly short.
Fuel Administrator Weaver's emer-
gency bureau began operations this
morning with just ninety-one tons OF
hard coal available for distribution, but
during the day seven or eight cars addi-
dreds of families are absolutely out OF
fuel and are begging the bureau
for supplies, however meager.
Receipts in Washington during the
twenty-four hours ended this morning
were better than on any recent day.
There were 81 cars of anthracite. con-
tanning 2.661 tons, and 10 cars of BIZ
luminous, holding 1886 tons.
Complaint has been made that dealers
were slow in unloading cars. and no
tice has been served on them that any
negligence in this respect will call for
drastic action.
Dealers Not to Blame.
Supplies reaching dealers are almost
as short as those of the emergency
bureau. An official of the local fuel
expressed belief today
liveries: that the end of no day finds
ten tons of coal in their hands unde-
livered. What's the use of growing at
the dealers?" he asked. They can't
deliver coal if they have none to de-
liver
One of the largest wholesale dealers
in the city, to whom forty-five retailers
look exclusively for their supplies. yes
terday received just one car of coal.
Other dealers were more fortunate, but
none received enough coal to meet de-
mands.
The federal fuel administration con-
tends coal is on it's way to Washing
ton. According to the figures. 5000 to
5000 tons of hard coal shipped for this
city is somewhere this side of the
due the capital upon which local fuel
administration officials are basing their
hope of early relief. If it gets through
within the next few days the situation
will be saved, though not WITHOUT there
having been widespread suffering.
Supply Growing Shorter.
II 1t doesn't get through there is little
Of encoura cement back at the mines.
With the country short of coal and sarQsF-
ing shorter, the mines are unable to
operate to full capacity because they can
not get cats to had.
A statement given out from DR.. Gar
fields ONCE shows that during the last
five weeks mines have been compelled to
curtail production as much as 80 per
cent beiowt capacity. 1t was largely that
cars might be unloaded and returned to
the mines that DR.. Garfield asked Mr.
McAdoo to establish the freight embargo.
+, So far as outgoing shipments are con-
cerned today's temporary embargo on
all freight excepting food, fuel and
munitions will have little effect on
Washington.
Will Delay Freight.
Incoming freight not under these
classifications will be delayed. but it is
expected that the coal shortage will be
relieved. A report on yard conditions
made public today showed that on
January I6 there were piled I'D at the
Philadelphia yards of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad twenty-five cars of an
thracite coal for Washington and nine
more ears for Potomac yard so listed
because some may be destined for points
farther south.
On January Is there were at the same
yard thirteen cars of hard coal in all
for Baltimore, Washington and Potomac c
yard. Some of these may already have
arrived here.