Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-02
Absence Of Coal 80 Sewn.
Even Emergency Order
are Untitled.
WILL DELIVER SUNDAY
Eighty Calls for Commoditv
Needed at Once Made n
Three Hours,
THE FUEL SITUATION.

THE FUEL SITUATION,
The coal shortage became = -
we're today that not even ~
emergency orders could be an,
piled.
Announcement Is made that u
emergency fuel board, haadliae
orders for fuel needed imneaiale.
ly, will be open for business 5.
morrow.
Eighty calls for coal needed n
once were received this norainr
by the board.
Plenty of coal Is reported On IL
way but the railroads seen to y
unable to deliver It as rapidly q
needed.
Four hundred tons Of coal wefs
in the yards today but mach Of n
was screenings for schools, fse.
tories and large office buil1insy
and not fitted for domestic use.
Rock Island today was In the krip
OF the most serious coal shortage h
Iuc ulStOly VI Illc Clly.
So severe is the situation that eyea
the orders placed through the CITY
emergency fuel board which has head
quarters at the Rock Island clph
could not be supplied. This is the ffH
time that the board has been unable
to fill emergency orders since the fuel
shortage became severe as result q
the railroad tie-up following the biz
zard of three weeks ago.
There were about eighty calls for
coal at the emergency fuel board
headquarters this morning. The ma
jority of these orders had to 70 N
attended because there was no coal to
fill them. Many dealers were without
a lump of coal. The patron would first
call his dealers who who refer him 70
the emergency board. The board,
however, could do little for the Gus
toner.
Open On Sunday.
The board announced today that It
will be open tomorrow. Orders for
coal will be received on Sunday and Il
possible will be filled. The board
realizes that there a number Of people
in the city who have little Or no coal
They will be supplied as rapidly y
possible. AS soon as coal arrives It
will be used in supplying the emerg.
ency orders in order Of their plac-
ing. BY working on Sunday It d n
lieved that the critical situation will
be cleared up by Monday II . fir
amount of coal arrives during To-
night.
The fact that there were so emery
ency calls in three hours this morn
ing shows the severity Of the situa'
ton in a very marked degree. Ths
average was one call for coal every
two minutes from persons who had y
have the fuel Immediately. Many q
those who could not be supplied ven
compelled to throw themselves upon
the generosity Of their neighbors ana
borrow fuel until some could be d.
livered. Only half-ton lots are beng
sold.
A survey of coal in Rock Island tns
lLol ling ohO"Cu lIest ehSA~
tons in the local yards. Howea,
much of this fuel was not htteo !n
domestic use, being slack adapted I@
use in heating plants Of schools. NC
tories and large Office buildings.
Plenty On Way.
George Fl. kingsbury. secretary
the Rock Island Business Mems "
ISOLATION. who is assisting H. A. Cle.
enstine, chairman of the Rock islAna
county fuel board. in handling the y.
uation in this city. said to-day ~
there is plenty Of coal on the way ~
that the railroads seem to be unau.
to move 1t fast enough to give -
necessary relief here. 1t is the opl1
ion of Mr.. Clevenstine and Mf. Ainsr
bury that as soon as the railroads -
placed in a position where they 3.
move the rolling stock with more ~
patch that the situation mere WV
gradually be cleared.