The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-01-19
MILES OF COAL
CARS TIED UP
From 800 to 1900 Loaded
With Anthracite Stalled.
NOW IN ST. CLAIR YARD
Lack of Engines to Move Fuel and
Hundreds of Empty Cars-Snow
Tied Up Traffic.

tleQ Up ITdHlC.
Pottsyille, Pa, Jan. While Phil,
adelphia Scrapes its coal bins and
cries for fuel. from 500 to 200 cars
loaded with anthraciNn are stalled
ninety-three miles from the empty
stoves
The cars are jammed in classified
ton yards and on sidings within ra
dius of ten miles of Pottsville. 1.-The
gateway to Pennsylvania anthracite
fields
Since the middle of November the
congestion has existed. Railroad men
say it is becoming worse. Govern
ment control of railroads his failed,
they say. to make Roadway in unity
ing the tangle.
The majority of the loaded cars are
destined for Philadelphia. Scores Of
them have been in the big Reading
classification ward at St. Clair, four
miles from here. for upward OF two
weeks Railroad traffic men admit
they don't know when they will be
moved. Stretching almost as far as
the eye can reach In the st. C'air
yard and extending upon sidings never
before used for the purpose, are long
lines of empty coal cars.
These began arriving early this
week, and nightly long strings of the
empties are pulled onto ~" eight
side Of the yard The an hcacite op-
orators since the coal famine, hav
protested that lack of empty cars has
held up their output. In the face OF
their demands, 1t is a str I'ge spectacle
that Pottsville citizens are exper;enc
ing, seeing each day the miles of EN-"
ty coal cars. while they know collier
les have been compelled to shut wn
operation because there were no cars
in which to dump coal
Summed up, railroad men, operat-
ors and officials of the miners unions
attribute the coal famine in the cities
to a shortage in eGgines. They de
clare that at least fifty engines are
required imperatively to clear the st.
Clair yard. Last Saturday, according
to a railroad man, twenty-three trains
were made mp" ready to be moved
to Philadelphia. There were no en-
gines of sufficient tonnage, however,
to haul the heavy loads, and the coal
trains were from twentyfour to forty
eight hours late in starting.
At the present time the clogged
yard at ST. Clair, which cost the Read
ing 100000, holds the key to the
Philadelphia situation, men familiar
with conditions say, as most of the
coal sent there over the Reading pass
es through it.
Keep the st. Clair yard clear, and
Philadelphia will not have to suffer
for COAL" said Frank S. Reese, state
representative, who lives here. Mr..
Reese has been identified with the
local industry all his life. He assisted
ic.the framing Of the mines and min
ar bill under which mines are .oper-
lated in this state. Recently he was
engaged by the Consumers assocfa-
ton, an organization of prominent
icitizens here, to investigate condi-
4tions. His preliminary report, cover
ing study of five months. he says,
shows that the shortage is due to a
breakdown of transportation facili-
ties
The freight run from the yard here
to Philadelphia ordinarily is seven
hours. This winter. however. the
trips have averaged fifteen hours.
Railroad men say that the coal freight
trains were sidetracked constantly for
passenger trains, and even have not
been given the right-of-way to the
markets.
The last snow effectively blocked
or a day and half the Reading yard
at Mahanoy Plane, just above the st.
Clair classification center. It was not
relieved until w. H. Keffer, general
superintendent of the P. & R. recruit
ed on Wednesday a force Of snow
shovellers of about 1900 miners
whose employment was closed to
them because there were no empty
coal cars.