Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-16
RUSH COAL TRAINS
OVER OPEN ROUTES
Fuel Administration Struggles to
Conquer Traffic-Paralyzing
Weather Conditions.
WORST SITUATION IN YEARS
Damaged Engines and Frozen
Cars Add to Handicaps Of
Increasing Storms.
WORST SITUATION IN YEARS
rBy Associated Press !

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the worst general snow and ice storm
OF Il generation. the government rail
road administration to-day strug s cd
in an effort to open -travclcd j
routes and keep coal and food ship
mcnts moving over the lines best able
70 handle them. The situation to-nigh:
was regarded as worse than az any
time within the last week of traffic
paralyzinC weather. On top Of an
accumulation OF snow ia the Middle
West from billiards. OF several days
ago came fresh snowfall to-day. Snow
plows went to work on the now drifts.
while gangs OF iaborcrs. drawn from
every occupation from which they
could be spared, tackled yards amd
terminals already cleared once OF snow
Within the week.
Temperatures were rising in most
sections tonight, but II was not warm
enough to release cars frozen 10 sidinss
or to thaw thousands OF cars of coal
cakcd in their carriers. Telcgrap pin and
telephone wires went down under
weight of snow and ice. and many
passenger trains whose schedules had
been re-established yesterday were
Withdrawn once again lest they meet
the fate of scores of others stalled be-
hind drifts.
Only coal and food kept moving, and
these went slowly. The railroads sup
ply of locomotives. depleted b. the
hundreds in shops for repairs, were
used largely for these shipments. Two.
three or four engines ;ugsed at a train
CT coal in many instances.
Officials tonight believed it would
be only matter OF days before some
Industries would be forced to close by
inability to get fuel. The snow can
not melt and the weather moderate fast
enough. il was said, to restore normal
movement of coal to meet the cxtraor-
binary war demands. Measures arc be-
ing planned to safeguard domestic and
public utilities needs and to distribute
the remainder to tho most advantage.
CAR. SERVICE COMMISSION
ORDERS TRANSFER OF CARS
Railroad officials acknowledged they
could do little against the weather eS-
cept to distribute cars, locomotives and
snow plows and snow-iiGhtins appa-
ratus TO the districts where the need
is greatest. Accordingly, the American
Railway Associations car service COM
mission issued many orders for trans
fer of cars to certain lines.
The anthracite mines of Pennsyl-
vania got their full supply OF cars,
about 3.3oo being loaded during the
day, and coal went TO New England by
all the rail gatcways and by water
from Hampton Roads.
Investigations By the Interstate Com
mercc Commissions inspectors. work
ing under direction of Commissioners
McChord, disclosed hundreds OF coal
cars on sidinSs in the East blocked be-
hind lines of almost immovablc freight
cars. destined for points already suffer-
ing from fuel shortage.
Freight week. although rec
ognized in tclesrams from a number
OF commercial organizations to-day
seemed almost showed under.
Dircc;or-Gcncral NcAdoo spent near
- two hours discussing the Midwest
ern storm conditions. with +. II. Ash
ton. president Of the Chicago and
Northwestern Railroad, who had been
summoned here for a conference, and
there were reports that Mr.. Ashton
would be named formally as Mr. Nc
A6oo's representative about Chicago to
supervise transportation, as a. III.
Smith is doing in the East
In his dctcrmin ina ton to clear up con-
sestion about the Washington termi-
Tals. the d!rcctor-sencral replaced A.
w. Thompson. vice president OF the
Baltimore and Ohio with George r.
Loyal, assistant vice president OF the
southern, as transportation director in
charge. with Instructions to do any
thing necessary to get results. Mr.
Ihompson's heavy duties in connection
with his own road. it was explained,
prevented him from devoting all his
time TO the Washington situation.
Tomorrow MIR. McAdoo will confer
with a number of State railroad com
missioners who wish TO give assura nee
OF their cooperation under government
ownership and inquire about the rail-
road administrations intentions toward
state rate regulations and maintenance
OF state commission3' authority.
The director general also will meet
a delegation from the National Indu.-
trial 1rahic League, an organization Of
shippers, who arc prepared to assist
clearing up tho prevailing congestion
MT McAdoo expects to announce to-
WoFTo" OF thursday tile personnel Of
the board of four TO Investigate tho
brotherhoods' wage demands, and as
soon as possible wants TO take up other
pending labor questions. Petitions arc
beginning to come in from train dis.
iatcher3 all over tho country asking
higher pay These employers arc not
formally organized.
Girl Slain; Three NeEroe. Arrested.
fBy Associated Press.I