The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-24
Voluntarily Reject All Freight
in Unessential Glass.
Moving Food, Fuel. Munitions
Handicapped"by Weather.
COAL FAMINE IN PITTSBURG
Less Than Tenth of Mills Closed
Friday Have Resumed.
Chicago Industrial DistrictFaces
Shortage of 100000 Tons.

washington, Jan. 24.-The move
ment of fuel, food and munitions went
forward in the face of adverse weather
conditions today aided by an unof-
ficia1 embargo on eastbound general
freight virtually affecting all railroads
east of the Mississippi and north or
the Ohio and Potomac rivers This
situation, brought about~by embargoes
formally ordered by Director Generai
McAdoo for the Pennsylvania ana
Baltimore & Ohio east of Pittsburg
and the Philadelphia Reading
probably will continue for several Gays
or at least until the weather permits
ment Altho the director generals
order was restricted to the three
roads, other lines accepted practically
no general freight today destined for
eastern points
Coal Famine in Mining Center
Pittsburg, Pa, Jan 24-Ihe Flt,s-
burg industrial district located In the
center of the nations largest bitum-
inous coal field today experienced the
worst coal shortage of the WINTER
Less than ten per cent OF the miiis
CLOSED down last Friday have been
able to resume operations. it was esti-
mated A large portion of the Zoo.OVo
men made idle by the suspension are
said still to be out of work
Can't Get Coal Cars.
Chicago, Jan. 24.-Illinois' will con-
tinue on hand to mouth" coal diet
for the remainder of the winter ana
only Spring and warm weather VIII
, relieve the $50, 0,000-ton coal shortage,
state fuel administration officials said
today.
Even future Garfield holidays VIII
not compensate for the $50, 900 tons
| annually imported from Indiana and
now embargoed by. that state. they
said.
| Consumers will be confronted with
| even more threatening coal conditions
! before the crisis is passed Edwin r.
Daniels prominent retail coal dealer.
today predicted. Recent mine shut
downs and the lack of reserve sup
| ply at either the mines or in coal
yards will make the famine more
pinching within the next week, ac-
cording to Daniels.
Mines Only 80 Per Cent Capacity.
Illinois mines are working but 80
per cent capacity, because railroads
are unable to furnish empty cars fast
enough, B. S. Allison, distribution
clerk of the state fuel administration.
said. Railroads set 1870 empty cars
at the doors of Illinois mines yester-
day-50 per cent of the normal de-
mand-according to traffic officials of
the Illinois Central and other rail-
roads. The city of Chicago daily con-
sumes 1900 tons of coal, it is esti-
mated. Railroads delivered to Chi,
cago yesterday, 1,665 cars of coal. 912
of which were unloaded. There are
1,736 cars awaiting to be unloaded,
according to official reports of the
railroads general mana gers Office.
Favorable weather for the next ten
days will allow railroads to clean up
all coal congestion in the state. off,
cials say. but there is no possibility
for storing a supply.
Blames Coal Dealers.
Illinois already has consumed rs
per cent of the annual winters sup
ply and February, according to coal
dealers, is the month of the most cold
weather and greatest consumption.
Coal dealers are to blame for local.
tiles suffering, Allison said today.
Many failed TO lay in a supply until
, it was too late for their orders to be
filled while others. with poor credit
were passed over by jobbers in favor
of persons paving cash, Allison said.