The Sentinel=record., 1918-01-15
SHIPS HELD IN NEW YORK HARBOR AWAITING COAL
Freight Moving Week Has Practically Been Abandoned on Account of the 6lizzards That Have Swept Over the Country, Causing the Use of Vehicles in o'her Directions.

Washington, Jan, 14.-Interference with railroad transportation by the blizzard led Director General McAdoo tonight to establish limited priority orders on coal and food for New York and vicinity, giving the first instruc- tions of the kind since he recently cancelled all former priority.
 For the middle west where most freight and passenger traffic was still held up today by frigid weather and deep snow, MT. McAdoo issued no pri- ority orders, but railroad manage ments received instructions to move coal and food ahead of all other ship mehts and to do their utmost to clear the snow from main travel routes
 Action on the New York situation was taken on advice of A. H. Smith, assistant director in charge of eastern , fines, who reported that 11S ships were held in New York harbor awaiting bunker coal and that trans Atlantic freight movements were suf- fering to that extent. AS soon as normal weather is restored, the pri- ority order will be withdrawn. AL though Mir. Smith recommended the preference for domestic coal, even al the risk of shutting down industries for few days MT. McAdoo expressed the hope that it will not materially affect industrial activity
 As a result of the almost complete tieup of traffic in the middle west a multitude of requests for priority for many commodities poured in upon the railroad administration today, but all were refused until Mir. Smith tele- graphed his urgent representations for the New York situation. Officials explained that with this exception the transportation can be best cleared up by letting railroads move what they can of the whole bulk of freight ac- cumulating as a result of the storm. When normal conditions are restored a flexible program of preferences may be establishtd, it is said, but not un- til all danger of serious interference with traffic by priority is passed.
 Freight moving week. opened to- day under rather inauspicious circum- stances with Grayage and unloading facilities at terminals occupied with other tasks made necessary by the storm, bgt the rising temperatures over the country gave officials hope that the latter days of the week would be open for great freight clearance movement to release cars.
 Between Pittsburg, Buffalo, Chi cago and St. Louis," said MT. Smith, in his report on storm conditions, there has been practically no freight movement for 24 hours. Practically the only passenger movements have been those incident to getting stalled passenger trains into terminals.
 Snow has drifted very heavily, packing in cars on s!detracks and in lyards and it will take considerable time and mleh effort to get them loose.
 The very low temperature with snow and high winds has produced a lcombination which is said to be worse than anything in the history of the railroads in the central west.
 Little freight. if any, eastbound from Chicago and St. Louis, moved today on account of Conditions in the yards. Efforts are being made to place coal to relieve the fuel situation in central western cities. Everything is be 'ng dcne with the help and power available to restore service at the nnrltnst -nnssihln nnmnni v