New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Death Toll Rises as Cold
Continues and Increases
Suffering Here
Homes on East Side
Carpeted With Ice
Bursting Water Pipes Add
to Misery; Harlem Mob
Steals 20 Tons of Coal

While New York endeavored TO take
comfort in fractional rises of the mer-
curry, supplemented by Weather Bu-
reau predictions Of "rclicf BY the end
Of the week. continued cold weather
yesterday caused further paralysis of
business and increased suffering to
thousands. Taken together with the
fuel shortage. the low temperature was
responsible for partly paralyzcd trans
portation lines. stalled elevators, piled
Up freight, closed Offices and overflow
ing settlement houses and hospitals.
The cold kept $4,000 schoo! children
from resuming their studies after the
Christmas holidays by wreaking havoc
with the steam and water pipes Of
more than seventy elementary and high
school buildings throughout the city.
And 1t Increased the city's death rate
by spreading disease and taking toll
OF clghty-ninc lives of pneumonia vic
TINS alone in the forty-cight hours
ended at noon yesterday
No Relief From Cold Seen
Although New York awoke to find
the thermometer at the zero mark in
stead Of considerably below il. as on
'he preceding days Of the cold wave.
and although the mercury rose grad
ually until it reached above zero.
the cold caused almost as much dis
Tress yesterday as when The tempcra
'urc was lowest. The high mark Of
The day was reached at 4 D. m. but
all. e"' "
Snow and continued cold Tomorrow
with gradually rising temperatures Fri
day and Saturday" was the last Oft
cal Weather Bureau Statement. Of the
DAY. NO relief to speak Of before tho
end of the week" was an unofficial
prediction
Suffering among the poor continued
acute. acute Along the length of the East
Side scores of families were rendered
homeless when frozen water pipes
burst, Hooded rooms and left thick car
pets of solid ice. Ncighborhood fuel
charity organization employees stag
sered under loads of blankets and
clothing destined for the sufferers, be-
sought plumbers to rescue icebound
families and coal dealers to release a
ie" pounds of coal with which the suf-
ferers might cke out scanty warmth.
But while barges filled with fuel Law
anchored and ice covered at numerous
piers along the East River shore, and
aIrhough many dealers had coal in
thesr yards, practically none was avail
able 20 the small retail purchaser. A
few street dealers disposed of their
small stocks to clamoring customers
at oo cents bucket or bag, or at from
one and half to two cents a pound.
but to the great shivering East Side
multitude coal was unobtainable at anv
price.
Mob in Harlem Steals Coal
Sporadic coal riots occurred when
angry crowds, learning of the presence
OF coal in certain yards, stormed the
places and demanded to be served. A
mob OF six hundred men, women and
children rushed the coal yard of Her
man HarJes Coal and Wood Company,
at ll7th Street and the East River.
we VIII burn your place to the
s,round.' they told Bernard Roebber-
man the manager, "unless you sell us
coal. Our children arc dying. We
must have coal"
Mr.. Roebberman's explanation that
ms entire stock was pledged to certain
city hospitals was rejected by the
crowd. VINO stormed the yard, over
turned wagons and finally made away
with about twenty tons of coal
Headed by a score of women carrying
baskets and boxes, another crowd
stormed the doors Of a coal yard at AZ
East l5oth Street representative of
the i'rm told the crowd that there was
no coal. in the company's bins. The
crowd demanded to he allowed to in
vestigate for itself, received permis-
SION, secured the empty yard and left
Supplemented by an additional force of
ccal seekers, the mob advanced upon
the yard of Burns Brothers. 10th
Street and the East River, where trucks
were being loaded with coal for deliv-
CT; TO hospitals. They were met at this
point by strong force of police and
10 forclblc seizure of coal was at
tempted. The coal storage plant OF
Rerghorn & Son, at 1880 First Avenue
also was visited by mob, but threat,
cned violence was averted by the DO
lice ~
The city's hospitals, it was an
nounced last night, SO far have been
able to ge. sufficient coal to prevent
suffering to their patients At St.
Luke's it vas said that sufficient coal
was on hand to last until tonight and
,Hae 4Crtaer supplies were expected to-
DAY. Ihc Mount Sinai Hospital tho
New York, the POSTGRADUATE and
Roosevelt hospitals yesterday received
sufflcient coal to maintain normal tenn
peratures in the wards until tonight.
EeIieVue Hospital which has plenty Of
coal on hand. was in the grip of the
cold yesterday because of the BURSTING
OF an ammonia pipe in the power house
whlcn supplies the main buildings with
neat. Inc burst pipe also affected the
hospital lighting and elevator system,
winch VIII be PARTLY out of commits
sioa until repairs are completed TO-DAY.
School Repairs Rushed
Hcpairs were being rushed in the
city's schools last night in the hone
that the majority OF the damaged
buildings NAV be- ready to receive nl,.
pills to-day. DR.. Gustav Straubenmul1er
acting superintendent. OF Schools
pointed out terday shat the closing
Of the buildings vas not caused bv anv
shortage of coal, but by an eudeavor
10 economic in the use OF the suppl.
on hand during the few DAYS the
schools we're closed for the holidays.
This economy resulted in frozen pipes.
ut is impossible TO say how long il
"ill take TO have all the schools run
ming as usual said DR.. Straubenmul
Ter last night. but we hope to have
many in proper condition to-day and
Many more Tomorrow"