The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-31
Critical Shortage in Soft Coal
Which Seems Inevitable
Makes Situation Serious
FLOOD FROM SNOW
HOLDS UP TRAFFIC
ALL OVER STATE
Sweeps Away Bridge on APP
palachian Division OF South
ern Railway. Cutting Of
Richmond Freight

With a critical shortage of soft coal
almost inevitable. the first real danger
signal of the fuel situation here was
flashed yesterday. The melting SHOWS
I have demoralized traffic In practically
every section of the state and Iu some
places go disastrously that IL "a ! De
week before repairs can be made
sufficient to carry on ths necessary
shipments Of freight that are now
! completely held up.
In the mountainous pzrts Of the state
! the SHOWS were piled deep and In the
last few days have been melting ~ q
terrific rate. In the Appalachian divts
len Of The Southern road a bride on
the main line was washed away. This
being In direct communication betw cen
the mines. coal freight on that road
| ts at standstill To supply the de-
mands Of operation the road 10 cora
Wandering each car of the precious
shipments with the result that none ir
reaching the consignees.
This road has furnished Richmond
as well as several other sections ~
/ the state with an appreciable anne ar
of the fuel consumption. with The
situation already In jeopardy the maj
blow leaves the fuel with grave doubts
of the possibility of tiding the next
few weeks under the present weather
conditions.
Thus far Richmond has practically
enjoyed Immunity from tho acute dts
tress that has been felt by nearly all
of the other large cities Of the East
Although anthracite variety has been
at a premium for several months. that
scarcity has occssioned iittis worry
because when imperative facilities for
burning httuminous could be installed
With soft coal shortage imminent
xx=if ia h. So Ia - al At
ioesns up as serious 10 suoh an extent
that has never been experienced in
this city before.
In addition to the tis-up ON the
Southern the other roads. because Of
tho continued bad weather. are par
TALLY pAralyxed and cannot toe tho
| accustomed scratch with their accus-
toned efficiency.
Mines Flooded.
Another critical situation ha& arisen
in various parts OF the Pocahontas
fields due TO the melting OF the noun
tasns OF snow that have been accu-
musating since the 18th OF December.
whose torrents have flooded the mines
10 such an extent that several have
BEEN forced to abaudon work for thA
time being until they can BE- pumped
out AT the present In several cases
the water pours In as fast a. II can
be pumped out
These Pocahontas mines have sup
piled the demand here and with these
shipments curtailed I'm part the short
ago grows rapidly worse.
Every effort In being made by the
local fuel men to obtain supply sur
fcient to last for several days. and
1t In hoped that by that time the
weather conditions viii have abated
until the demand will not be - heavy
% has he4n for the last week. Tho
6outhern railroads expects TO have its
bridge repaired In six days and with
those shipments coming in the tense
conditions win. AZ Nv thought. be par
! TALLY relieved.
1 Canvsss Dealers.
| TING local commission made a cam
vass OF all of the local dealers In N
| EFFORT to find out how many cars under
contract had not been delivered 10 the
| local yards. These shipments which
are due and have not arrived. may be
considered AZ priority orders and can
} be secured Immediately. Several Of
( the retail men stated that they had
several cars under contract that had
! not been received. All OF these cars
1 will assist materially and may be suf.
dcient for all economic dcmands
1 All Of the consumers In the city are
/ asked to cooperate with the fuel i'd
Il ministrAtion In every possible way
! Conservation must be ths watchword.
I The entire state II In the sams con
/ dition ~ Richmond. but = sufficient
supply Will be obtained and the offt-
4 Gals state that thers % NO reason for
1 the general public TO become panicky
over the situation.
4 Fuel Administrator Harry n. Byrd yea
/ &erday to the effect that much Of the
coal that war intended for Virginia In !
i cuatrtes had sybaau diverted to North