Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-10
ZERO COLD, HEAVY
SHOWS, FIND MANY
COAL BINS EMPTY
Intense Suffering Reported in
Middle and Northwest
ern States Today.

zero temperatures prevailed To-Day IN
virtually all sections from the Mis-
sissippi valley to the Sierra Nevada
mountain region and the cold wave
began it's eastern invasion with sub
normal temperatures of twenty to
fifty degrees. In parts of the western
country, already hardest hit by the
fuel shortage brought about by the
strike of bituminous coal miners,
many small cities and towns were
destitute of coal. and suffering was
reported. Montana and northern
Idaho were the chief sufferers.
Hope for relief from subnormal tenn
peratures by tomorrow was held forth
by the weather bureau. with announce
would pass over the Mississippi valley
today and tonight.
As further coal conservation meas
ure the most severe curtailment of
passenger train service ever known
was effective today with extension of
the federal railroad administra ton s
saving order to the eastern region,
The order already was operative in
the other railroad regions. 1t was
estimated $4,000 tons of coal would
be saved daily by it. and that until
the end of the present week it would
be necessary to save an additional
2oO,0o0 train miles daily.
Record Snowfalls Reported.
Presaging extension of the cold
wave into the east and southeast,
heavy transforms were prevalent
through those sections yesterday In
the western country, where almost
record snowfalls accompanied the
unreasonable cold. rail and wire COM
munication also was handicapped. In
Washington and Oregon one of the
q
recorded. About Redding. Calf, five
inches of snow had fallen today, an
unusual amount for that region. 1t
gradually deepened northward to
Bend. Ore. where twenty-eight inches,
the heaviest since 1884, fell. Near
FORCED to close. Two Portland. Ore,
shipyards were forced to shut down
by the snow and cold and the schools
there have been closed
Heavy Storm On Pacific Coast.
heavy storm was off the northern
Pacific coast and storm warnings
nave been displayed up and down
the coast today.
No general moderation was fore
cast Tor today, although in some sec
tions of the west, weather bureaus
said, the thermometers would rise by
tomorrow. The wide range of the
cold weather was indicated by re-
ports Oh SuDzero readings from these
Lander. wyo.. "a below: Havre
Mont. 80; Williston. Mont, 30: Helena
and Miles City, Mont. and Cheyenne,
Wyo.. %; Devils Lake, Mimi. &c:
Pueblo and Denver. Col, 20; North
Platte, Neb.. %: Minneapolis. Mimi.
and Spokane. Wash. 8; Omaha and
Concordfa, Kan. 6. and Chicago, 3.
New York Still Aslow.
lie service commissioner, said he had
taken steps to enforce the fuel saw
ing order and it would be put into
effect Immediately. New York's white
light district was ablaze with almost
its normal glow. and in the retail stores
ana notes lights were not dimmed to a
noticeable degree.
In Chicago downtown streets were
in semi darkness, lighted only bv the
street lights and lights in stores and
restaurants where business was not
curtai!ed by fuel restrictions. Patrons
rode In street cars that were un-
heated despite temperature. that how
cred about zero.
Pittsburgh felt its first lightless
night, due to the miners strike. last
night. when all electric signs were
cut off.
Kansas City's amusements TODAY
were permitted to open for four hours
a day. to IL pm, under q new ruling
by the coal committee, which had
closed such places since December /.
1t was said the fuel situation there
was slightly improved.
While optimistic regarding settle
ment today Of the strike by the In
dianapolis conference. there was no
let-up In efforts to have coal brought
out by volunteer miners in states
where that system Of production had
been resorted to. The swoop of low
temperatures found western Kansas,
where many places had exhausted
their fuel supply several days ago,
fortified with stocks of volunteer
mined coal. Some places in Montana
and Wyoming similarly were provided
for.
At the other mines the most impress
sfve improvement was noted in the
unionized Kanawha fields of West
Virginia, where it was reported
thirty-fve mines were operated yes
Michigan Facing Crisis.
DETROIT. Mich. December 10
Michigan manufacturers were today
facing a more serious crisis than the
temporary shutdown. according to
reports reaching Regional Fuel Ad
ministrator Findlay, who was being
urged from all quarters of the state
to increase coal allotments in order
that the plants may continue part
time operations and thus prevent an
exodus of skilled workers who were
said to be planning to take employ
ment in more favored" states.
Cleveland and Toledo were men
toned by the employers as cities
where industries had been less Sc
rfously interfered with. and charges
of discrimination by fuel officials were
heard.
The fuel administrator held out
hopes of a modification in the regula-
lions that have forced upward Of
200, 900 into idleness.
Gov. Albert Sleeper announced that
he would renew his efforts to effect a
separate agreement in event the In
conference failed Of results.
OIL to Run Hotel Aston Plant.
NEW YORK. December 10-Oil in
stead Of coal will be used by the Ho-
tel Aston in it's heating and lighting
plant if the city department of build
ings permits the change, the hotel
announced today. The
which could be made
would save thirty tons
of coal daily. The hotel coal bins
were said to be nearly empty.
A great tank capable Of holding
thousands of barrels of oil has been
installed beneath the sidewalk on
Broadway. The tank is separated
from the rest Of the hotel buildings
by a thick wall