Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-27
THEATERS WILL
REDUCE LIGHTS
TO Save COAL
Situation May Be Relieved
Monday by Diverting
Cars Intended for
Wyoming.

s's Managers of seven downtown
.heaters met yesterday afternoon to
discuss means of aiding the terminal
\ coal committee in saving the rapidly
disappearing fuel supply Of the city.
BY careful use OF lights, about
two-thirds of the power ordinarily
used. in lighting of theater can be
saved, it was decided There are
unnecessary lights in every theater.
according to Harry B. Watts of the
Strand, spokesman for the manag-
crs, and these lights will be dis
oensed with until the fuel shortage
has been relieved. it was decided.
Theaters taking this step are the
Rialto, Sun, Moon, Empress, Boyd,
Muse and Strand. The Orpheum and
Brandeis are also expected to join
in the movement.
No Lights at Home.
Managers of theaters depending
on central plants, which have been
ordered to shut off heat say they
have installed kerosene hearters
which will keep the temperatures
nornlal. Managers of theaters with
private heating plants have sufficient
coal to run several days, and if the
situation is not improved at the end
Of that time they, also, will install
kerosene plants, they say.
Managers emphasized the fact
that people did not burn lights in
their homes when they attended
shows, and passed a resolution urg-
ing the people to save fuel by saw
ing lights.
H. L. Snyder, acting chairman of
khe terminal fuel committee, COM
mended the action of the theater
managers last night. He issued an
order permitting heating plants to
furnish heat to theaters today.
Every organization in the city is CO.
operating in the committee effort
to save fuel, he said.
May Get Coal Monday.
IF railroads succeed in diverting
large quantities of Wyoming coal
here by Monday, Omaha may pull
through" the present shortage with
some difficulty; if there is some de-
lay in the arrival of coal the situa-
ton will be most serious.
This. is the way members of the
terminal coal committee viewed the
situation here yesterday.
Reports received yesterday by the
fuel committee from Washington,
state that the coal situation has
reached crisis, according to Off
Gals at the capital, and that drastic
steps will be taken at once to cur
tail consumption. 1t was also re-
ported that, among other steps, an
order proposing the manufacture Of
cckc had been prepared.
U. P. Mines at Work.
Officials of the Union Pacific rail-
road are making every effort to Sc
cure coal mined in the Rock Springs
district of Wyoming for Omaha.
Union Pacific mines Tuesday pro-
duccd 1884 cars of coal, and mines on
the Burlington system in the Sheri-
dan, Wyo.. district were producing
about IS per cent of normal, accord
ing to reports yesterday
Ordinarily much of the Wyoming
coal is diverted westward, according
to H. ]. Plumhof, assistant to the
federal manager of the Union Pa
cifc, but as Utah mines are produc-
ing coal, more of the Wyoming coal
can be secured here, Mr.. Plumhof
says. Many requests for coal, how
ever, especially from Salt Lake City,
are being received at the Union Pa
cific headquarters here.
Another difficulty in diverting
coal directly to Omaha is the urgent
call from small towns west of here
for assistance. Snow. an average
Temperature of 10 above and strong
northwest winds in western Nebras-
ka have made the situation in many
towns critical, according to reports.