The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-01-04
MERCURY lBQPS
DEMAND FOR COAL
SHARPLY ASC[NDS
Twenty-Five Past Grazed
Zero At Eary Hour
Today.

I Temperature this morning at eight
O'clock registered five above zero.
Yesterday morning the temperature
registered 10 which makes q drop OF
~ degrees in "a hours. But that was
not the extreme range Of the tempera.
ture. Earlier in the morning It was
down to one degree above zero. BY II
O'clock last night people who were for.
tunate enough to possess coal furnaces
went to bed unconcerned as to whether
It grew still colder or not. Jack Frost
began painting scenery on the win.
dows OF houses possessing lust gas
fires along about eight O'Clock and II
was decided unanimously by gas fire
owners that what little fire remained
should not be put out-but kept for
the night, an honored guest BY morn
In gthere wac scarcely enough gas to
cook breakfast. and decided not
enough to keep warm by, except in
small houses with no exposure.
Plumbers In the city arrived at their
offices early today with q pretty good
idea as to what was going to happen.
Yesterday hardware stores sold out
most OF their best heating stoves and
this morning when calls came for
them to take the place Of inadequate
fire places, there remained but few
small ones; only one store having a
few large 62es, and those Of q make
which Is guaranteed to bufustwice as
much gas as any otsier.
The problem OF heatiLs ,icmet not
equipped with furnaces has again
struck Fairmont. The Mccoy Z, ,USl
company had fifty calls fol, coal Isl,
moon today. Other coal ycompdtlies
had also heavy calls. Yesterday none
Of these companies were heavily push
ed.with orders. One coal office said
u had teams idly passing the tins
with the almost sure pred fiction On the
| part OF their owners tha tRith the first
cold snap, orders would come pilins in.
one on top OF the other. The predic:
ton came true this morning.
Residents on High street were hit
hard with a gas shortage this morning.
Food would not cook and fires would
not warm and as q result there was
some genuine Inconvenience and dis.
comfort especially among older peo.
Pile.
Last winter very nearly every house
In East Park put in coal CRATES or fur
mace so that 1T is predicted that in this
location at least the saying that s.fore.
warned is forearmed, +, will mean that
East Parkers should not suffer severe.
lys this winter. Whether or not the
rest OF Fairmont will actually suffer,
remains a question much discussed.
The Monongahela Valley Traction
company say they IRE doing all they.
can to relieve the situation and that
as fast as drilled, wells will he turned
I into their lines. Al, endeavor Is also
being made to buy gas.
i Maple avenue rss.uents this nom.
. ing complained that only one family
had plenty Of gas and this family
claimed to have had a new meter In
stalled, believing the old one was froz.
en-. Stores and offices on Main street
said they could not keep warm early
this morning though later in the dny,
conditions grew better.
Z. The snow andsice was packed IN
rough ridges along unswept walks and
streets today, making walking diffi-
cult and cutting rubbers badly. In
some places, sharp ridges caused q
number of falls. Walking along and
brought up short against them, caused
sudden slips, with consequent .sit'
down"
The air today is delightful keen,
sharp and invigorating. 1cicies hang
ring from many roofs and glistening
snow-piled window sills with snow and
ltice mall directions, gives Fairmont'
the long looked for holiday aspect.