Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-11
COLD WAVE BREAKS
IN WEST AS FUEL
SUPPLY IS At HAND
Extreme Weather Moderates in Far
West Section; Heavy Shows
Impede Coal Distribution.
BIG FLOOD LOSSES SOUTH

(hicaro Dec | I Relief from the most
serious coal shortage ever known today
was in sight No immediate relaxation
Of the rigid fuel conservation measures
was in prospect, but the return - the
mines Of the first ~ the approximately
100 600 hituminous coal miners, ending
forty days strike and abatement, except
in the east and far northwest, of the
severe weather 81 the past two days
held hope for 3 rapid return ~ normal
conditions.
At some of the mines delays in resump-
tion Of production after acceptance yes
terday at indianapolis of the proposal
of President Wilson for settling the strike
were in prospect Recalcitrant WORKERS
we're expected 10 be few, however. and the
more optimistic observers believed that
by tomorrow night the mines would be
Welding Is per cent of a normal output.
snow BLOCKS CoAL IL WEST.
Thousands of empty coal cars today
were on sldIngs ct the mines IN readiness
to be rushed To the most needy sections
as soon as loads were available Rellef
for some points. however, faced delay
because OF almost unprecedented snow
fall. In the plains states railroad traffic
was badly disrupted BY snow drifts and
in the Pacific northwest, where nearly
forty hours Of uninterrupted snowfall
was recorded, conditions we're worse.
Throughout the central area the sub
zero temperatures that yesterday n
many places established seasonal records,
today had gwen way to nlder teInpeTa-
lures and lessened the sacrifice coal
saving entailed Denver led the upward
trend of the mercury with q 62-degree
range from l. below zero 70 80 above.
At other places the moderation w2s less
marked.
gxTREME COLD WAVE BROKEN.
At Minneapolis the thermometer rose
from is below 70 even zero, at Omaha,
from Is below to above. and at Chicago
from minus S to Plus ), with relief from the
unse9souabie weather il ali sections fore
cast for tomorrow night.
Except IN the Illinois fields. where one
union leader said the men had looked
forward 10 . 3I-per cent increase, sEd IN
Montana, where the district president
said the miners would not return 70 work
as long as soldiers remained in the coal
fields, the chief delay IN resumIng work
today WAS expected 70 result from dis
trict and local leaders awaiting receipt OF
the telegram from the international
officers notifying them Of the ending Of
the strike.
MINERS H'AIr FOR OFFICIAL NOTICE.
In the Plttsburg district il was sad
nothing would be done toward calling
the l.. 600 miners there back to work
until the official notice had been received.
Such notice was despatched ,o The locals
BY John L. Lewis, act!ng president I'M
mediatcly after acceptance OF President
Wilson 5 proposal.
Generally the MINES were in condition
to be worked immediately. They had
been kept IN order by conservation crews
left BY the strikers and the regular shifts
Of engineers and tremen,
27S TRAINS CUT DOWN EAST.
The Ne England States today felt
for the first time restrictions imposed
because Of the fuel short0 Ee, and New
\ ork Citv's great white way VAS dark
last night for he hrst time under threat
of heavy fines ~r prison sentences
New \ ork WAs spared enforcement q the
three-day week decreed by the fuel
administration for manufacturing plants.
but restrictions already in force in many
other cities were extended there
In New England 27S passenger trains
We're annulled.
NORTHWEST sllLL ~ FFERlNu.
ON the western side &c the continent 4
number of cities and towns ia the Pacific
northwest were reported in urgent need
Of fuel salem Oregon Has entirely
without coal and more than two feet
of snow had fallen III Oregon cnly TWO
OF three main line passenger trains were
able to move because OF the snow and
Portland was il an almost ISOLATED
position.
Continued on pago 8