The diamond drill., 1920-05-22
COAL SITUATION
DELAYS SHIPMENTS
MINES READY TO 0PERATESHOvELs
BUT BOATS ARE WANTING
LABOR SEEMS PLENTIFUL
Iron County Output Will Be Greatly
CurtaiIed Unless Boats Can Get
Coal To Operate With

Unless there is an easing of in the
present tension in boat supply, Iron
county mines will be unable to make
the output expected of them. Unless
there Is letting up in the stringency
in the coal supply at the lower lake
docks the boat scarcity will continue.
While some boats are getting thru
and making fair dispatch, many are
laid up az lower docks because they
cannot get coal TO bunker with The
coal supply Is so scant at lower docks
that large consumers Of bituminous
are at sea as to their future supplies.
Even coking plants are running on
scant supplies. The only exceptions
In the latter cases are plants that are
supplied from their own mines. the
coal being shipped in solid trains.
Railroad service Is so rotten that less
than train lots are delayed something
fierce
Sh0yels Ready for Work
Al several of our mines the shoyels
are standing beside the stockpiles,
ready to be started the minute cars
are furnished The railroads refuse
to furnish cars for shovels unless
boats are in sight 10 empty the docks
OF the ore. The railroads are taking
care Of the pocket output but they
will not assume the responsibility OF
caring for the stocked products under
present conditions.
AT the Balkan and Judson mines the
shovels are working. The Balkan
shovel Is cleaning mp some ore that
was mined by the stripping contract
ors several years ago.
The Judson shovel Is working on the
ore mined by the Judson people while
they had the property. The amount
IS not large but the frost Is bothering
considerably and the loading is not
being done as rapidly as expected,
When the shovel finishes up at the
Judson It will be moved to the Car
penter and Monongahela mines whore
the small piles accumulated al those
properties will be shipped,
The Mckinney steel shovel Is stand
ing idle az the odgers pile waiting for
cars and the car supply depends up-
on boats The Mckinney people are
anxious 70 get their ore forward but
are unable to govern the boat supply
condition.
The Bristol shovel was shut down
this week because Of a lack Of car
supply. The Bristol Is anxious to get
I It's big pile away and the shovel can
be operated continuously If the cars
can be got.
AZ the Warner and Porter mines q
shovel is at work and both piles will
be cleaned up as rapidly as possible.
TN Ihe MeNi Nide
The conditions on the west side are
about the same as al Crystal Falls.
There Is more complaint because Of q
lack Of car supply from operators
who claim to have boats available
than there Is here Tho Davidson
properties expect 20 make very large
output the coming season and are
pushing shipments as fast as cars can
be got.
other operators are not SO anxious
Al this time but the most OF them
have orders for all the ore they can
ship and are anxious TO get as early
a start as possible.
Labor Very Restless
Mining superintendent say that la
bor Is very restless although fairly
plentiful. Men are coming to the mine
offices IN large numbers asking for
positions but they work only for a
short time after being put at work be-
fore they are again on the move
There seems TO be plenty Of men IN
the district 20 assure a good output
n they would settle down and WORK
steady.
i A gentleman at Alpha tells us tha'
there has been such change In ths
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