Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1936-02-20
Threatened COAL
SHORTAGE EASEO RY
BREAK IN WEATHER
Coal Portioned to Consumers
in City When Shortage
Here Seemed Probable

A threatened coal shortage in Plen.
tywood was temporarily relieved
Tuesday with rising temperatures and
roads, blocked by a raging blizzard
which swept this section Monday, be-
ing opened to mines.
The blizzard closed all roads to
mines that give Plentywood its fuel
supply. Trucks we're unable to pene-
trate the huge drifts. Coal haulers,
who were able to get to the mines
were marooned there, being unable to
return.
The situation in Plentywood was
acute. Coal bins were running low.
Frantic telephone calls for coal orders
could not be filled. The city's hard coai
supply was exhausted Tuesday noon.
The past week Ignite was rationed
to consumers. A two-ton load in many
instances was split four ways.
Caravans Of trucks left the city
early Tuesday morning with men
armed with shovels to break open the
drifted mine roads. They were sue
cessful in clearing the roads.
Coal trucks are scurrying to the
city. Miners are working long hours
in order to keep the trucks moving.
Mines now open include the Olson,
Storaasli and Richardson mine, a mine
near Reserve and the C~oalridge mine.
County machinery was put into oper-
alton in an effort to clear the Coal
ridge road SO hat haulers could get
coal from that mine. The road was
opened Saturday. 1t closed again Mon
day. Tuesday the road was again
opened.
Court House Closes
Lack OF fuel ~necessitated the closing
UF the court house here when the biz
card closed the roads. Officials and
clerks were given a forced holiday.
Enough fuel was available there only
to keep the pipes from freezing. A
three days supply of fuel is about
all that car be gotten into the court
house bins and as a result, the short
age occurred.
School Closes
Mondays blizzard closed the Plenty
wood schools. The grade school did not
onven and later the high school was
dismissed. The school was closed in
an effort to cut down coal &C ,sump-
ton as much as possible in view OF
the fact that a shortage faced the city.
With rising temperatures Tuesday,
school again convened.
Cold Is Intense
The cold wave which swept this
section over the week end was in
tense. Unofficial temperature record
ings Saturday morning ranged from
"a to 62 below zero here. A bowling
north wind which started late Sunday
night blocked all roads in the county.
Fifteen below zero in the wake of a
strong wind, and snow %1urries, added
misery to the cold wave.
500 Line Blocked
Train service on the 500 line was
at a standstill until after the blizzard
had subsidized. 500 line towns were
without trains Monday and Tuesday.
Snow blockaded the tracks from Out
look to Fortuna. Employees of the SOD
line stated Tuesday that they did not
believe that traffic would be resumed
until today. Snow plows of the COM
pany are in use on the main line and
they were expected Tuesday, to be
put into use on the branch line We'd
nesday.
Rising temperatures greeted early
risers Tuesday morning. With compar-
atively normal temperatures prevail
ing Sheridan county will prepare to
dig out this week end and which will
end the longest blockade and cold
wave recorded in the county's history.