Evening star., 1942-04-20
Drivers Swamp
Auto Clubs for
Tow Services
Many Stranded
When Cos Runs
Out Sunday

Out Sunday
About IT'S ais for help from mo-
florists out Of gas we're received
by the American Automobile Asso-
citation here Yesterday and the Key
stone Automobile Club was Ike
wise "swamped" the orRanlzati tions
reported.
Since few filling stations we're
open on Sunday, many drivers rode
home behind a tow truck. Others
left cars beside the road and took
a taxi
A spokesman for the A. A. A. said
he knew Of only II stations which
were open even briefly in the Dis
trict yesterday ana a half-dozen
more IN nearby Maryland and Viz
ginia. After pm. only six Wash
ington stations were doing business.
and after pm only three. One
station near Highway Bridge. with
a large quota Of gasoline, was sched-
uel to stay open until midnight but
exhausted its supply and closed at
pm. he said.
Only One Open All Day.
The automobile club was able to
locate only one station in nearby
Maryland or Virginia which was
open for a full days sales. This
was at Langley. Va.
Most filling stations. during their
limited hours are stin filing up gas
tanks whenever a driver asks it,
survey indicated today But opera
tors emphasized that this is on
day-to-day basis and the policy
may be changed in a hurry.
The manager OF one chain of as
stations predicted that before the
end of this month stations will be
limiting each purchaser to 3 30 5
gallons at a time.
Spring induced thousands to ig
more the gas and tire shortage, A
double line OF autos moved at
snail's pace around Hams Point,
requiring one and a half hours for
the round trip.
Road Demands Increase.
The A. A. AS road service de-
partment reported that the number
of pleas from fueness motorists has
doubled on each successive night for
the last four days, and motor club
staff members said they expect the
situation to get tighter toward the
end of this month, as station quotas
are exhausted.
To supply the industrial East with
oil and gasoline, a revival of an
old and storied form of commerce
river steamboating appeared like
ly today.
Win Use Every Carrier.
Petroleum Co-ordinator Ickes de-
elared that every RNhilahle carrier
would be pressed into service to haul
petroleum northward on the Mis-
sissippi and eastward along the Ohio
River.
The petroleum coordination Of
fee and the transportation and pc
troleum industries are rounding out
a program for complete co-ordina-
tion of rail. pipeline and barge ia
cilities. to funnel oil eastward
A survey was ordered to deter
mine how much equipment may be
moved from other waterways to
the Mississippi and Ohio The Co
ordination Office also was studying
the feasibility of running a pipe
line from the Southwest oil fields to
Grand Lake, Ark, where the oil
would be pumped into barges bound
for Pittsburgh. This would cut ap-
proximately 300 miles from the
present barge loading stations i'll
Louisiana.
From Pittsburgh the oil fans out
by rail tank car and transport
trucks to Eastern consuming areas.
New BargeS Being Built.
In 1910 some 9.45oN00 barrels of
petroleum products were moved by
barge to the IA States on the Mis-
SiSsippi and Ohio Rivers. This
movement was increased TO To-
462 900 barrels in i94l. and a haul
Of at least $4,000 600 barrels is eX-
pected this year. 1t may be con-
slderably more.
Approximately 100 additional steel
harges are being bull, and Mr.
Ickes' aides are studying the feas-
ibiIty OF constructing inexpensive
wooden bargeS. Some oil men how
ever. are skeptical about wood bot
toms. because of the fire hazard.
While the rivers could carry only
a small portion Of the East S demand
Of 1900 900 barrels Of petroleum
daily. oil and transportation men
said the barge movements would be
Of great value in cutting many long
hsulS by rail- tank cars.
The greatest adjustment TO COM
bat the EaSJ'S oil emergency has
been the pressing Of rail tank cars
into service. In the week ended
April II, the railroads used 43. 500
tank cars to deliver 5S6S50 barrels
daily II the Seaboard area. In Jan
uary, l94l before any American
tankerS were loaned to Britain OF
were sunk or diverted TO America 5
war purposes. the railroads Geliy-
cred fewer than 1000 barrels of oil
:. - A.