The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1950-03-02
FUEL SUPPLY AT
LIGHT PLANT is
CRITICALLY LOW
Necessary to Conserve Coal to
Pump Water for Fire
Protection
No Householders Reported Com
pletely Destitute Yet, Mayor
Says

With no relief in sight for a coal
situation which is steadily drifting
from bad to worse, Bluffton, was
keeping an anxious eye on its
dwindling fuel supply, Wednesday,
as falling temperatures threatened a
return of the coal wave which
blanketed this section with near zero
temperatures over the week end.
Highlighting the most serious
aspects of the local coal shortage is
an impending crisis at Buttons
municipal electric light and power
plant which has little more than a
two weeks supply of fuel on hand.
There was talk Tuesday of drastic
curtailment of electric service here
unless there is an early break in the
national strike situation.
However, no official action was
taken by the board of public affairs
late Tuesday night and plant at
taches said curtailment in service,
which soon may be found necessary,
would await meeting of the board.
May Cut Industrial Operations
In commenting on the seriousness
of the emergency facing the plant, a
spokesman said Tuesday that action
to conserve the dwingling supply of
coal may force cutbacks in the
amount of electrical current provided
for industrial operations before the
end of this week.
Brownout of Bluffton's street
lights, considered a week ago, was
dropped when it was found that
savings of coal effected thereby
would be inconsequential.
1t is recognized as vitally neces-
sary that sufficient supply of coal
be kept on hand to operate the
towns water system, particularly as
protection against fire. Also the
supplying of current to household
ers for lighting, cooking and operat-
ing heating systems, such as stokers
and blowers is held to be absolutely
necessary.
No Home Crisis
While an emergency of serious
proportions appears to be in the
making at the municipal electric
light and water plant, Bluffton home
owners apparently still have some
coal in their bins.
Mayor w. A. Howe said he had
received no calls from any family
completely out of coal. Meanwhile
dealers were scraping their bins bare
to supply on ration basis, coal to
those families which appear to be
most in need.
The mayor indicated the possibility
of meeting with local coal dealers
to cooperate in setting up a central
agency thru which all requests for
coal could be cleared to insure as far
as possible an equitable distribution
of the available supply.
Such coal as has been received
consists of a trickle coming in by
trucks from non-union Ohio and
West Virginia mines.
School Supply o. X.
Bluffton public schools have
enough coal for the next month, and
Bluffton colleges practically exhaust
ed supply is expected to be replen-
ished within the next few days by
car of mine-run coal enroute to
the institution.
Altho there will be some difficulty
in burning mine-run coal thru the
normal stoker operation at the coll
lege heating plant, receipt of the
car enroute will make it possible to
continue school operations for at
least two more weeks, it was an
nounced by Carl Lehman, college
business manager.
Central Ohio Light and Power Co.
reports a two-months stockpile of
coal on hand at its main generating
plant located here. So far, the
plant has not found it necessary to
resort to burning oil for power
generation, which it is equipped to
do in case of exhausted coal supplies
Page Dairy Co., the other prin-
cipal industrial coal user, also re.
ported its fuel supply is in salts,
factory shape at present.