FROM THE ARCHIVES: The winter of 1947 was one of the most severe in living memory with continuous snowfalls cutting off large areas of the country and increasing the mortality rate among the old. The resulting hardship was made worse by post-war shortages, including a shortage of coal for electricity generation, running trains and as fuel, as this report outlined. –
THE STOPPAGE of domestic, commercial and industrial electricity supplies, if reserves [of coal] are depleted, is forecast in a statement from the ESB.
CIÉ have only one week’s coal supply, and the closing down after next week of the entire railway system is expected unless coal supplies are replenished, it was stated reliably yesterday.
The ESB statement is as follows:
‘‘Electricity supply is at present being maintained mainly from reserves, which are being depleted rapidly. There has been no import of coal to the Pigeon House for the past fortnight. Water inflow to the Shannon basin has fallen rapidly in the past few weeks, and is now down to one-third of the normal for this time of year.
‘‘The policy of the board has been to endeavour to spread out the use of the reserves to maintain essential supply over the period of this weather and fuel crisis. The longer the crisis lasts the less there is to go round. If reserves are depleted, then wholesale shut-downs of domestic, commercial and industrial supply will follow.
‘‘Only rigid economy now can avert such a crisis. Consumers have saved much this week, but a much bigger effort must be made for the coming week so as to reduce the rate of depletion of reserves . . .
‘‘Electric fires consume much electricity and their use should be avoided under the present critical conditions . . .’’
Unless coal supplies reach this country within a week the entire CIÉ railway system will be suspended after next week, it was reliably stated yesterday.
The night and day mail to and from Cork will continue to run, it was stated by a CIÉ official. A number of passengers are allowed to travel on this train.
About 17 foundries, employing nearly 1,000 workers, will have to close down in a fortnight unless coke supplies can be obtained.
The Grand Canal Co., it was learned yesterday, is having increased demands made on its services for the carriage of almost every kind of goods.
The CIÉ road haulage service is also being taxed severely.
The turf position has again become very serious, with the heavy snowfalls of the past two days. It was estimated yesterday that only about a week’s supply now remained in Dublin.
Thousands of Dubliners have received no turf ration this month, so far, as many merchants are about three weeks behind in deliveries.
Turf was sold in Skibbereen yesterday at £2 10s for eight cwt.
Other fuel news yesterday was a request to the Minister for Defence for the setting-up of Army field kitchens in various areas in Dublin.
Councillors said that a complete plan of action had been worked out by the Army in case of emergency. This could now be put into effect.
They urged that field kitchens or improvised kitchens should be set up in places such as Crumlin, Drimnagh, Whitehall, Pembroke, Sandymount, Clontarf, Inchicore and Cabra, as well as in congested streets, such as Bride Street and Gardiner Street.
The suggestion would be made to the Minister for Industry and Commerce that reserve stocks of coal in military barracks should be made available.
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