Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 305, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1916 — Big Car Plant Shuts Down at Hammond. [ARTICLE]

Big Car Plant Shuts Down at Hammond.

With no relief in sight and a shortage of coal, the largest car building plant in northern Indiana closed down Friday. The Calumet region is at the mercy of below zero weather, and threatened water famine and idleness, which have already thrown a blight on the Christmas 0f’1916. The Standard Steel Car Company’s plant at Hammond Friday laid off its force of 2,500 men and closed down temporarily until sufficient coal can be secured to resume operation. Officials hope to reopen after Christmas. Unless the city of Hammond is able to get coal some place before noon today the fire in the boilers which furnish the power to pump water from nearby towns will expire, leaving the machinery idle and people in suffering. The city of Hammond has a conits coal supply for the pumping station and it is said there are several cars of coal lying in the yards which can not be delivered owing to an embargo placed by eastern roads going west of the-Illinois line. There are said to be great mountains of coal in various parts of the Calumet region which the railroads have stored for their uses and carloads are standing on the sidetracks, while Chicago dealers recomtign them again and again. The cities of Gary, East Chicago and Whiting are badly affected. The Standard Oil Company’s plant at Whiting has been compelled to shift many of its boilers over to burning crude oil.