Ice Famine Imminent

Chicago, July 4. --There is but one day's supply of ice in Chicago. An ice fatnine ia imminent, and is the inost serious immediate result of the tieup of the railroads, more serious even than the threatened famine in fruits, vegetables, butter, eggs and similar goods. Unless there is a letup tonight will find no ice for any purpose in this city. "We have 25 or 30 carloads of ice melting on the railroad tracks." said the manager for James P. Sniith & Company," "simply because the railroads cannot bring the cara into the city. Every business house that uses ice, as well as every home, is threatened with total deprivation by tonight. There has been no advance in price to Wie consumur, nor will there be; it is simply a question of getting the ice at all to deliver. "We have been in business here over 40 years, been through tire, stornis, bank failures and panics, but never experieuced such a time as this, affecting every man, woman and child in the city, the sick in hoapitala and in their homes." The situation as regards vegetables, fruits and other perishable provisions is not so serious, though if the tieup continúes long it will become so.