Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1860-04-12
The Power Of Coal.

The Power OF Coal.
At the present moment (says the Scientific American
the island of Great Britain is the richest in the world
People from almost every quarter Of the habitabe gob
to London to raise the means necessary to bu
railroads construct ships sink Mines and carry out 9th
engineering projects where vast OUTLAWS of money
required This is strange spectacle, truly and how
can we account for it The island is insignificant il
its extent; the population is small in comparison will
other countries, and the climate is well known to be
PRECIOUS. It's increased riches not owing to the
number OF its Inhabitants its extent of territory the
richness oil its soil, the serenity of its climate the
source OF It's great wealth lies beneath its SUFFICE the
deep and dark coal mDe where the Author of Creation
has stored up the accumulated vegetation of bygone
ages for the development and of this age of
iron and manufactures The skies of Italy and France
are sunny and bright, and the purple vine covers the
slopes of Burgundy and Piedmont while the skies Of
England are murky, and the sunlight, even in fowery
Devonshre is too cold for the grape to Weld its fruit
age Yet, with all these disadvantages the part OF
England, Italy is poorer and France less wealthy for
with the products OF her mines and minerals other
tries have become her tributaries.
From an article in the last number of the Ednburg
Review, on Prot Rogers Essays the coal formations
OF North America and Great Britain we obtain more
exalted view OF the power of coal than we ever enter
tanned before We derive from coal artificial light
and heat it is the latent force which gives life to the
steam engine and it is the concentrated energy which
propels our countless forms of mechanism 1t is SUBJ
Jtet OF intense wonder that pershabe vegetable forma
IONS which tourshed long before appeared the
globe, would have been covered up for centuries be-
meath the rocks and rendered subservient to the
latest applications of human skill, for increasing the
productive powers OF man to extent which almost
battles the mind to calculate. The mechanical power OF
England represented by 100000 tons of coal devoted
Strong per annum Is it any wonder fha h sadA4 Of
stupendous power should have given England the
terry in commerce and manufactures? The possession
of coal mines momenous in its consequences and the
0f for all 10 less
than 68,000,000 TONS
In the middle ages, France and Germany supplied
England with all kinds of manufactures but the tide of
commerce Is changed and all owing to the natural
possession OF great coal mines OF which there less
than 5000 in the island A commission OF French man
utacturers who visited Manchester three years. made
report their return and declared that although Eng
sh operatives paid higher wages, yet, owing to
cheap fuel and machinery they could produce cotton
goods at about half the price of the French Such
is the power of coal.
We may take it for settled fact that the country
which possesses the greatest deposits OF coal contains
the greatest resources OF mechanical and industrial
power Were the coal fields of England to being
productive in 1860, the wealth aud power of Great
Britain, which are developed in her steamships and
countless manufactures would be annhilated aud the
kingdom would sink TO dimnutive power in a few
years. The coal fields of the world distributed as
follows United States, 10000 square miles of area
British North American provinces 1880 Great Brit
ain, $500 France 984 Prussia, $50 Belgium, $40
Bohemia, 400; SPAIN POO; Russia, 100. The extent
Of the Pacific and Asatic coal fields is unknown From
these geological coal statistics it is not difficult pre-
dict what country is destined to be the future mistress
OF the world in wealth and power. Owing to the vast
amount OF coal raised in England annually many of the
mines will be worked out in 800 years and the pre-
sent rate they will all be exhausted in about 900 years
Long before that date the " Court of ST. james - |
may be transferred to Nova Scotia or New Brunswick,
where the coal fields rich and extensive; but wheth
er such result takes place not the future su
perlatve greatness of the United States is just
tain as that the Shines On the other hand, it is
equally evident that Russia never become great
Power; she may have the muscle, but she can
have the steam to become industrial giant. Accord
ing to the operations of natural laws wealth must
increase with the development of coal power OF
which we have natural treasury thrty-our times
extensive than that of England. 1t is only question
OF tlme for the United States to become the great mis-
tress OF the world, and her onal will be wealth OF
black diamonds.