The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-27
AEr1K1crAL HEAT.
An EnteFegting Lecture on the Production
and supply OF Fuel.

Prof j. II. Mallet, of the University
of Virgin;a, recently delivered series OF
lectures at the Johns Hopkins Uniyer-
eity, Baltimore, the subject of or of
them being the Artificial Production of
Heat" The fuel of the primitive races
Of men, he said, was natural wood,
and the observance of the charred brands
and fragments left suggested TO them the
use of charcoal. The two are types Of
the two classes c. fuel, burning and Civ
| ing off heat with and without flame.
In China, the country being sDarsely
wooded, the ingenuity and economy
shown in other branches of art was ap-
piled to tae manufacture Of charcoal,
pits lined with bricks were used, and
the resulting tas carried Of by pipes 70
be used itself for fuel. The charcoal
loayee and sold 10 the bazars. This
utilizing of the dust was long afterwards
introduced into Europe, and at The pres.
ent day ID largely practiced in France.
Coal was in use among the Chinese from
an extremely early age in 1860 Marco
Polo observed its ase, and wrote an &C.
count of ita source end burning.
In tho ninth century, hard and btu
minous coal commenced TO be used in
England. In the twelfth century, the
Belgian coal fields were frat worked.
During the thirteenth century, it was
taking its place as an article of trade,
but there was great prejudice against it
on account of the smoke and sulphur
fumes generated. During the reigns Of
Edward and Queen Elizabeth, petit
tions we're cent to Parliament asking that
its use be restricted, and it was not until
the seventeenth century that the opposi-
ton was overcome. About this time,
Shakespeare, in Henery v, refers to sea
coal fire. In the beginning of the sew
euteenth century, two ships plying be-
tween Newcastel and London were sufi.
cieat to supply the latter with all the
coal required. In 1920, English coal
was introduced into Paris.
AT the close Of the eighteenth century
coal was not only used to generate heat,
but It's consumption was very largely in
creased tfhr the production OF otesm,
energy, agricultural and other mechani.
col powers, light and electricity. In 1910
attempts were made for the first time on
an industrial scale 70 utilize the gas from
blast furnaces, and in 1886 pottery,
bricks and lime were successfully burnt
with it. In 1841 tho natural ges in the
Kanawha valley of West Virginia was
scientifically applied and used for the
production of tho salt of that region. In
the thirteenth century the Chinese were
using hydro carbon ges, which they OBJ.
tained by sinking wells in the earth,
and conducted it to the manufactory in
bamboo pipes for the production of salt
by the evaporation of salt water. In 1865
In Pennsylvania and Ohio this natural
gas was used for the pudding of iron.
Volumes OF it, difficult to credit were
There ncs suck a5tiiGant proof, came
from the bowels of the earth.
Although petroleum has been known
from time immemorial, and has been
collected in considerable quantities In
various parts Of the world for ages, II
was not until American enterprise In
4 1903 successfully bored an artesian well
AZ Pennsylyania for the express purpose
OF procuring oil that this article became
important in commerce. Since this il
has been produced in quantities il Ghio
Canada. java and Russia. Attempts have
been made TO use it as fuel, but on ac'
count of It's imperfect burning the ex.
pertinent has not proved fully successful
In 1864, the government appointed q
committee to examine into the expedi.
ency of using it as fuel on saips of war
the heavs coating of armot On ironacladl
reducse the vessels capacity for the cac.
riage cE coal. The oil could be carried
iE tanks, no space lost, as in the inter.
stices between the Jumps of coal, and the
readiness with which the eburning of new
1 fuel could be increased. lessRnea al
stopped, would be great advantages ovel
the present system in which fires have tc
be maintained though not needed.