The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-27
ARTIFICIAL. HEAT.
An Interesting Lecture on the Production
and Supply Of Fuel.


An Interesting Lecture on the Production
and Supply Of Fuel.
Prof. j. II. Mallet, of the University
of Virginia, recently delivered a series OF
lectures at the Johns Hopkins Univer.
sity, Baltimore, the subject Of one 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 of fuel, burning and CIV
ing off heat with and without flame.
In China, the country being sparsely
wooded, the ingenuity and economy
shown in other branches of art was ap.
piled to the manufacture of charcoal,
pits lined with bricks were usedr and
the resulting tar carried off by pipes to
be used itself for fuel. The charcoal
dust was saved and made into cakes OF
loaves and sold in the bazars. This
utilizing of the dust was long afterwards
introduced. into Europe, aud at the pres.
ent day is largely practiced in France
Coal was in use among the Chinese from
an extremely early age; in 1850 Marco
Polo observed its: use, and wrote an ac-
count of its source and burning.
In the ninth century, hard and btu
minous coal commenced to be used in
England. In the twelfth century, the
Belgian coal fields were first worked
During The thirteenth century, it was
taking its place as an article OF trade.
out there was great prejudice against it
on account of the smoke and sulphur
fumes generated. During the reigns Of
Edward I and Queen Elizabeth, peti'
tons were sent To Parliament asking thai
its use be restricted, and it was not until
the seventeenth century that the opposi'
Eticn was overcome. About this time
Shakespeare, in Henery V, refers to ses
coal fire. In the beginning of the sev'
enteenth century, two ships plying be-
tween Newcastel and London were sufi
cient to supply the latter with all the
coal required. In 1920, English Goa
was introduced into Paris.
At the close of the eighteenth century
coal was not only used to generate heat
but its consumption was very largely in
creased for the production of steam
energy, agricultural and other mechani
cal powers, light and electricity. In 184t
attempts were made for the first time OF
anindustrial scale to utilize the gas from
blast furnaces, and in 1S45 pottery
bricks and lime were successfully burn
with it. In 1871 the natural gas in thu
Kanawha valley of West Virginia w,ll
scientifically applied and used for tht
production Of the salt of that region. II
the thirteenth century the Chinese wer'
using hydro.carbon gas, which they OBJ
tanned by sinking wells in the earth
and conducted it to the mandatory j
bamboo pipes for the production of sal
by the evaporation of salt water. In l8e'
in Pennsylvania and Ohio this natura
gas was used for the pudding Of iron
Volumes of it, difficult to credit wer'
There not such abundant proof, CAM
from the bowels of the earth.
|. Although, Ietroleum has been, knowl
from time ipamemorial, and has beel
4 CUllcCtSu IL COuSlucIuulc lUduhsioo A
various parts of the world for ages, j
Twas not until American enterprise il
ttS59 successfully bored an artesian wei
lin Pennsylvania for the express purpos'
of procuring oil that this article became
important in commerce. Since this i
has been produced in quantities in Ohio
Canada, Javaand Russia. Attempts hav,
been made to use it as fuel, but on &C
count of its imperfect burning the ex
pertinent has not proved fully successful
In 1864, the government appointed
committee to examine into the expedi
ency of using it az fuel on ships of war
the heevs coating Of armor on iron'clad
reducins the vessels capacity for the car
riage Of coal. The oil could be carried
in tanks, no space lost, as in the inter
stices between the Jumps of coal, and th'
readiness with which the burning. of new
fuel could be- increased, lessened %
stopped, would be great advantages Owe
the present system in which fires have Il
Ebe maintained though not needed.