Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-10-07
TERRESTRIAL HEAT.
N ENGLISH SCIENTIST TELLS HOW
1T MAY BE UTILIZED.

Che Earth Likely to Go the FIieid Way of
the Moon-Boring for Hot Water-Heat
| Constantly on Tap in Every Household
| Great scheme Suggested
| Geoloeists AMI astronomers inform us that
Iris earth upon which we live, move. and
ave being is il transition state. A few
million wears ago, more or less, it was all
sElow," as some Of the heavenly bodies are
presumed to be at present After a time it
began to cool down till the temperature al
lowed salamandels and similar creatures to
1xist OF its surface Finally the fires got so
low 10th in situation and degree Of intensity
hat ordinary animals, including man, could
live very comfortably upon it. Recently
they began to feel uncomfortable on account
If lack Of sufficient heat According 90 the
| theory of these very wise men, the future is
| not very promising in respect to temperature
| They state that the earth, which was once As
warm as the sun, will Eventually, if not
| sooner become as cold as the moon, which is
| declared to be played-out planet, destitute
Of heat and probably without water or even
air. Some state that it is simply compact
| mass of ashes good for nothing except to re
| feet the light Of the sun.
| This earth is gradually cooling down. 1t
| Is pretty cool in some pisces now, especially
| On the tops of high mountains and in the re-
| gions visited by Arctic explorers Tie in
terror, however, the scientists state is still
| molten mass capable of stfording sufficient
heat to all the creatures that live on the sur-
| face of it. They live on q burned crust Of
| variable thickness. In some places, as in the
| vicinity of volcanoes, it is quite thin, and
people derive considerable benefit fir n the
fires that rage beneath them. In other places,
however the crust is so thick that the people
snffrr from the cold This crust is constantly
| becoming thicker, and in process Of time,
it is believed, VIII become permanently
| frozen.
A scientific sharp in England, who has
practical turn of mind, asks: why not
utilize the great amount of terrestrial heat
that is beneath our feet for the purpose of
warming our dwellings, cooking our food,
and running our engines" He states that
| the Americans have obtained oil by sinking
| deep wells into the reservoirs that contain it,
| They have also obtained gas b. the same
means. In portions of the world where the
crust is quite thin there are hot springs In
some places the water of these springs is at a
| boiling temperature. AT Pesth and Paris the
water is quite warm AT the former place
it is proposed to continue the borings till boil
ing water is reached This boiling water will
| be used to warm dwellings and green houses,
| for washing clothes and for various other
purposes, and the steam issuing from the
same well will I've employed for running
engines.
| In the opinion Of this men, boiling water
can he obtained by sinking wells TO the dis
| lance of about 10000 feet. If you want heat
that Will burn brick, roast beef. and melt
| iron, You must 20 deeper for it. That there
are stores of heat of any desired degree all
| ready TO be tapped, every geologist is ready
| 10 admit II i conceded that il will cost con-
| siderable 10 bore well several miles deep
| hut everyone can see that it would be very
| profitable when completed The cost of fuel
| Is now very great, and many people suffer
| Tor the lack ~ something to burn. With a
| coustant supply Of hot water in every house
| the expense Of living would be greatly reduced
| This distribution Of hot water would put an
end to most Of our present labor troubles, as
| there would I've no mora work for coal miners,
coke-burners, or stevsmakers Forests would
soon re-est1bhsh themselves all over the
| country, and our coal Merchants could re nv
on the fortunes they have amasse7l
| i is recommended that every great city In
the world undertake The boring of one or
more wells for the purpose Of supplying boil
| ing water. In this city the revenue derived
| from the sale Of fire water" might he used
| for the purpose Of sinking wells for obtaining
boiling water. our municipal authorities may
| frown on the scheme as fancIful, and declare
that there Is no money in IL" hut they may
| rest assured that there Is millions i'll it,
| Chicago Tribune.