The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-10-06

what Mnsfnd May Utilize when Coal Ts
All Gone.

All Gone.
u a scientific writer says that the
greatest problem before tho scientific
world to-day Is how, by the combus-
tion OF fuel, directly to produce tho
electric current
But perhaps tho more important
prOblom Is. whore Il the fuel 10 como
! from that Is 20 do this and "A thousand
other things that the progress OF CIV
| ilization will rcquireP At present the
world Is almost entirely dependent up
on coal and It's products for the power
with which % make its huge machines
effective. The supply Of coal in tho
bowels Of the earth Is great, but so Is
the worlds consumption Of IL enor'
nous Even at the present rate OF c0n-
sumption, it il easy 20 calculate APP
prOximatcly the time in the not very
distant future when the supply which
nature 50 bountifully provided VIII be
exhausted. And as civilization ad-
vanccs, and more and more OF the
worlds work Is done by gigantic coal
fed machines, tho rate Of consumption
Will be increased.
Electricity Is sometimes spoken OF
thOughtlcssly as IL possible substitute
for coal, but electricity, as IL Is used
for practical purposes to-day, Is mere
ly the power Of conl changed into am
other form. Without the consumption
Of large quantities Of coal, electricity
would not be available for lighting or
for any heavy mechanical work. Nat
urnl gas and petroleum arc natural
products Of coal, and when tho coal
supply is exhausted, it Is probable that
these will be no more. And all the
forests Of this world could hardly sup
ply civilization with fuel for year. ut
tho present rate Of use.
The maintenance Of civilization is,
therefore, dependent upon the supply
Of coal. When that Is exhausted tho
mighty Industrial structure that has
boon reared since the invention OF tho
steam engine, must fall into ruin un-
loss some substitute for coal can DO
discovered or produced without (ns In
the case Of electricity itself depend
ing on the consumption Of coal for
existence
IL bchooycs tho scientific world,
therefore, 10 bcstow somo thought
even now upon this problem: What
shall we do when the coal Is all gomez
In answering tho question for tho
future, il may stumble upon better
und cheaper fuel than coal or its
products for the use Of tho present or
perhaps OF the twentieth century.
Possibly the world mny IN the future
derive It's mechanical pOwor more di-
roctly from the suns rays than it does
now through the medium Of the coal
folds. Tho inventor, Ericsson, has nj
rcndy achieved wonderful results with
his sun engines, which utilize the d.
rect rays of the solar orb. lie is crcd-
tied with the statement that "thcro Is
enough sunlight going to waste on
Mnnhattn Island to run nil the ma
chincry in the world"
Some have supposed that water Ia
the coming fuel of the world. Not
wutcr i'm It's liquid form, but wator re-
solved into its elements. OF the two
gascs of which it is composed, hy-
drogcn is highly inllammablc and
burns with intense heat, while oxygen
Is the principle which supports all
combustion. Every amateur in chcmis-
try knows that whom properly brought
together these two gases produce the
hottest lamc known, whilo the prod
uct of their cOmbustiOu-th the ashes, Hs
IL wcrc-is water, the two gases com
bincd again. II any man of science
can discover IN inexpensive way TO
separate water into It's clements he
will rcvolu,ion2c the industry of tho
world and forever destroy the possi-
bility of fuel famine.
Besides, there is the kocly motor.
In the meantime let ms keep II sharp
eyo on our coal fields, and not let them
get too firmly into the clutches OF the
.'trusts. "-BOStOH GiO6c.