Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-12-07
The COMING FuE,
What Mankind May Utilize when -
XII Gone

| 80 Se''1c Nnen Cnat I
| All Gone.
a scientific writer says that II
greatest problem before the sciar.'a
world to-day is how, by the comb
ton of fuel, directly to produce ;,
electric current.
But perhaps the more imnow.
I problem is, where is the fuel to Cow
! from that is to do this and a tbopsa1
other things that the progress of cir
llization will require? At present u
world is almost entirely dependent ~
ON coal and its products for the DOW
with which to make its huge machino
effective. The supply of coal in IL !
bowels of the earth is great. but "a /
| the worlds consumption of il enoa
nous. Even at the present raLe of cor
sumption, it is easy to calculate an
, proXimately the time in the not Won
distant future when the supply which
nature so beautifully provided will ii
exhausted. And as civilization al
vances, and more and more of I'D
world 5 work is done by gigantic Goa
fed machines, he rate of consumpto,I
! will be increased.
Electricity is sometimes spoken "A
! thoughtlossly IT'S possible substitml
for coal. but electricity, us it is used
for practical purposes to-day, is mere.
ly the power Of coal changed into an.
other form. Without the consumptml
of large quantities of coal. eectlicitvI
would not he available for lighting or|
for any heavy mechanical work. Nat.
ural gas and petroleum are natural
products o. coal, and when the roal
supply is exhausted, it is probable tba,|
these will be no more. And all tbA|
forests Of this world could hardly s1nl
ply civilization with fuel for wear al
the present rate of use.
The maintenance of civilization ia |
therefore, dependent upon the supply
of coal. When that is exhausted the
mighty industrial structure that hs,
been reared since the invention OF the
steam engine, must fall into ruin I'M
less some substitute for coal can be
discovered or produced without las II
the case Of electricity itself depend
ing en- the consumption of coal fo
existence.
1t behoovcs the scientific world
therefore, to bestow some thought
even now upon this problem: What
shall we do when the coal is all gone9|
In answering the question for the|
future, it may stumble upon better
and cheaper fuel than coal or isl
products for the use of the present Oh
perhaps of the twentieth century.
Possibly the world may IN the future
derive its mechanical power more di !
rectly from the suns rays than it doe
now through the medium of the coal
fields. The inventor, Ericsson, has al
ready achieved wonderful results with
his sun engines, which utilize the d.
rect rays of the solar orb. He is cred |
tied with the statement that There il
enough sunlight going to waste on
Manhattn Island to run all the ma
chinery in the world"
Some have supposed that water i
the coming fuel of the world Not
water in its liquid form. but water re-
solved into its elements. Of the two
gases of which it is composed, hy-|
drogen is highly inflammable and
burns with intense heat, while oxygen
is the principle which supports al
combustion. Every amateur in chemis-
try knows that when properly brought
together these two gases produce thel
hottest flame known, while the pr0d-|
uct OF their combustion-the ashes, al
it were-is water, the two gases conf
bined again. If any man of science
can discover an Inexpensive way to|
separate water into its elements bel
will revolutionize the industry of the
world and forever destroy the posi-
bility of fuel famine.
Besides, there is the Keely motor.
In the meantime let us keep a shaqI
eye on our coal fields, and not let then
get too firmly into the clutches OF th'
trusts. H-Boston Globe.
4