Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-01-09
EARTH'S FUEL SUPPLY.
1t Is Estimated by IA Scientist to Ee About
Six TrilliOn Tons.

Six Trillion Tons.
Time was when the carbon and hydro
| gen which form practically the whole of
our supply of fuel and the principal part
| of our food were inorganic-no more
| capable of sustaining combustion or ami
NAL life Gf we except certain microscope
ic form which decompose carbonic acid
| than granite or slate. For vegetable life,
| however, the supply of food was at its
maximum. Vegetable life came, gener-
ated in some unknown way by the solar
| energy which poured through the atmos-
phere and the heat energy which pene-
| trated the earth's crust from within.
| Through the unimaginable ages of the
| carboniferous period a gigantic flora fed
on the rich atmosphere, asSimilating its
carbon and hydrogen. and thereby set
ting free its oxygen, until it could sus-
| tain its animal life, at first in the
| lowest. then successfully in the higher,
forms. This gigantic flora, with its
| enormous potential energy of the chem
| zeal separation from the Oxygen-an
energy derived chiefly from the solar
energy of that period, easily admitted
| and tenaciously retained by the atmos-
| phere is now stored up in the earth as
| fuel for the future generations of our
| race. Future, | say, for tremendous
as the annual consumption of coal,
petroleum and natural gas for a
generation has been, we have as
yet only begun upon the great store.
Hitherto Mother Earth has been able to
supply her children's needs by eXpend-
ing only her current income. In this
Lott Il hni, 4 hoy
multiplied so rapidly that she has been
obliged to draw upon the capital stored
up during the long ages of her maiden
hood. How long will that capital last
at the terrible rate at which we have
begun to squander it? Is her childrcn's
prodigality actually making her poorer?
or has she power to nullify the effects
of their extravaganza? and are her di-
minishing resources due only to the de-
creasing energy of her natural support
cr and protector. the sun? However
prodiga1 man may be in his use of
earth,S treasures, he can never ami
hilate one atom of her substance or
transport it beyond her domain. In his
''WaSteful consumption of fuel, he is
only restoring its elements to their
primeval condition as constituents
chiefly of the aerial and aqueous oceans
which surround our globe? 1t follows
then, that the more rapid the cOmbuS-
ton. the richer becomes the atmosphere
in its power to sustain and force veTcta-
bic growth If it were possible for that
period, so often predicted, to arrive,
when the G,OOO. 900. 900. 900 tons, more
or less. of fossil fuels now stored
up in the earth's coal-bins, shall
have been consumed, the atmos
phere will simply have returned to
its primeval condition. that which pre-
coded the carboniferous period. The
only essential difference. therefore.
which will mark the two remote geo
logic periods, the past and future, Will
be due to whatever reduction will have
taken place in the suns energy. But
whether that condition is destined ever
to return to earth or not. one thing is
certain: 1t will not be through human
instrumentality. Ages before its arri
val the percentage of carbonic acid in
the atmosphere will have passed the
point possible to the continuance
of human life. If not through hu
man agency, then how is it to
come? Certainly not by any of the
processes now in operation. The per-
centage of carbonic acid in the atmos-
phere does not materially vary. This
fact means simply that somewhere on
the earth'S surface vegetation is taking
up the enormous surplus of carbonic
acid constantly pouring fourth from our
millions of furnaces. and thus restoring
it to the form of available fuel. The
weight that is constantly sinking is
thus being constantly relifted by
the daily conversions of solar to
vital energy. Only some stipend
Gus CONFUSION of nature. like
those dreamed by John of Patmos
and Lord Byron. in which 1.-The ele-
ment shall melt in fervent heat" can
undo the work of the carbOnifcrouS ages
some tremendous upheaval in which
the subterranean stores of fuel shall at
once be laid bare and given over to the
devouring oxygen. Then would q new
cycle begin, another carbQniferous era,
in which the Store-houSes would be
again slowly filled for future genera
lions of men. Again and again might
the cycle return. and until the diminish
ing energy of the sun should fail to up
lift the fallen weight to reorganize the
inorganic.-N North American Review.