Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-06-21


Needles for supplies, and found an issur.
of The Needles Point, which contained
an item of interest to me. 1t runs as
follows:
"One of the Mohave Indians came in
to-day from down the river and told
queer story-great fellows to yarn, thess
Indians, and really the effort in question
was worthy of Jules Verne He save
that a white man, big chief has been
burning up the hillsides so miles below
by drawing the fires out of the hot mud
volcanoes there. His story is that one
night few weeks ago he saw an old
man ride up to the hot springs and thrust
a wire down into the mud; then he per-
formed some incarnation or other and
the next minute there was mighty big
fire on the top of the rocks a mile away,
where there were neither grass nor trees;
nothing but black granite. The fire
burned there for hours, too. Suddenly
it disappeared, and wild thunder storm
began to sweep over the mesa. The next
day the Indian went down to the hot
mud volcano and found it cold as an ice
berg. The others around it were Just as
usual but the one that the old rooster
had been fooling with was played out.
In or days it began to warm up lit
tie, however, and the Indian trotted up
here to have council with the rest of
the tribe. 1t is better story than the
old rascal generally tells, and we gave
him 10 cents for whisky
If this sort of thing keeps up some re-
porter will be on my trail before long,
and | must be careful.
A good volcano would do to begin on
if | was sure it could be controlled. But
this is exactly what l am afraid of. My
frst experiments with mud volcanoes
l tried melted off the whole top of
mountain. | confess myself afraid of
what might happen if some bottomless
pit of volcano were harnessed to my
wires. Icould change the whole climate
of California, think, even at the present
stage of my knowledge, using every tele-
graphic station as a point of distribution.
But it is hot enough along the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin in summer now.
/ must have a wire of my own, so as to
begin on Alaska, and intimately melt
L
Popocatapetl, with gas meter put on,
and free distribution of its fires in suit
able doses over the Alaskan winters
that is what / should feel proud of.
Meanwhile, | have been arranging
plans in another direction. | found
gateway between hills in this Arizonian
desert, where especially hot winds blow
through. Here | have stretched let
work OF woven wires to carry heat to
hilltop and concentrate it there. So
much has accumulated that can keep
vast fire night and day, or can ring the
hilltop with destructive lightnings. In
other words, find that sufficient heat
can be taken from these desert winds to
produce wonderful results when rightly
used. The wind is like an ice current
for half mile after it leaves my wires.
| am now convinced that the Desert of
Sahara can be utilized as the great store
house of heat, light, and electricity for
Europe and the Desert of Cobb for Asia.
When the surplus heat is drawn off in
constant streams the desert will become
regular California for comfort. The
oppressive summer heat of New York
and Chicago can be sent off to Labrador.
For year l have been travelling over
the country making experiments. Yes
terday | found small volcano Just over
the Mexican boundary. | suppose it is
foolish, since my last experience warned
me to be careful about drawing the fires
out of volcanoes. They will be con-
quered. but | had best stick to my wires
in the desert. That is enough of tri-
umph. can have all the capital want
as soon as l bring men here to show them
that heat, light, and electricity can be
sent almost any distance at no appreci-
able cost. But still, how fascinating is
the idea of going straight to the well of
fre-muzzling Mauna Loa or Vesuvius,
as it were.
THREE DAYS LATER, ON THE TOP OF A
MOUNTAIN.
l am pinned fast with broken hip,
and bowlder crushing the life out of
me. When l fell, my automatic vibrator
rolled down the slope into the volcano
and the wire trailed partly after it. I
am liable to be burned to dust at any
minute Shall throw my journal down
the cliff. l advise any inventor who
tries this sort of performance to leave
volcanoes alone.
q \