The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-26

and chalk Most Of these, as you know, are
difficult to manipulate and devoid OF tensile
strength. they possess no properties that
render them useful in large masses alone,
like the metals, which are all good conduct
crs ana which all contain more or less OF the
latent electric principle. On the other
hand, the most valuable physical agents
are the chief conductors Of electricity. They
are the substances, which, taken singly,
/ perform the most valuable services for men.
/ They include all metals, well-burned char
. coal, plumbago, concentrated acids, dilute
6clds. salty solutions, spring water, rain
water, snow, living vegetables, fax, hemp,
living animals, flame, moist earth and
stones. l named these things as nearly as
/ l could remember them IN their order as
/ conductors that you might note the degrees
OF their usefulness to man, which you see
are most accurately measured by their
/ values as conductors. Take the lstent cleo
/ tricIty cut OF these things and their most
/ valuable properties disappear or are seen TO
! be greatly impaired.
"On the other hand, copper which stauds
at the very head of the list Of conductors, Is
/ one OF the most useful, not to say valuable,
OF metals, possesses ductihty and malleabil.
ity IN the greatest degree, and will be one of
the last substances TO yield to the s,ructural
ana organic stupefaCtion that will follow
the dispersion Of the electrical fluid into
scace-out Of human reach. And while the
employment Of electricity as a motive agent
NAV postpone the exhaustion of the fuel
stores OF the earth those stores will be val
ueless II the metals which are now the
Allnlghty's storage batteries lose, as they
Will when they lose their electricity, their
most valuable properties. A locomotive
constructed of such metal would be about
as useful as locomotive made Of glass.
HOW THE END MAY COME.
''But is will not stop with Inconvenience.
Lite on the earth will then be in the highest
degree imperiled by the free electricity In
the atmosphere. And, although the space
surrounding the earth is so great that the
liberated electric fluid will be diluted to an
Uncomfortable degree, yet | believe that
electricity will retain such a strong affinity
for its old guardian, the earth, which it can
reach but with whose elements 1t can never
again become incorporated, that animal life
will be less secure here than anywhere else
In space. Nay, am not at all sure that the
more combustible materials OF which the
earth is composed may not ignite, and their
ignition cause the destruction Of the entire
universe. The electric storm on Sinai, men,
toned in Exodus, conveys q hint OF the
possible situation at that juncture. Nothing
seems more probable TO me than that cleo
trioity should be the means of destroying
the world. And when once the internal
fires of the earth are liberated by destruc-
ton or matter, beginning at the surface,
the job will be short one. The earth's
internal fires will hasten the elimination of
the final catastrophe. But whether cleo
trio storms shall attain this degree of
violence or not, the mere impoverlshment
OF mundane matter TO the extent of its
whole treasure Of electricity will be- disaster
enough"
But why may not some other agent.
equally as valuable to mankind as cleo
tricity, be created by the release Of the
huidl'
THAT question reminds me Of the chem
zeal theory that there is no suoh thing as de-
structiOn, bus only metamorphosis, in the
material universe. And, begging the par
don of the chemist, it is a very deceptive
theory. Scientifically it may be true-but
for mans purposes the veriest rot. Com
bustion, OKidization and decomposition all
place the substances which they attack
beyond the power to serve man.
kind. OF what value TO us, as
compared with the original substance,
are the ashes Of ton of coal or the gases
released into the atmosphere in its oombus-
ton! or what comparative va ue the dust
OF decomposed animal body which has not
contributed to the sustenRnce of some living
creature. or, having so contributed, of what
comparative value is the exorementitious
residuea or what comparative value to
man is the rust of a piece of iron, or the
dust of stone that has crumbled to decayf
No, the Almighty is not rene wing this
Keeling ball to prolong the life OF this race
and even il electricity should leave a
worthy heir-sn idea that is repug-
nant to sense and science it would be pow
erless by itself TO meet mans needs. No,
you may be assured that electricity is going
the way of all the earth, and when we have
used 1t up we are not to get any more. This
is the law Of the universe. II this earth is
TO be used again after those parts which we
know how to utilize are consumed, it will
first be renovated and renewed by the
Almighty hand. For. TO be candid, think
its present chief tenant is a very destructive
and slovenly creature indeed, and one
whom the Great will be very glad to see
quit the premisesn