The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-05-02

[From Our New York Correspondent
Mr.. J. j. Carly, who is regarded by cleo
trlcians rs Il man of expert authority, and
who is the mechanical chief of the greatest
telephone corporation III America. in speak
ing of the probable developments Of cleo
tricity in the Twentieth century. said:
They are almost inconceivable. We can
not tell what the next century may develop.
II progress is as swift as il has been since
Professor Bell demonstrated that the hui
man voice can be conveyed over a wire
charged with electricity, we are likely to
see early in the mex century some develop
meEts that will be simply revolutionary
Without suggesting any that may be re-
garded as merely the dream of a visionary
or as the fanciful flight of imagination, I
think perhaps l can indicate some that
may be reasonably expected from present
conditions.
In the first place, there is the use of cleo
tricity in domestic economy. | am inclined
to think that not many years hence it will
be found aervirg the household exactly as
gas, steam and coal now serve it. 1t will
be possible for the cook, for instance. by
simply turning on the electric current To
procure heat sufficient for all cooking pur-
poses. When the cooking is lone the cleo
trio current will be turned off, and there
will be no wastage. as is the case now in
the use of coal. Already there are electric
cooking ranges in existence, and | presume
these will be highly developed SO that they
will serve the most eXacting requirements
OF even a $4,000 chef.
Then, too, we may reasonably expect to
see, at least in the cities, electricity used
generally for heating purposes. That will
also be an economy. There will be no
wastage of coal. A single room may be
heated by turning on the current. or Il
whole house or great building if that be
the desire. 1t will also be used for light
ing, Think, very generally. Its convenience
and safety arenow demonstrated, and while
1t may not entirely supplant gas it is Ger
tainly bounl to be quite as widely used in
private families as gas is now.
But l think the most important develop
ment, SO far as domestic economy is con-
cerned, will be found in a change in the
manner of utilization of coal. In the larger
towns l presume that there will be no de-
livery of coal at the houses, as is now the
case. Coal will be taken to a central sta
ton and there converted into electric ener-
Ry, exactly as is the case now in the manu-
facture of gas. This central agency will
furnish the electric current for heating.
lighting and cooking purposes. The econ
omy will be very great. The wastage Of
coal is enormous, even in private houses,
and 1T is for the most part unavoidable,
and the general use of electricity for do
nestle purposes will be found to be an
economy.
1t is possible, although l do not want to
be quoted as saying that it is probable. that
during the next century the secret of the
extraction of the energy which is in coal
direct may be discovered. II that is done
it will simply ~reyolutionize civilization. 1t
will vastly cheaper not only the cost of
living, but the cost of all commercial enter
prises. A very great percentage of the en-
ergy stored up in coal is now wasted. 1t
goes forth through chimneys; it is lost in
heat which is not utilized. The warmth
which you feel when you go into a boiler
room or into a kitchen is simply dead waste.
1t has been estimated that if the energy
which is in coal could all be utilized one
ton would serve the purpose for which five
tons are now required. This might give us
possibly a solution of aerial navigation. 1t
certainly would vastly cheaper traffic, and
" is almost impossible to estimate the con
sequences to civilization which might fol
low this discovery. | do not want to give |
the impression that think the discovery |
viii be made in the next century, but | am
entirely willing to say that it is possible
that we may near nf it at any time.
Jae u.narkable discoveries of Nicola
Tesla ara 9oirg 20 play an important part,
| think. IN the commercial, development of
The ncxt century. Tesla has discovered
that an electric current generated in q Ger