Smyrna times., 1894-05-09
Highest OF all in Lcavenng Powcr-Late u S Govt Report
e BssiRs Bs,S5ss7
ABSOLUTELY PURE
Fairy Tales of Science.

Chemistry, according to NJ. Berthelot
will in a century or two gradually
bring in the industrial, social and
political Millennium which hasty theo-
rlsts want to establish now at one stroke
in spite of natural obstacles. The utiIi-
Zation of the internal heat of the earth.
says NJ. BerthelOt, is the first step of
transformation; the second will be the
artificial production of food substances
from their elements-carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen and nitrogen. Heat sufficient
to do the worlds work for thousands
OF years can be obtained BY sinking
shafts to depth of from 4 900 to 5000
yards. Modern engineering is equal.
he thinks, to the task of boring that
far. Steam thus generated will cost
little or nothing after the first expense
OF installation of the plant, and will be
an unlimited source of power Flee
trical aud chemical energy viii be Sc.
cured in abundance. All the machin-
cry the world can want can be kent go-
ing at minimum of cost.
The artificial production of nulri-
tiOus substances On i large scale will
be one consequence of this cheap heat.
In principle the problem was long ago
solved. The synthesis Of greases and
oils is a familiar fact. The combination
Of carbon with hydrogen and oxXg,
for the formation of such substances Is
starch and sugar is the task chemistry
| Is now intent upon. Success is in pross.
! pect. When food can be made hv com
! bning carbOni9 acid with hydrogen o.
| water, it Will not be long before We
shall have u solution Of ihe problem O,
adding nitrogen to this compound
Bread and meat, or their equivalent
viii be the product Of the laboratory
The work vegetables have so far done
in organizing matter into luodstud.
will be done better hy the chemist
who will produce without regard 70
the seasons and without interference
from microbes or insects Wi.h goo,
supply of coal and water and the nitro
gen OF the air to draw upon ad iibitum
the chemist viii be the independent
self-supporting citizen the farmer for
merly thought himselfto be.
The farmer, indeed, will under VI
Berthelot's regime. he able to take
holiday. His occupation Will be gone
since he will be unable to compete wit
the factories that turn out in any de
sired quantity the products now OF
tanned with 50 much toll from the field
forest and sea. There will he no pa,
sion to own land as an instrument c
production; it will be converted int
parks and pleasure gardens to gratif
: the esthetio eye. Beasts will not b
bred for slaughter, Man will becom
. mllder and less selfish. His moral nj
, ture, studied by ages of competition
= will take on new development TIL
: economic man will give place to th
altruistic man, who finds keen deligl
in the success of his neighbcr KegiOl
of the earth now uniuhabited-bar
I but healthful SUBMITS of mountain
2 and desert Wastes-will be preferre
t for purposes Of residence to fertile bl
r malarious valleys and praries. Ii
I will not be tied to destructive localiti
}. by the necessity of trying to exi
= where the food can be grown. Peat
$ and plenty will reign and the humf
b race will hold in the highest honor Il
e chemist who can convert a scuttle
e coal into the most toOthsome dish. III
imagination revels in contemplation
the benefits chemistry has in reser
for US, or for our descendants of Ii
e sixth or eighth generation. But eve
" rose has its thorn. It is to be fear,
IF that our coal kings would in the nc
d era tighten their monopoly and a
t vance the price of coal Oh the patie
:. public. Their power is very great no
t, but there is no telling what tariff ra
r they would put on coal Il it were t
/ basis of on: food supply. .--BaltimC
r SIM