The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
Scionco s Fuel
Of the Future


now pressing for determination is that of
fuel.
AS civilization progresses the wants of
man multiply. The development of tastes
born of the new conditions engages the at
tention of every inventive mind in the
endeavor to supply new wants. The pres
ent century marks the advance of the ma
terial world with a rapidity unparalleled
in history. What were considered luxu-
ries are now deemed necessaries. The
man of to-day looks with wonderment
upon the life of his ancestry, unable to
understand how It was possible that con-
tentment had place in the mode of liv-
ing hundred years ago.
As the expression of each new taste
found its material complement, the belief
in the attainment of every desire has
grown stronger, until there are but few at
the present day who can be found to assert
that IN mans capabilities there is any
thing impossible.
The most marvellous developments have
occurred in the realm of physics, and
therefore in the department of industrial
and mechanical arts. An evidence of such
progress may be found in the record of
patents issued during the hundred years
last past by all nations. Over 1000 900 let
ters patent have been granted for lnven-
tions, of which the United States has
contributed six-tenths. Besides inven-
tions covered by patents it is a conserya-
tive estimate to place the non-patented
devices as exceeding the patented ones
threefold.
The production of these innumerable
mechanical appliances requires what is
known as power" and power, except in
a few instances, is dependent upon an ex-
penditure of fuel.
The cultivation of civilized mans tastes
has led to an interchange of products, re-
sulting in commerce, requiring further
expenditure of power and consequent fur
ther expenditure of fuel.
With developed intelligence has come
the desire to personally know all that is
possible about other localities, and
so travel has developed. But the old
methods Of the ox-cart have been sup
planted by the modern ways The modern
man is unsatisfied with all but the best
conveniences of travel. The railroad train
and the steamship are alike moving pal
aces, in which are found all the luxuries
of the age applicable to the enjoyment of
life, waking or sleeping.
To remove these huge aggregations of
mechanical comforts from place to place,
whether upon land or water, demands an
enormous expenditure of power and its
generator, fuel
The ocean steamer requires an average
of two pounds of coal for each horse
power. 1t must be seen that the immense
battle-ships, employing from $4,000 to 50,-
600 horsepower, are therefore practically
limited in their effectiveness by reason of
the enormous load of fuel they are COM
PEELED to carry. No war vessel can re-
main out of port for any great length of
time because of her inability to carry the
fuel requisite for lengthy cruise. In the
peaceful pursuit of commerce the freight
capacity of the steam vessel is largely alb
sorbed by the weight of necessary fuel,
while in the case of the. railroad using
steam power like difficulty exists.
A very great area of our country is COM
posed of treeless plains, and its settlement
has been and is to-day retarded by the
difficulty in procuring requisite fuel.
Moreover, forests are diminishing. True,
coal is yet to be had in abundance, but in
very many instances has to be transported
long distances from the mine to the place
of its application.
Electricity as a motive power will never
occupy its legitimate place until it is re-
lieved from its dependence on fuel. Nat
ural water-power is capable of producing
cheap electrical energy, but the localities
where available water-power exists are ex-
ceedingly few.
Meantime the population of the earth is
increasing with increasing ratio and the
expansion of mans exactions keeps pace
with the rapid growth. The output of
coal has risen in fifty years from 5000, 900
tons in 1S45 to 1876, ,442, 451 tons in 1895.
From this brief glance at existing condi-
tions we may we'll conclude that there is
no question Of greater importance than is
that of fuel.
In the olden times the alchemist held
prominent place in the opinion of the
people. He was supposed to be the pos
SCISSOR of occult knowledge and able to put
in practice hidden laws of nature to attain
the accomplishment of his peculiar ends.
While his reputed ability TO transform the
baser metals into gold had tendency to
throw into the shade whatever he accom-
plished In the humber operations of his
guild, yet even in his time the true value
of his profession did not fail of recognition
among those of his fellow-men whose
common-sense rose superior to their
superstition. To-day the chemist is
the conceded master spirit generally
able to shape the key to most of
the complicated locks under which are
kept the treasures of material physics.
The development from the alchemist to
the chemist has been gradual but i'm
rnense. The one is no longer the appealer
to spells and incantations, and while the
chemist does not literally transmute the
copper and lead into the more precious
metal, yet he does, by his better knowl-
edge of natural processes, convert to gold,
and what is far more valuable-the i'm
provement of human living--nearly all OF
the grosser elements.
Chemistry tells US that fuel is material
of com bustion. We burn fuel to produce
heat, sometimes applying the heat to uses
OF domestic nature, as in our cooking and
heating stoves, and sometimes to other