The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-30

thracite coai located at any one place hith-
erto seologically explored on the globe.
When our forbears first recognized its
value in the early days of the century (for
at first they thought anthracite coal
worthless because it seemed too hard to
burn readily) they may well have thought
the supply ineXhaustible, for the area of
these beds covers almost 500 square miles
The best estimates calculate that the
amount Of coal in these beds a century
ago was about 1900 Co., 900 tons. Yet so
enormous have been the drafts upon it
that, 1t is believed, in twenty-five years
from now a full half of it will have been
mined and from that time on the quantity
that can be mined there annually must
steadily decline.
From that time on, in the words of the
report quoted, Anthracite viii cease To
be the controlling factor in the Industrial
NE OF the eastern part of the United
states ana the glory of the anthracite
trade will have departed" What this i'm
plies In the minds Of the engineers who
make this estimate will best be made
clear by another quotation. which de-
clares that the anthracite fields of Penn
sylvania have given birth and prosperity
to countless industries throughout the
country and created wealth beside which
the total value of the coal produced has
been as nothing. No other Industry in
this broad land, or in all time, has ever
created such magnificent results in the
material prosperity of a nation as has
the anthracite trade of Pennsylvania.
And this trade, be It understood, is threat
ened with senility and decay-when? Not
centuries hence, but within the next TWEEN
ty-hve years"
All this rs very dreadful; but even the
most pessimisuc reader cannot fail to
note that the foregoing paragraph contains
a reservation These things are what
might come to pass II the consumption
Of coal were 10 go on at the present in
creasing ratio and n no new resources
were discovered. But these suggestive al
ternatyes reveal a possible avenue OF es-
cape Need the consumption OF coal 10
on al the present rate? And are there
not other sources OF energy that can he
advantageously utilized? These are vast
~ important questions. Fortunately they
have received at least tentative answers
As 10 the need OF consuming coal at the
present rate the claims made by tho en-
gneers who have given the matter at
tention are really startling The estimates
show that there rs Drodlgallty OF waste
In the existing method OF handling coal
which rs hardly credible Nature set the
example. TO begin with. for II appears
that the existing beds Of coal, vast as
they are, represent but a mere pittance
Of what they we're IN an early geological
age The coal was made In swamps or
forests that were practically at the sea
Level. Since then IN the Pennsylvania
region. the earth has upheavod aud the
seams Of coal now form parts OF the noun
tains. so greatly have these mountains
been donuded by the action OF the ele-
ments IN the .ong ages that have interven-
cd that very large part Of the coal
has been worn away and washed of to
the soa IN the form OF sediment. II is os-
timated by Prof. Leslie that not more
than per cent Of the original deposit
remained IN the Pennsylvania beds when
the first man came 20 them.
II would seem as u man had strlyon to