Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-10-07

E VN@S NSSVDaAO8h ~4OSFF
third OF q ton Of aIgon. In tho ffee
gaseous state this nitrogen 10 worthless
Combined in tho fern Of nitrato0 spda
1t would DO worth about $4,000 fcs
years past attempts have been mado to
effect the fixation Of atmospheric nitro
gen. and some Of tho processes have1as
with sufficient partial success to war
rant experimentalists in pushing their
trials still further, but l think I m
right In saying that no process has yst
been brought to tho notice Of scientific
OF commercial men which car b cou.
sidered successful either a. regards GOA
or yield Of product"
This successful flxation a atusoa.
pheric nitrogen, then. 10 to solve ths
vexed question. And. according - eiY
William Crookes:
"The fixation Of nitrogen 10 o Quea-
tion Of the not far distant future. Iet
me- SEQ If it Is not possible even now 20
solve the momentous problem. Az far
back as 1899 Exhibited at one Of The
soirees Of tho Royal society an expert.
ment on The Flame Of Burning Nitro.
gen. I showed that nitrogen 10 . COM
bustible gas, and tho reason why when.
onoe ignited the flame does not spread
through the atmosphere and deluge the
world in q sen Of nitric acid IL that it,
igniting point is higher than the tenn
perature Of its flame-not therefore hot
enough to set fire to the adjacent mix
ture. But by passing q strong induction
current between terminals the air takeD
fire and continues to burn with Q now.
erful flame, producing nitrous and MI
trio acids. This inconsiderable expert
ment may not unlikely lead to tho DE-
velopment Of q mighty industry, de-
tined to solve tho great food problem.
With tho object Of burning ont nitrogen
from dir SO as to leave argon behind,
Lord Rayleigh fitted up apparatus for
performing the operation on . larger
scale and succeeded in efSecting the nm
ion Of 1914 grams Of mixed nitrogen and
oxygen ut an expenditure Of one horse
power. Following these figures, u
would require N board Of trade unit
to form "a grams Of nitrate of soda, and
therefore II. 900 units to form ono ton.
ITO generate electricity in the .ordi.
nary way with steam engines and dyna-
mos 1t Is now possible, with Q steady
load night and day and engines working
at maximum efficiency. TO produce cur
rent ut a cost OF one.third Of . penny
per board of trade unit. At this rate one
ton Of nitrate Of soda would cost R96.
But electricity from coal and steam en-.
gines is too costly for large industrial
purposes. Niagara, where water
power 10 used, electricity can be sold ct
q profit for one~.seventeenth Of q penny
per board Of trade unit. At this rate
nitrate Of soda would cost not more than
e5 per ton. But nitrate Of soda 10 Him
tied in quantity and will soon be- e1.
hausted. Human ingenuity can contend
even with these apparently hopeless
~dificultiea Nitrate can be produced
artifcially by tho combustion Of the
atmosphere. Here we come to lnality
In II direction. Our stores are ine1.
haustiblo. But how about electricity
Can we generate enough energy TO pro-
duce IL, 600. 900 tons Of nitrate Of soda
annually?
IA preliminary calculation shows
that there need DO no fear ON that score.
Niagara alone is capable Of supplying
the required electrical energy without
much lessening its mighty flow. The
future con take care Of itself. The arti.
fetal production Of nitrate 10 clearly
within view. and by its aid the land do.
voted to wheat can BIO brought mp to the
30 bushels per acre standard. In days
to come, when the demand may again
overtake supply, we nny safely leave
our successors to grapple with the stu
pendous food problem. And In the next
generation, instead Of trusting mainly
70 foodstuffs which flourish in temper.
ate climates. we probably shall trust
moro and more to the exuberant food
stuffs Of the tropics, where, instead Of
ono yearly sober harvest. jeopardised
by any shrinkage Of the scanty days Of
summer weather or Of the few steady
inches Of rainfall, nature annually sup
plies heat and water enough to ripen
two or three successive crops Of food
stuffs in extraordinary abundance. To
mention n plant alone, Humboldt
from what precise statistics ! know mot
computed that, acre for acre, the food
productiveness Of the banana 10 l84
times that of wheat. The unripe banana,
before its starch 10 converted into sugar,
10 said to make excellent bread. ConEid.
eratfons like these must In the end do.
termine tho range and avenues Of com.
merce, perhaps the fate Of continenta
We must develop aud guide natures
latent energies, we must utilize her I'M
most workshops, We must call into COM
mercial existence central Africa and
Brazil to redress the balance Of Odea0
and Chicago" f
A QuIst City.
No other large city 10 ~ quiet - Bee.
Tin Railway engines aro mnk al1c~oA ~