The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-27

Speaking of the possibilities of cleo
tricity, President Steinmetz said:
The field Is practically limitless.
Thus far merely the surface has been
scratched. Things now regarded as
maTVels wiz 10 the simplest PROPOSE
tons of the future. Heating and cook
ing by electricity are already solved.
The only thing that stands in the way
is the cost. The cheapening will come
later
I expect to see electricity used in all
suburban and interurban traffic. i eX
pect to see only heavy freight hauled
by steam. I would not attempt to say
how soon such a thing may come to
pass Neither do / say the value of
steam for certain purposes will be les
sened. The increase in the use of auto
traction has not lessened the number
of horses in use Electricity is in its
swaddling clothes"
When President Steinmetz was asked
TO express an opinion on the alleged
production of enormous forces of cleo
tricity from the air by a Spanish pro-
lessor, he said:
1T is a wild notion"
Oberlin Smith ex-president of the
American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers. said:
whenever any capitalist will pro-
of Electrical Engineers will stand ready
to run trains between New York and
Philadelphia or New York and Boston
al from 40 TO 1S0 miles an hour.
-As far as the mere process is con-
eerned, heating and cooking by cleo
tricity are trivialities. II is perfectly
practicable TO heat the largest building
or broil the largest steak by this
means. The only objection so far is
II, tx s,,e 20 hit ~ ~
becoming more common every year.
Eighty per cent of the energy of fuel
is wasted at present. Il goes up the
fiues. Whenever this wasted energy
can be turned into electricity the revo-
luton will come. All heating, cooking
and lighting will eventually be done by
electricity.
All the railroads now run by steam
viii be operated by electricity. AS a
conservative estimate I should say that
this would happen by the end of the
century. 1t might happen within ten
years. ] firmly believe a new type of
long distance, high speed engine will
come within twenty-five years. and
look to see the trip from New York to
Philadelphia made in from half to
three quarters of an hour"
Calvin W. Rice. vice president of the
Westinghouse company. was equally
said:
Il would not like to say the field of
electricity is limitless. I do not know
how far we may go or where We may
stop. i believe, however. that TIE time
win come when railway travel will be
largely conducted by means of cleo
tricity.
Where there are only few trains a
day electricity would be an unwise
agent, as the power would have to be
steadily maintained, trains or no trains
But where there are anywhere from
leo to 500 trains daily electricity is far
cheaper and more preferable. 1t is
largely, therefore, question of supply
and demand; question of traffic and
cheapness.
The problem of cooking and hea ting
by electricity is feasible. and the field
is widening every day. The big power
house at Niagara Falls is already heat
ed by means of electricity"
Professor Parker of Columbia college
was also among the conservatives in
his predictions for the future.
Il believe a great many things win
eventually be done by electricity that
are now performed by steam he said.
When that time win come / do not
care TO say. Trains may be run by
electricity; cooking. heating and 100
plllcI tuluSS are perfectly feasible. ana
will come in good time.
The tremendous possibilities of Nj
agara Falls as a source of power can
not be overestimated. It is capable of
doing great deal that has been
deemed impossible in the past
A 3. See of the electrical engineers
was enthusiastic in his predictions
The future of electricity is illinaita-
bic he said. Just look at the ire
mendous development OF the past dec
ade- Where there was one trolley tine
then there are ], 900 now Years ago in
England a daring man prophesied that
the time would come when we would
turn on tap and have our light. Edi-
son turned on the tap and we had it,
First. the problem was all light.
Then it was all power. Now il is all
speed and efficiency combined with
cheapness. Heating and cooking is a
simple proposition. provided we have
proper power stations near at hand
Several OF the members were inclined
10 believe that if a power station such
as Niagara were at the doors of New
York al steam would be done away
with