Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-06-05

Scheme for Generating Enormus Quantities
of Steam.

The possibility of utilizing in some
way the enormous internal beatof the
earth has occurred to more than one
thinker. That such utilization may
actually be accomplished is nav ne,
lieyed by some scientific men arof
II. G. Mendenhall made the suggestion
recently, and now series OF nasNre,
ments OF underground Temperatures is
being made by the British Association
for the Advancement Of Science, Prof r.
Williar. Hallocls of Columbjs uni
yersity, in an interview reported BY
Theodore Waters, in The Worlds Wort,
expresses his belief that the idea il
feasible. He saws:
1t is not merely a question of getting
steam, it il q question of the quantity +
Of steam that can he had. Ho water
ia oven nov drawn from a we'll and used
to heat n dwelling near Boise CITY,
Idaho: and when we pumped out tie
water which had leaked into the we'll +
near Pittsburg, it was so hot that E
could NOT hold my hand in il. Its
| tenpernture was about 1870 degrees, But
| while the Pittsburg and the Wheeling
wells are CAPABLE OF heating the water
| that is left in them over night, even if
their depth were sufficient to turn that
water TO steam. it would require many
hours of waiting, which would rob it
az all commercial value. In other
| words there would be not the slightest
d;fiionIty in obtaining steam from the
enrthis interior. because that involves
nerelv n little extra labor in boring
down into the very hot area, and it is
as easv comparatiyely to bore lO.O00
Feet as il il to bore 6.0OO; but in order
10 Give the steam commercial value a
method must be provided for dropping
tbe water In the hot area. allowing it
time Ia heat. and vet having it returned
10 the surface as steam without for
n,omepr interruptinp the flow
Sunnose two holes ware bored directly
into tha earth -. 600 feet deep and,
cav IN feet anart. According to the
mssaasurements | made in the Pittsburg
we'll M the bottom there would be a
, temnerature Of more than $40 degrees
Far above the boiling point of water
. Now If very heavy charges of dynamite
or some other powerful explosive were
1 to be lowered to the bottom of each
hole and exploded simultaneously, and
5 the process repeated many times, |
believe the two holes might have a
= sufficient connection established. The
t roclr would he cracked and fissured in
d ali d;rect;ons No in deem oil -weIls when
thaU arc shot. and If only one avenue
e we're onened between the holes it would
:, he enough.
d Tho sSatterinp of the rock around
L +ha basa nj the holes would turn the
9 Surrounding area into an immense
C ,,,atar baater The water poured down
u nc bale in the earth would circulate
it th.Isl al tba cracks and assures. the
> ta,,nasature Of which would be over
vs. SIn 5egraes and in its massage it would
rs 10 bastad and turned to steam, which
5, would mass throuph the second hole to
is tha aarth,s surface. The pressure Of
iy smch a column of steam would be
r. enormous, ipi, $50 IT, 5seoandino
IL VeIocay 81 f cnId water v would exert q
in column " u i ia,st < ooo rounds to the
pressure o. az ie h;ch . Vu Would u Dive NJ
SQUARE inJh ,a hn1a ayervthina
through inc ne, secohd e,o, noia o tbeysfnre
in lnoVaoie. ~ he p and the chief diff
a. ecna ,,iS W. 4 the oonnectina Of I'll,
cs Guilty "oula ne sne ounio9 THE accom-
ne hui9a aS ~, onV 80. 20 tar wnuld onerat
of plished, the water neaCef wou now op0'II
IS: ltseii S a. o,,ld surnoss any
of estanllsheu tnaS "ou'u o'' r'''''
D.. tnlhg NOW ~ USE; +,,,+ +b;s MIA,
%. Prof' halloek believes o,r GnG' 'n ont fo
IS. could pronapiy pe oai a,,,nars If tb
700 Soo,ooo, any r SaaJ ~ aJraady referre
Je- uoep Weii , az ~. 'e;,,,e hnr;no n mt
oss 70, INTEND 10 coHelhue oo uaat fheat m
nv they reach region OF great 1eas. al,
annn Yellowstone Valley would unoouoleuI.
,rn ne enlnks, yieiI I Itn,nan dantbs imdpin
md sures a.. ~ n.a o,,nans ~ Ais reg;on. III
-, heat might be utilized IN oGher We
~ besides the generation OF steam n
oss instance 1t might generatteh e erroii
,0o, directly by means OF great tneth No1 :
If such a system, erot. Iaiio Shan,
oys marks in conclusion, migne unaa'
00o the commercial aspect OF 1he wot'u