New-York tribune., 1902-03-23
HEAT FROM THE EARTH.
JAMES HENRY LEARNS OF INTERESTING
EXPERIMENT TO GET COAL
SUBSTITUTE.

losr no tine in rushing into his grandfathers
ropn, where he was sure there would be a warm
fire IN the CRATE He was right, for two fun
buckets Of coal had been lighted and speedily
turned from black to red humps. which were
throwing their heat all over the room.
Ny. but il is co.5." exclaimed James Henry.
after he had wakeued his grandfather out Of a
nap by holding his small hands over his eyes
ard making hu guess who it was. You ought
10 be glad you don't have to go out grand
f.ttar"
There is nothing like a bright coal fire on a
day Ik- this. is there" said the grandfather
James Henry was looking into the Goals and
thukiua he made no answer for a minute
Then be- asked: Is the world running out Of
coal: The driver of Flannisan's coal wagon
says il is. VIII we all freeze TO death when the
coal is Ill gone2 And, grandfather does It hurt
much tr freeze to DEATH
III yuu would remember 10 ask only one
question al a time" began the old gentleman.
you would learn more about the things which
arous= your curios0ity. The driver of coal cart
can hardly be considered an authority the
vital question Of coal supply, but it happens
that "hat he said was true in this case"
Then We are all going TO freeze to death"
exclaimed James Henry. with alarm.
There you are, jumping at conclusions again.
Thai Is trait common 10 little girls. You
should always give me time to explain. There
Is no danger that you will suffer from cold on
account of q shortage Of coal, for the falling off
Ill the supply is gradual and viii not be felt for
years 10 come, Besides, James Henry, you
think IF 40 other ways Of making artificial
heat
rs electricity the answer" asked the boy
Electricity is one answer but it is not the
Only on.- replied his grandfather. Our learned
scientists have experimental with electricity for
fIa
ami they have not yet succeeded in making its
Use PRACTICAL"
E..r since you told me about Mr.. Marcon
thought they could DO most anything with eIec-
t1ctl said James Henry.
1'l nave heard, perhaps, that the interior Of
'h' earth Is q very warm place" continued his
grandfather. Did you ever Eaink that we
nlsA- utilize this interior heat to run our fac
''ile-, heat our houses and, indeed for almost
eEerg purpose for which We now use coal? l
believe that il could be done, and already men
are Jeginning 10 try it"
dow do they know that it is warm down
in the middle Of the earth?" demanded James
Henry.
They proved it by driving deep holes into the
earth. There is a mine in the State of Mich
gan which extends more than a mile below the
surface, and IN Cornwall a zinc mine three thou
sand feet deep extends out under the bed Of the
ocean nearly mile At q little place IN SlleSld,
which is a province in Prussia, they have driven
tn deepest hole of aIl-seyen thousand feet
which is just four hundred feet more than
nile and q quarter Think of that, my son!
BY lowering thermometers mot the kind that
hangs by The front door but more powerful and
expensive pnesD, by lowering thermometers
INTO these holes they find that the tenn
I'"rature Increases with depth. over in
Pilsburg there is an increase Of / degree for
every fifty feet. and al the bottom Of the deep
'Si hole the temperature is 129 degrees. IN
''--'' places the heat does not increase so rap
'-is. -Dt in one Of the Michigan copper mines the
Neat ~ "a depth of 1900 feet is only 100 degrees
Water left n The Pttsburg well over night IS
50 hot when they pump it out that one cannot
ho!d a hand ia it. This proves that the interior
o. The Garth IS a furnace and all that would De
H"'"ssary 10 produce steam would be TO drive
the holes little deeper"
Then why do people bother with coal?'
asked James Henry.
The trouble is this: Even if the depth Of the
wei was sufficient to turn the water into steam
'ie would have 10 wait long for il that It's
commercial and practical value would be lost.
N other words. if they can drill into the Garth
I'F SIX thousand feet, it is almost easy 10
UNI ten thousand. but in order to make use Of
mt steam that would result it would be neces-
'diy L" drop water into the hot and find
S''ne way of getting 1T back TO the surface
hteam without delay.