The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-12-21
THOMAS A. EDISON PREDICTS
GREAT STRIDES FOR
SCIENCE.
Instead Of Hauling Coal, Plants
to Take Power Directly From
the Mineral and Transport
II Will Be Established
al the Mines.

dt tne Mi1oS.
New York, Dec. 1s in the opinion
OF Thomas A. Edison, wonders are
yet to be uniolded In the world Of
electricity.
ave are cropping on the verge OF
another great epoch in the worlds
history" he said in an interview at
his laboratory in West Orange. 1T
would not surprise me any morning
to wake up and learn that some one,
some group Of the 800, 900 scientific
men who are investigating all over
the earth, has seized upon the secret
OF electricity by direct process, and
begun another practical revolution
in human affairs.
ut can be done. 1t will be done. |
expect to see 1t before l die.
1.-The first great change in the pro-
duction OF electricity will abolish
carrying coal for that purpose, he
said. Instead OF digging gross ma-
terisl out Of the earth, loading 1t on
cars, and carrying it, say, 500 miles,
there to put 1t under boiler and
burn, and 30 get power, we shall set
up plants at the mouths OF mines,
generate power there, and transmit
it wherever it is needed by copper
wire.
1t Is preposterous to keep on put
ting coal mines on wheels. 1t Is too
clumsy, IL is too costly. There is
no necessity Tor it.
1T Is easier to carry molecular vi.
bration by millions OF waves sec
ond than freight cars full of crude
matter. Wecan slip 100000 horse
power over the wire quicker and
more economically than We can send
the equivalent ia coal over a railroad
track .---..------.-..
I'VE must eliminate the railroad
altogether from this problem.
What's the use OF II? We don't want
coal anyhow. 1t does US no good to
lock at it. What we want is the re
sultaut u the utmost energy that
can be produced. And there Ia nc
sense in carrying around millions Of
tons OF raw material like coal when
we can get a product delivered to us
by wire.
"EverythiDg points to the fact that
in the near future electricity will bt
produced forgeneral consumption by
great power houses at the mouths o
coal pits. That is the logical anC
common sense outcome OF present
events.
"Now, the truth is that it will cos
a third less to transport electrical
power by wire than to carry it in thu
form OF coal in railroad cars. As
sumo the price Of coalto be 81 at th'
mouth OF q mine, and assume th'
freight to be $40. Now, we car
turn coal into electricity at the min,
and convey it by wire for less thar
halt Of the cost OF the freightage o
coal.
electricity will take the place o
horses. 1t will solve the vehicle ant
traffic problem OF cities. My new
electric storage battery itself vii
make electricity cheaper than horses
In the spring we will be ready to fur
nish new batteries. Not only vii
they take half me space oihorse tral
fic, but they will go twice as fast
They can be stored on upper floor
by means OF elevators. Toe saving
OF stable room in New York will GOV
er at least 200 million dollars wortl
OF property.
mot only will electric power be de
; veloped and distributed from Goa
mines in the future, but all the waite
power in the world will be used 70
the production of electricity. Tha
movement has begun and is advanc
log rapidly. In California, wher
men have nerve enough to overcom
habit, they are transmitting electri
power ais miles by wire andrunninl
street cars and lighting cities by il
That Is the sort Of spirit that vii
wake the world up one oil these days
l wish that spirit In California woul
apread everywhere.