The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1906-02-10
PEEP INTO THE FUTURE.
Thomas A. Edison Says There Arc
wonders Yet 10 Unfold.

/ y Il d & b
/ I'VE are graspiug on the verge OF
another great epoch in the world S
history" he said 10 an interview
the other day. 1T would not sur
prise me any morning to wake up
and learn that someone, some group
of 30, 600 scientific men who are in
vestigatinx all over the earth, has
seized upon the secret of electricity
by process, and begun another prac-
tical reveloution in human affairs
II can be done. 1t will be done. !
expect to see it before / die.
The first great change ia the
production OF electricity willabolish
carrying coal for that purpose" be
said. "Instead OF digging gross
material OUT Of the earth, loading it
on cars, and carrying it, say Eve
hundred miles, there there to put it
under q boiler and burn, and so 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
putting coal mines on wheels. 1t is
too clumsy 1t is too costly. There
is no necessity for 1t. 1t is easier
to carry molecular vibration by mil
lions OF waves second than freight
cars full of crude matter. We can
ship 100000 horsepower over
the wire quicker and
more economically than than we
can send the equivalent in coal over
a railroad track.
I'VE must eliminate the railroad
altogether from .he problem. What
is the use OF it2 We don't want
coal anyhow. it does US no good to
look at it. What we want is the
resultant Of the ut 10 o I
energy that can be produced.
And there Is no sense in carrying
around millions of tons Of raw
material like coal when we can get
q product delivered to US by wire.
Everything points to the fact
that In the near future electricity
will be produced for general con.
sumption by great power houses at
the mouths Of coal pits. That is the
logical and common sense outcome
OF present events.
"Now the truth is that it will cos,
q third less to transport electrical
power by wire than to carry it in
the form OF coal in railroad cars
Assume the price OF coal to be 81 al
the mouth OF mine and freight tG
be 81 80. Now, we can turn Goa
into electricity at the mine and con
vey it by wire by less than half The
cost of the freightage OF coal.
Electricity will take the place o
horses. 1t will solve the vehicle
and traffic problem OF cities. NJ
new electricity storage battery itsel
will make electricity cheaper thar
horses. In the spring we will b,
ready to furnish new batteries. No
only will they take half the space o
horse traffic but they will 70 twic
as fast. They can be stored on up
per floors by means OF elevators
The saving OF stable space 10 Ne,
York will cover at least 500, 900,
600 worth OF property.
mot only will electricity be. de
veloped and distributed from Goa
mines in the future. but ell tn
water power in the world will b
used for the production OF electricity
That movement has begun and !
advancing rapidly. In G alifornis
where men have nerve enough. I
overcome habit, they are TRANSMIT
! ting electric power 25 miles by wir
and running street cars and light
ing cities by it. That Is the sort o
spirit that will wake the world d
J one OF these days. i wish that spiri
) In California would spread every
/ where. -