The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-16
GOVERNORS MESSAGE TO LEGISLAT UPE|

utter futiiity-and worse than that
-of enacting law and failins to pro.
wide means and machinery for their
enforcement II i because natural
gas Is invisible. says DR. While. ..a,,d
linen cannot see i eseape into the air.
that they fail 70 realize the vast guam.
tity of II thus wasted, Though in
visible It IS not ttnppnderabie. a
thousand feet Of II wili weigh about
forty pounds: and seven thousand
feet, II reduced 70 liquid. would MI
an OH barred with a LIQUID more yaiua.
bic than the best petroleum oil. Ref.
erence Is made 60 volume la. pages
4o-k5. where this subject Is treated.
In that work II Is stated that no burn.
er should be used that gives forth a
bright flame. for unless the dame be
blue &c Is evidence that the burner is
not supplying air IA quantities sum.
Client for the complete combustion,
and hence much of the eject Of the
heating gas is wasted. The use of the
tiambeau or torch should be prohibit
ed. as they are in Indiana. Some form
Of incaneescent burner, like the Wells.
bach, is the proper method OF secur.
ing The maximum of tight at the mini.
mum cost The gas engine SO far ex.
ceeJs all other devices Of economy In
the production of power that 1t is al
most inexcusable extravaganza to use
natural gas for power through the pro.
duction Of steam. It Is declared that
the general adoption of the latest
form Of the gas engine for power and
Of The mantle burner for light would
effect saving OF more than 100000.
900 cubic feet of gas yearly in this
State. and at the same time would
give better results in the way of pow.
er and light.
Dr. White continues: "The State
has probably lost more than 800. 900.
900 worth of this fuel in the last dec
ade alone through needless escape
into the air without any pretense of
utilization, while probably half as
much more In value has been lost by
the inexcusably wasteful methods of
burning the gas for the production OF
light, heat and power A priceless
heritage has thus been ruthlessly de-
stroyed in spite OF all warning the
State Geological Survey could give
TO the Legislature In its official re-
ports. II is not too late to save a
remnant Of this natural wealth for fu.
tufe use, provided the Legislature will
act promptly at les next opportunity.
The present delay has been inexcusa.
Bile: TO postpone the matter longer
would be nothing short of criminal.
It Is stated that the manufacture of
carmbon black is most wastefui
utilization Of natural gas,
Your attention Is called further 10
what DIR. White states with refer.
ence to the waste In our coal and
timber resources. This, too. is wor-
thy of serious attention, and it would
be most beneficial If some remedy
could be found TO stop it. Concern
ing the wasteful methods in the min.
ing Of coal and the, like DR.. White
spoke TO the late meeting OF the State
Board OF Trade in this city. beg TO
quote from his remarks:
IL woulu like to add a werd in re-
gard 10 The way they DO things in
France. It was my pleasure few
years ago: when 0 delegate to the
international conyentton of geolo-
gists in Paris, to visit the coal fields
in the southern part OF France. France
does not export a ton of coal, but i'm.
ports large quantities of It, Her great
industries are located. not hundreds
Of miles away from the coal, but right
in The coal fields. West Virginia
ought to pattern after France. and in
stead of sending practically all of our
coal out of the State. to the state's
loss. much of the coal ought to be kept
at home, SO that instead of supplying
other States to build up their manu-.
factories, It could be used in building
up the manufactures of our own
State. | do not know that 1t would be
possible to prevent the coal from be-.
ing taken beyond the limits of the
State to build up the manufactures
of other States. except that We could
incidentally do It
I'm France, they not only locate the
factories near the mines. but they
save all the coal. I visited one place
where they have coal one hundred
and fifty feet thick They cannot let
tho surface down. They have to take
out ell the coal. II they make hole
in the ground the law eompels them
to fill it up, as the surface must re.
main rnlId In tha ..n...ss .l... -