The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-22
Haue We Come to he Pass
 ing of the Steam Engine?

| responded with great readiness to the 1 demands of this new generator. re- markable feature of the tests was that North Dakota and Texas brown Ignite and Florida peat yielded more power | in the gas producer than the very best | West Virginia coal under the steam boiler. The Ignite fields of North Dakota and Texas are almost mex naustible and as very little use com" inercially has been found for the lig-
 nite in the past. this will develop
 new industry for those States that will years advance.
 The possibilities of this form of power have been received with such confidence and enthusiasm by engi- neers and managers of large plants
 that there are already in the United
 States alone over 150 gas producer in-
 stallations ranging in size from 1,5O0 installations and the persistent in- crease has led the National Board of Fire Underwriters to issue special rules and requirements for the "con- struction, installation and use of coal
 gas producers" The economical suc-
 cess of these plants and the possibili-
 ties of using vast feds of coal. lignites
 and peats heretofore considered of lit-
 tie value for industrial purposes are
 strong indication that the gas producer
 form of power will. within tho next
 few years, develop far beyond present
 calculation.
 on the market today than the gas pro
 ducer. After the plant is in working
 condition. there Is an absolute freedom
 from smoke. The general adoption of
 this economical system of power pro-
 duction will mean the almost com
 plete elimination of smoke.
 The great reduction in the cost or
 power production made possible by the
 use of the gas producer means also
 rapid strides in electrical development
 within the next few years. Now that
 1t is commercially possible to transmit
 electrical power for distances of 25O
 miles or more the location of immense power plants will speedily follow.
 central plant could distribute such electric current for a distance of 5O0
 mics, that is. 250 miles either side Of the plant, thus covering an area Of al- most 100000 square miles, an area nearly four times the size of the State of Illinois. With ten or tweve of these great central plants located at the va rious mine centers. the great railroads of the United States can send their trains speeding from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast.
 Tt would seem to some chimerical to predict the doom. in the near future. of the steam locomotive, yet one of the officials of the New York Central Rail road has publicly stated that in his opinion there will be no steam loco motives operating on the New York Central road in ten years. Already the New York Central Is arranging
 to substitute electric power on It's lines from New York City to point forty miles from the Grand Central
 Station, and extsnsive tests in the use
 of the electric locomotive are being
 made between Rochester and Buffalo.
 The Pennsylvania IS now operating
 electric trains between Atlantic City
 and Philadelphia with much success.
 The New York, New | wen and Hart
 ford Railroad Is operating its trains from Stamford. Connecticut, to New York by electric power
 These rapid changes are leading to | one end-the centralization of power development and distribution. They point to the time. and at no distant | day, when great central plants will DC | located at the various mine centers and the electric power will be transmitted and distributed to railroads. industrial plants, cities and the various institu- tions where electrical energy is needed.
 The great railroads will operate their trains by electricity, and the passen- gers will be freed from the annoyance | of smoke and cinders; and the railroad | locomotives and the railroad yards which are now the most unsightly places in our cities will become com | parativaly clean and free from smoke. Furthermore, the introduction or | cheaper electric power will displace the
 scores of smoke belching chimneys and
 the befogged atmosphere of our cities
 will be cleared. ana '.le city clean and
 comfortable, will become reality and not a dream"
 Professor Ferna1d but recently com
 pleted an estimate showing the dif- | ference in cost and .,eration of a. oOo | horse power internal al-combustion en- | zine and a 500 horsepower steam en- | zine, also the difference between the
 cost and operation of a 5000 horse
 power rinternal-combustion engine and
 a 5000 horse power steam engine. In offering the estimates, ProfessC- Fer l nald declares he has made the best
 possible showing for the steam engine
 while that of the producer gas pant
 is but a fair figure. In conclusion ne
 adds. T believe that the producer gas
 plant can better the figure given, put
 l doubt very much whether the steam
 plant figure can be excelled' even II
 1t can be reached"
 Professor Fernald iives the cost of
 the 500 horse power gas plant at $4S,-
 900 and the steam plant at $4o.OOO.
 difference of S8.000 in favor of the
 steam plant Operating both plants
 300 days, twentyfour hours a day. the toal cost for coal Tn the producer gas plant would be $3,6S0; in the steam
 plant, $S,25O The total operating cos : and fixed charges for the gas producer plant for the year Is $16.z62: for the steam plant $2l.37S. The toal saving ; per year by operating the producer gal , plant is given at $5.116. With the in creased cost of the gas producer plan over the steam plant, 1t Is estimated that it would take nineteen months o operation of the producer plants to pay the difference by saving in operating ] expenses.
 Professor Fernald finds there Is nc , difference in the cost of a gas producel plant of 5000 horse power and stean
 plant of the same horse power. th' } cost being placed att$42O.0O0. Run ming these plants continuously for ont ? year. the gas producer plant would re quire 21, 900 tons of coal at $2.oO a. ton or s52.500, while the steam plant woul' l consume 42,0OO tons at the cost O. ] S1O5,Oo0 The total operating OK $ penses and fixed charges of the 6,OO' l horse power gas producer plant ar given at s141.775, while the steam en . zine would cost $219,535 The toa saving per year by operating the ga = producer plant of 5000 horse powe Q over the same horsepower steam en zine is placed at $77,5S0, surely 9 figure that would appeal to the bit manufacturer
 That the United States has not take l mn +b,s ouestion too soon in shown Il