The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-06-21
VAST COAL FIELDS
FAST DISAPPEARING
Supply Drawn on Too Rap
idly and No Substitute
Found Available.

With the domestic coal supply dwin-
ding at the rate Of 4GOOO0OJO tons Der
year and the foreign supply disappear
ing at an equivalent rate, the problem
OF the fuel supply takes on more than
an academic interest. The Engineering
Record, in an editorial, threshes the
matter out pretty thoroughly.
IL Is All very well, st states, to inquire
profanely what pOsterity has done for
US that we should f0rbear skinuing the
earth's resources on fits account, but
from the present outlook this matter
has ceased TO involve waiting for pos
terity. 1t has reached a point where
there may be trouble within the lifetime
OF children now alive.
II the coal consumption OF the coun-
Try Increases at anything like the pres
ent rate IT viii probably not be more
than quarter Of a century before the
calamity OF FAR dsarer fuel viii be upon
as; II is not that the supply win be
exhausted by thens but that scarcity,
IOnB transportation and deep mining
VIII cooperate so TO enhance the price
conditions
The coal famine Of few years since
shows the disastrous result OF even
-I5At shortage ~ forcing up the
price What would be the industrial
situation with steam coal at $40 and up
ward per ton permanently
II Is not a pleasant thing 10 coutem-
plate, and yet SGCh IS the situation
which confrontf Us in the not-distant
future. II VIII not be long before most
OF the remaining coal will be low grade
blIumlnous OF Ignite a lar-s part OF
the fields yet remaining unto g he'd are,
IN TACT, the meaneSL kind II Ignite,
entirely unsuited for trauspo, tation.
There Is not enough wood left 10 cut
any figure in the industrial situation
or peat, good. bIC and Indifferent, there
Is a large amount, thus far all at
tempts 60 get 81 into utilization shape Or
large scale have proved somewhat fu-
lille.
The hydraulic power available at rea-
sOuable cost OF utilization g. being rapid
~ taken Up Even If iJUJGJJJ horse
power were in guOo shape for profitable
development, 81 WoJld al rough approx
lmatlOu relieve tie present coal con-
sumption by only something Ike 10 p1r
cent, while that consumption haas risen
30 per cent IN less shan five years. by
dIaullC power, then. valuable as 10 IS,
can be regarded only as a small auNiI-
larry.
Is it not time for electrical engineers
10 make good their perennial bluff about
distributing power from the coal mines
This proposition has been uD for a long
time Yet nothing substantial has been
accomplished. Except Tor a plant In
South Africa and one in Pennsylvania.
there is as yet nothing Ike a serious
power transmission from cheap coal
There IS "a vast amount OF clum, lig-
mite and such like stun which cannot De
pruntaDly transported but might De
burned al the mouth of the mine with
good economic result ir the work were
seriously uudeTta gen Most of 10 IS So
situated that 90 can be adEantaEeOusly
utilized IN no other way, unless by the
generation ana transmission OF fuel Sas,
which, again, is scheme not yet Seri-
at lad
fuel Il Is high time that progress were
being made I'm these directions.
OF course there are difficulties at pres
cut In the way Of burning Ignite eff
GENTLY ana on q large scale. Most boil
ers and furnaces are designed for use
with fairly high-grade fuel. so that
burning Egni,e ssOlves special appA-
ances. Yet Their are indications that
J. has been at least pr0Elm1tely solved.
Certainly there are already lu existence
plants which do use IL with pretty good
results il is sufficiently rich 20 DO well
once the art Of burn 1g 30 is mastered
With a big turh.-EeneTatOr plant
worked on such cheap fuel power could
De brought down 10 point that would
permit transmission over long radius
and sale at a good competitive hgure-a
figure, iu fact. that would stagger a
good many hvdro-eiectric plants Gas
production and Transmission under mod
crate pressure. as in the case OF natural
gas. would he also practicable tn the
ease of some grades of poor fuel. and
would give the ability TO furnish gener-
al heating as well as power.
Heating IS a terribly serious matter
in our northern climate. and If one re-
lies on electrical heating the outlook IS
bad since the 'ghnIe power Of Niagara
could not keen New York city from
freezing to death. When If comes to
heating. in fact, there IS not enough
hydraulic power TO be worth serious
consideration.
Fuel gas, however. can he made t0
help out veTv effectively and may com D
70 be our chief reliance. The presenT
outlook Is grave, and 10 IS time 20 be UP
and doing. Each year, with its increase
OF fuel CCnSUm zion brings down the
current estimate of endurance of the
supply. Not long ago it was 800 years,
then 90. and now practical exhaustion
of the available supply seems a bare
century of. with a serious increase Of
cost looming up i.i the near future Il
is about time to start the fight TO pre-
serve the existing 81 atUs Of things lest
the pressure on industry bring disaster