Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-02-25
CONSERVATION
Of FUEL IN j. s.

AS the time approaches for the
proposed conference of the COVER
nors OF the various states with
President Roosevelt on the conser-
walton of the natural resources OF
the United States. there comes a
more serious realization on the part
OF the people of the problems to be
discussed.
The Engineering Record of New
York. in a recent issue, shows the
gravity of one phase OF the situa-
ton in an editorial under the can
ton. ''The Conservation OF Fuel'
The editorial in part is as fol-
lows:
With the domestic coal supply
d"indling at the rate of 100000.
600 tons per year. and the foreig,,
supply disappearing at an equiv
alent rate, the problem OF fuel sun.
ply takes on more than an academic
interest. 1t is all very we'll profanely
TO inquire what posterity has done
Tor us that we should forbear skin
nlng the earth's resources on its
account. but from the present out
look this matter has ceased to in
Voive waiting for posterity. II has
reached point where there NAV
be trouble within the lifetime of
children now alive. If the coal con-
sumption OF the country increases
at anything like the present rate ~
Will probably not be more than q
quarter OF a century before the cal
amity OF far dearer fuel will 10
upon us. 1t is not that the supply
VIII be exhausted by them, but that
scarcity long transportation, and
deep mining will cooperate SO to
enhance the price Of coal as to COM
pietely modify present conditions.
me coal famine OF few years since
shows the disastrous result of even
slight shortage in forcing up the
price. What would be the industrial
situation with steam coal at $40
and upwards per ton permanentlys
1t Is not a pleasant thing to con-
template and yet such is the situa-
ton which confronts us in the not
distant future. 1t will not be long
before must of the remaining coal
VIII be low grade bituminous or lig-
mite A large part OF the fields vet
remaining untouched are, in fact,
the meanest kind of Ignite. entire
ly unsuited for transportation.
There is not enough wood left
to cut any figure in the industrial
situation. OF peat, good, bad and
Indifferent, there is a large amount
but thus far all attempts to get II
into utilizable shape on large
scale have proven somewhat futile.
The hydraulic power available at
reasonable cost of utilization is be-
ing rapidly taken up. Even II ten
million horsepower were in good
shape for profitable development. It
would be a rough approximation re-
lleve the present coal consumption
by only something like 10 per cent
while that consumption has risen 30
per cent in less than five years Hy-
draulic power. then, valuable as it
is can be regarded only as a small
auxiliary
Heating IS a terribly serious
matter in our Northern climate, and
II one relies on electrical heating
the outlook is bad since the whole
power of Niagara could not keen
even New York City from freezing
to death. When it comes to heating.
in fact there is not enough ny
draulic power to be worth serious
consideration. Fuel gas. however.
can be made to help out very eff
fectiyely and may come to be our
chief reliance. The present outlook
IS grave. and it is time to be up and
doing. Each year, with it's increase
OF fuel consumption, brings down
the current estimate OF the endur-
ance Of the supply. Not long ago It
was five hundred years, then two
hundred and now practical exhaus-
ton Of the available supply seems
a bare century Off. with a serious
Increase OF cost looming up in the
near future. II is about time to
start the fight to preserve the ex-
listing status Of things lest the pres
sure OF industry bring disaster.
Even now there IS a tendency to
shift activity southwark into
milder climate. Before things come
to a serious pass Il is well TO try
the virtues OF power transmission
from the mines"
e--s=s