The Washington herald., 1908-06-09
WHEN

AS the world to-day looks back upon
the reign Of Elizabeth as the golden age
Of letters. upon the era OF Pericles as
the golden age OF Crock civilization. so
the world OF the future will look back
upon the twentieth century as the golden
age Of science. The wonderful inventions
and discoveries OF the nineteenth century
have already changed the whole world.
but there is good reason for the faith Of
scientific men that they were only the
seeds scattered from the hand OF the
sower, the promise OF the full fruition TO
come In this present century.
The scientists OF the United States do
not lead all the world It is true. but the
Americans are first in the application Of
science 10 practical affairs. There was
time when the scientist was a recluse.
who pursued his painstaking investiga-
tons merely for the love OF his work.
Nowadays the scientist works with a
purpose-and that purpose the desire 10
tighten the burden. increase the useful
ness. and add TO the pleasure OF every
living man.
Every field OF human inquiry is being
examined into with the slow, patient
careful. and intelligent questioning OF
the scientist. Every discovery made is
instantly applied 70 some problem Of ac-
tual life Time was. and not so long
ago. that the world laughed at the be-
spectacled man who bent for years over
his microscope looking at bugs" The
Tasua hot O.
spised ''bugologist" has freed the race
from mortal fear OF many diseases, he
has found the way 10 prevent devastat-
ing biights which destroyed useful plants.
he Is still tirelessly at work for the good
Of mankind.
The great problem Of the inventor and
the scientist Of the future will be the util-
ization of what the people now waste in
this country. For instance. II is said that
the railroads OF the United States use
15O000.0O0 tons Of coal year in their en-
gines, and that the energy of only 100000
tons Of this IS utilized. the energy OF the
other 142,5OO.00O tons passing uselessly
away into the air Every ton OF this
wasted coal gives off 6. 600 pounds Of car
bonic acid gas and each pound Of II has
as much efficiency in II as three pounds
Of steam. Thus. every year the railroads
alone waste power equivalent to twenty
seven trillion pounds Of steam. Think Of
the wonderful benefits the man will con-
fer upon humanity who will find a prac-
tical way 10 utilize only one-half OF the
wasted energy II all coal consumption
shows a proportionate amount OF wasted
energy. Il seems that in the United States
we annually lose the energy Of more than
sixty-ive trillon pounds OF steam. That
energy, properly doled out. would be sufii-
cient 10 meet all the power requirements
OF the whole world. Some idea Of its in
conceivable immenslty may be gathered
from the statement that II every one OF
the twenty-five million horses in the
United States were required to exert their
full pulling power il would take them
more than $500 years, working eight
hours out OF every day and 300 days out
OF every year. 10 perform a like amount
OF work.
Then there IS the waste OF water power.
The total amount Of water power used
IN 1905 was about million and a half
horsepower. II the streams OF the United
States. from the smallest available noun
tain brook UP 20 the waterfalls and rapids
Of the big rivers, were harnessec, Il
crease over the present capacity. or
enough to furnish the power OF the whole
nation a hundred years hence. BY the
utilization OF the hydro-electric principle
the millions OF horsepower now going TO
waste in the mountain Businesses OF the
country can be brought out into human
habitations and made to bear its burden
in a growing civilization. Every COM
munity In the land could have its hydro
electric plant, just as Il now has its
blacksmith shop and rs grist mill With
his storage batteries, the farmer would
have a cheap substitute for his horses.
having them replenished just as he now
goes 10 the blacksmith shop 70 have his
horses shod. Or. perhaps. It will come
even closer 20 him. To-day the farmer
IN advanced rural communities who has
no telephone IS q rarity. Why not elec-
trio transmission plants reaching every
farm2 There are to-day interurban rail-
roads which sell their surplus current "a
farmers within their territory at less
than half the cost OF horsepower. Is II
beyond the hope Of a century's progress
to see a thing in general use which has
already proved its value7 AS the years
come and go. farms will get smaller and
men will be forced to consider every item
Of expense, and to reduce waste TO the
minimum. Electric power viii be one OF
the things 70 come as result OF this
twentieth century development.
There IS even a possibility that wire
transmission OF power may be succeeded
in the future. Wireless telegraphy look
ed impossible until within a few years
ago. Seeing by wire, or telephotogra-
ply would seem an idle dream, but foI
/. 80
complshed. But beyond this. even. We
would have regarded the discharging OF
a torpedo by wireless communication
within range OF seven miles. as impos-
sible. And yet this is a recent accom-
plIshment. Is not that a wonderful first
step IN the direction OF the wireless
transmission of power? So that, after
all. the dream Of the farmer replenishinG
his storage batteries from wireless cur.
rent may yet ripen into an actually. II
is even possible that new sources OF
power may yet be utilized. Who can
calculate the force with which the bill
lows break upon our coasts? Some one
has Invented a turbine which may be an
chored in midstream 20 catch the power
OF the water as ii rushes onward I'm the
universal Impulse 10 find a resting place
as near 10 the center Of the earth as possi-
bic. May the century not bring forth
similar method OF harnessing the waves
as they break upon our shores?
For generations man has dreamed OF
the utilization OF the energy OF the sun s
rays. But It has remained for the twen-
tieth entry 10 take the greatest step
in that direction. A solar engine.
showing three and a half horsepower
while the sun Shines has been developed.
So successful was the engine that q
company has been formed to build one
in Florida. TO be used for commercial