The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-09
When America is Grown
ny rREDEnIC J. uAsKIN,
APPLIED SCIENCE

BY FREDERIC j. HAS1<lN.
AS the world to-day looks back upon
1.-THE reign OF Elizabeth as the golden
age of letters, upon the era of Periclcs
as the golden age OF Creek civilization.
50 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 nine
tteenth century have already changed
the whole world but there is good
ireas DDAor the faith OF scientific men
THAT ICY were only the seeds scatter
ed from the hand of the sower, the
promise of the full frution to come
in this present century.
The scientists OF the United States
do not lead all the world, 1t Is true.
but the Americans are first in the APP
Iplication of science to practical AFT
fairs. There was time when the
scientist was n recluse who pursued his
.lpainstaking Investigations merely for
the love OF his work. Nowadays the
scientist works with n purpose--and
THAT purpose the desire to tighten the
burden, increase the usefulness and
add to the pleasure OF every living
man.
I Every field of human inquiry Is be-
ling examined into with the slow, pa
ltient, careful and intelligent question
ling OF the, scientist. Every discovery
problem OF actual life. Time was, and
mot so long ago, that the world laugh
led at the bespectacled man who bent
FOR years over his microscope looking
lat bugs. The world laughs no
longer. That much despised "bugolo-
Igist" has freed the race from mortal
fear of many diseases; he has found
lthe way to prevent devastating blights
(which destroyed useful plants; he is
lstill tirelessly at work for the good
lof mankind.
The great problem OF the inventor
land the scientist of the future viii be
1.-THE utilization of what the people now
waste In this country. For instance,
lit Is said that the railroads OF the
United States use 150.o00,o00 tons of
local year in their engines, and that
the energy OF only 100000 tons of this
Us utilized, the energy OF the other 1i2.-
100000 tons passing uselessly away
into the air. Every ton OF this wasted
local gives off $4,000 pounds of car
lbonic acid gas and each pound of 1t has
las much efficiency in 1t as three pounds
jof steam. Thus. every year the rail-
roads alone waste power equivalent to
I27.ooo, oOo.ooo.ooo pounds OF steam.
Think of the wonderful benefits the
imam Will confer upon humanity who
will find practical way to utilize only
|one-half OF the wasted energy! II all
local consumption shows q proportionate
lamoupt of wasted energy 1t means that
lin the United States we annually -ose
the energy OF more than 65000,000.-
100000 pounds Of steam. That cner-
|ficient to meet all the power require
Iments of the whole world. Some idea
of Its inconceivable immensely may be
gathered from the statement that II
every one OF the 2b,00O,00O horses
in the United States were re-
err. 1t would take them moro than $500
| years, working eight hours out of
every day and 800 days out of every
. year. to perform like amount OF
work.
Then there is the waste of water
power. The total amount of water
|power used in 1905 was about mil
!, lion and half horse power. II the
streams of the United States from the
smallest available mountain brook up
to the waterfalls and rapids Nof the
big rivers were harnessed 1t would
; probably show a hundredfold increase
n over the present capacity, or enough to
j furnish tho power OF the whole nation
: a hundred years hence. BY the utilza-
y ton of the hydro-electric principle the
: millions Of horse power now going to
q waste In the mountain Businesses OF
: the country can be brought out into
Q its burden in q growing civilization
I Every community in the land could
9 have Its hydro electric plant just as II
: now has its blacksmith shop and Its
. the farmer would have a cheap sub
g |stitute for his horses, having them re.
y plenished Just as he now goes to tho
:. blacksmith shop to have, his horses
Z closer to him. To-day the farmer ir
q advanced rural communities who has
q mo telephone is n rarity. Why
v reaching every farm? There arr
h to-day interurban railroads which sci
.. their surplus current to farmer;
within their territory at less than hal
the cost OF horse power. Is 1t beyond
the hope OF century's progress to SEE
- and men will DO forced to consider
n levery item Of expense, and 70 reduce
" waste to the minimum. Electric pow
er Will be one of the things to come
: as a result of this twentieth centur,
- development.
I There is even possibility that wiz,
transmission Of power may be sue
! telegraphy looked impossible until
||withins a few. years ago. Seeing b.
wire, or telephotographS. would seen
Ian idle dream but for the fact tina
we know It has been accomplished. Blu
IIbeyond this even. we would have re
|lgarded the discharging of torped
|Iby wireless communication, within
range of seven miles, as impossible
And yet this Is a recent accomplish
step step in tho direction Of the wireless
transmission of power2 So that. ATTIC
lan, the dream of tho farmer replen
) fishing his storage batteries from
wireless current may yet rlpen Int
an actually. It Is even possible tina
new sources of power may yet b
||utilized. Who can calculate the fore
with which tho pillows break upo1
our coasts? Some ono has invented
Il turbine which may be anchored \
I ||midstream to catch the power Of tn
water as 1t PUSHES onward in the uni
IIversal impulse to find n resting plac
Has near to the centre of the earth n
l|possble. May the century not brin
Ilforth n similar method of harnessin
IIthe waves as they break upon GU
Ishores?
For generations man has dreamed 0
the utilization OF the energy Of tn
|Isln's rays, But 1t has remained TO
| 1.-THE twentieth century to takethe great
LEST step In that direction. a solar en-