Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-05-14

of coal has been over 1900, 600 tons:
the waste and destruction in the neign-
| borhood of 5000, 900, 600 tons. If MIN
| ing were perfected from now forward
we might reckon that considerably less
| than ! per cent of our original stoch
has been consumed; but estimating on
| the basis of the wasteful methods hlth-
erto pursued. nearly per cent of our
available supply is gone.
Coal consumption is increasing at an
astonishing rate. During the period
for which statistics have been gath
| cred il has doubled during each DEC
AIDE: of late it has more than doubled.
In 1907 the production was about 45o'-
O0O.0 tons. AT the present rate Oh
increase the production in 1917 viii be
| gao 600 600 tons. in 1927 1,S0O,0O0,0OO
| tons and in 1887 over $500, 100000 tons
or an amount in that year alone nearly
equal to the production OF the seventy
five years ending in 1925; ana WIN
continuance of the wasteful methods OF
mining the consumption and destruc-
ton together during that one year
would equal our total useful produc-
! ton I'D to the present date. Ana al
that time-which many of us VIII I'VE
TO see-more than an eighth OF our
estimated original supply VIII nave
been consumed or destroyed.
IAN estimates of future consumption
and destruction of coal are liable TO
error; yet making all reasonable allow
anre unless there be careful husband
ing or revolutionizing inventions or
some industrial revolution comes when
| cannot now be foreseen, the greater
mart of that estimated 2.50000OOO0,0pO
! IONS of coal forming our original her
itage will be gone before the end OF
| the next century say 200 years hence.
ITO each generation the ultimate dis
appearance of coal is Of less concern
than current prices. With the work,
ing ont of seams and fields, plants and
TRANSPORTATION facilities are removed or
abandoned and other losses are IN
crrred: and the cost of these in the
end increases prices. Already this Is
felt III is estimated that by reason OF
the progressive exhaustion of American
fields coal consumers are today paying
on an average 10 per cent or 10 per
cent more than would be necessary II
tho supply were unlimited-and the
advance must continue with each dec
ade as the supply lessons.
WastefuI Consumption
Still more wasteful than our pro-
cesses of mining are our methods OF
consuming coal. OF all the coal burned
in the power plants of the country MOI
more than from 8 per cent to 10 per
cent of the potential energy is actually
used, the remaining 80 to 50 per cent
is absorbed in rendering the smaller
fraction available in actual work. II
direct heating the loss is less, but IN
electric heating and lighting 1t Is mucI
more-indeed in ordinary electric llghl
plants hardly one-tfth of one per ceh'
is actually utilized. There is at pres
ent no known remedy 1or lillS. l t,9.
wastes are not increasing; fortunately
through the development of gas pro-
ducers. internal combustion engines
and steam turbines they are constant
" decreasing; yet not so rapidly as u
: affect seriously the estimates OF IN
+ crease in coal consumption. we are
nor without hope, however. of. dlscoV'
, cries that may vet enable man to con-
vert potential into mechanical energy
direct. avoiding this fearful waste. l.
! that day ever comes our coal supply
might be considered unending.
"@The same spirit of recklessness thai
, leads to waste in mining and in the
I consumption of coal leads to unneces-
, sarv risk of human life. During the
year 1907 in the United States the killed
t and wounded in coal mining operations
exceeded 5000. The danger to life anc
9 limb in the mines is increasing 1ai
more rapidly than production, because
| gas becomes more abundant ana tnt
l T,orl, of rescue more difficult as the
mines extend deeper or Iarlher lroii
q the entrance. , !.
. when the republic was started II
I 1-76 little irol was used. Each family
% was content with a few score POUNDS
in the form of implements utensils
e and weapons, so that the average an
- NAL consumption was but rev
0 pounds per capita. In 1907 alone tn
= pyodnction of iron ore in the United
y States was 100000 tons, or ,,6 mo n
than 1900 pounds for each 40 man Mo tion
= And the production is steadily IN
Iron Ore Estimates
"The latest trustworthy estimates 30 o
= our present stock of iron ore are; ro
200 ooo 600 tons; for the southern dis
n trict Including Alabama, georgia l6n
I Tennessee and Virginia., about 2'oVy,
e OOO,O 900 tons; and for the rest OF GOO S'''
a United States. OOO,OOO,OOO TO "V0o'