The Ely miner., 1909-07-09

anu SiuCiuudtl WOulU De Impossible
away from the mountainous districts.
1t would be tremendous setback to
the agricultural interests of the Mis-
sissippi valley If they were compelled
to dispense with steam thrashers and
steam traction engines and substitute
in their places the work of innumer-
able droves of horses and mules.
1t Is therefore rather startling to
be compelled to face the fact that coal
belongs to the limited and rapidly dis
appearing reserved stores of nature.
In using coal the human race is in
trenching upon its capital, and reck-
lessly hastening an ultimate but inevi-
table catastrophe. 1t is estimated by
the highest authorities that the total
available coal treasures of North
America cover 100000 square miles,
with an average thickness of six feet
OF workable seams, which would yield
4,SOO tons to the acre. The total
amount of coal, therefore, that is pos
sibly within our reach in America
could not exceed 100000, ,OOO,OOO tons.
But in the year 1900 alone we were
mining but little short of 300,000,000
tons, while the expansion of popula-
ton and increase of business is de-
manding an increase at such a rate
that two or three times that amount
will soon be necessary to meet
the annual demand. At the pres
ent rate of increase in the use of
coal, therefore, the entire amount ac-
cessible in North America would be
consumed in less than $50 years.
If we look to the rest of the world
the prospect is not more encouraging.
The coal fields of Europe are mostly
confined to small areas in England
and the northwestern part of the con-
tinent. Spain, Italy, Greece, Russia
Scandinavia, and the larger part of
the German Empire are dependent on
England for their coal. At the pres
ent rate of increased production these
fields will be nearly exhausted in SO
years. The remaining great deposits
of coal are mostly found in China,
where they equal, if they do not ex-
ceed, those in the United States. 1t
may lhCI ClOlS Uc CQ0
world that China is so slow in her de-
velopment that her reserved sources
of fuel shall yet be available when
that in the countries more advanced
in civilization shall fail.
The Insignificant role which water
power in this country can possibly
play in keeping up our industries ap-
pears on brief examination of the
facts. 1t is estimated by the best author
tiles that if the entire rainfall over the
state of Pennsylvania were utilized
with a head of $50 feet, it would not
yield one-tenth the amount of power
that Is now derived in that state alone
from the consumption of COAL But on
the most extravagant calculation it
would not be possible to make avail
able in that mountainous state one
tenth of this theoretical amount of
water power. What then would be the
condition of those vast areas of the
Mississippi valley where water power
is far less available?
But, for the moment, leaving aside
these rather SOLDERING reflections to
the far-seeing statesman and philos-
opher, we will turn to the considera-
tion of those interesting processes by
which even the existing limited
amount of this useful material has
been brought, within our reach and
preserved for our use.
Coal is an accumulation of vege-
table matter which has decayed under
water where oxygen could not get ac-
cess to the carbon to consume it and
transform it into carbonic acid gas, as
it does in the open air. The condi-
tions of the coal fields, therefore, dur
ing the accumulation of the coal must
have been that of vast swampy re-
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