The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-03-24
HOW ELECTRICITY MAY SAVE
OUR COAL SUPPLY

erations. Not only does the harness
ing of the water-pOwers of the coun-
try mean the saving of millions of
tons of coal which would otherwise
have to be burned for power pur-'
poses, but it is possible to save nearly
hundred million tons of coal every
year by burning our coal at the
mouths of the mines and retailing
electricity instead of coal. This the
CRY was long since advanced by
Thomas A. Edison and Charles P.
Steinmetz, of the General Electric
Company, but only recently, with the
end of our coal supply already in
sight, has the thought been taken up
by other men.
The plan is to convert our coal
into electrical energy at few centers
only and retail it in the form of
electricity to everyone who now burns
coal throughout the country. On the
face of it, this looks like tremen-
dous undertaking, but so it is a ire
mendous undertaking for the rail-
roads to transport millions and mil
lions of tons of coal which must now
be hauled across the face of the
continent. In this day of electrical
development it is possible to trans
NIT electrical energy over long dis
tances with very little loss. Plants
are now being successfully operated
which transmit energy at high pres
sure over the country distances from
100 to 800 miles.
If this plan of burning our coal at
the mines was adopted we would
save all the by-products of the coal
which are being wasted. We would
also save annually nearly a hundred
million tons of coal. The fertilizer
by-product of the coal could be used
in agriculture and thus increase the
fertility of our soil, increasing the
productivity fully twenty per cent.
I, 1t is figured that we would run all
our motor vehicles on the oils saved
and make good roads with the tar
which is now wasted.
Summarizing the whole position, it
may safely be said that wherever
coal-gas or power are now used, ev-
erything for which they are used will
be better done when electricity is the
m dunn of application.
Hardly less in Importance in the
all-electric scheme is the question of
the by-products which become avail
able by the proper use of our coal.
These consist principally of fixed nit
rogen, together with tar and oils.
Fixed nitrogen in the form of am
monia, nitrate of soda and nitrate of
lime are most valuable fertilizers,
and enable land continually to pro-
duce the same crop with greatly
increased yield per acre. Much, has
been done in finding out how to best
utilize these artificial fertilizers, but
no doubt a great deal more will be
done in this direction, and fertilizers
will be prepared, with fixed nitrogen
as their principal constituent, which |
best suit the particular soils and
crops that it is desired to deal with.
As there must be an enormous de-
velopment in the way of motor trac-
ton, all by-products will become most |
The necessity for labor
saving appliances used in agriculture
must greatly add to the number of |
motors which cannot, according to
present knowledge, be replaced by
and these, no doubt,
would be made to burn the heavier
oils which would be produced as a
part of the coal by-products
Considering the general effect of
the all-electric, scheme, in which,
with but small exception, the whole
of the coal used, is turned into cleo
tricity, the first important effect
would be he saving of some S0,000,-
900 to 90,O00,000 tons of coal
year. AS we should produce the
whole of our food requirements, we
should not have to export our capital
in the form of coal to help pay our
food bill. In this way, by making
these two savings, we could prolong
the useful life of our coal measures
two and half times, and still have
2 100000 tons of coal year avail
able for the use of our steamships
over and above the coal required
here.
The saving of labor now employed
in mining the vast amount of coal
which we now waste or send abroad,
and also the labor employed in trans
porting this coal and using it for all
he various purposes for which 1t is