East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-01-28
ELECTRICITY MAY
SAVE COAL SUPPLY
WIZARDS WORKING ON
SCHEME OF CONSERVATION
Would Convert Coal Into Electric
Juice at Mines and Deliver IL To
Consumcrs-Would Utilize By-Pro-
ducts,

1t lies wholly within the province
of electricity to save our rapidly de-
creasing coal supply for future gem
/ erations. Not only does the harness
| ing of the waterpowers of the coun-
Try mean the saving of millions of
tons of coal which otherwise would
| have to be burned for power purposes,
but it is possible to save nearly Il
hundred million tons of coal every
year by burning our coal at the
months of the mines and retailing
electricity instead of coal. This the
ory was long since advanced by
Thomas A. Edison and Charles p.
| Steirunetz of the General Electric
company, but only recently, with the
I 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 every one who now burns coal
throughout the country. on the face
of II this looks like tremendous un-
dertaking, but so 1t is a tremendous
undertaking for the railroads to trans
port the millions and millions of tons
of coal which now must be hauled
across the face of the continent. In
| this day of electrical development 1t
is possible to transmit electrical en-
ergy over long distances with very
little loss. Plants are now being src-
cessfully operated which transmit en-
ergy at high pressure over the coun-
try distances from 100 to 800 miles.
II this plan of burning our coal at
the mines was adopted we would save
all the by-products of the coal which
are now being wasted We would also
save annually nearly a hundred mil
lion tons of coal. The fertilizer by
n product of the coal could be used in
VI tility of our soil, increasing its pro-
ductivlty fully twenty per cent.
Il 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 position, 1t may
safely be said that wherever coal. gas
or power are now used, everything
for which they are used will be better
done when electricity Is the medium
of application.
Hardly less in importance in the all
electric scheme ia the question of the
by-products which become available
by the proper use Of our coal. These
consist principally of fixed nitrogen
together with tar and oils.
| L.. Co. 90 al
\ phate of ammonia, nitrate of soda and
nitrate of lime are most valuable fer
! tiliZers, and enable land continually
to produce the same crop with q
greatly increased yield per acre. Much
has been done in finding out how &c
best utilize these artificial fertilizers
but no doubt a great deal more vii
be done in this direction, and fertiliZ
ers will be prepared, with fixed nitro
gen as their principal constituent
which best suit the particular soils
and crops that 1t is desired to dea
! with
VI AS there must be an enormous de-
! | velopment in the way of motor trac
ton, oil by-products will become mos
important The necessity for labor
tsaving appliances usedEIn .agricultur,
r must add greatly to the number o
!, motors which cannot, according t
q present knowledge, be replaced b,
. Electricity, and these, no doubt, woult
be made to burn the heavier oil
n which would be produced as a par
q Iof the coal by-products.
Considering the general effect of tn
lall-electric scheme, in which. with bu
small exception, the whole of the Goa
q used is turned into electricity, tn
: first important effect would be tn
q saving of some S0,000,00O to 10000
q O00o tons of coal a year. AS we shoul
,. produce the whole Of our food RI
n qurements, We should not have to ex
e port our capital in the form Of coz
l. to help pay our food bill. In this way
by making these two savings, "
could prolong the useful life of ou
o coal measures two and a half tine:
; and still have 20,OOo,0OO tons of loa