Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-05-18
GREAT POSSIBILITIES
OPEN TO THE INVENTOR
DR.. Alexander Graham Bell Dips
Into the Future Regarding
Fuel and Electricity.

Il, a communication TO the National
Geographic Society. Dr. Alexander Ora
ham Bell points out some of the prob
lens awaiting solution at the hands OF
sciortiac men and technical experts OF
the future. The society issues part
of Or. Bells communication as buae-
tin from its Washington Headquarters.
1T is interesting ana Instructive to
look hack over the various changes
that have occurred and trace the eve.
luton OF the present from the past.
writes DR.. Bell. by projecting these
lines of advance into the future, you
can forecast the future, to certain
extent ana recognize some OF the
fields CT usefulness that are opening
UP fer the young men OF today
I'VE have one line OF advance from
candles and oil lamps 10 gas. and from
gas TO electricity: and we can recog-
lac many other threads OF advance all
oonverging upon electricity We pro
duce heat and light by electricity. we
transmit intelligence by the telegraph
and telephone, and we use electricity as
n motive power. In fact. we nave IaiF
" entered upon an electrical age, ana
II is obvious that the electrical engl-
neer will be much in demand in the
future.
ION every hand we see the substitu-
ton of machinery and artificial mo-
five mower for animal and man power.
There will, therefore, be plenty of
openings in the future for young, bright
mechanical engineers working in TINS
direction.
Discusses Fuel Problem.
aaThere is. however. one obstacle to
further advance, in the increasing price
of the fuel necessary to work machIn-
cry. Coal and oil are going up ana are
strictly limited in quantity we are
spendthrifts in the matter OF fuel ana
are using our capital for our running
expenses
I'm relation to coal and Oil, the
worlds annual consumption mas become
so enormous that we are now actualiy
within measurable distance OF the emu
of the supply. What shall we do when
we have no more coal or OIL! .
Apart from water power twhlch IS
strictly limited), and tidal and wave
mower (Which we have not yet learned
TO utilize), and the employment of the
suns rays directly as a source of power.
we have little left, excepting wood, ana
il takes at least twenty-five years 70
grow a crop of trees.
There is, however. one other source
of fuel supply which may perhaps solve
this problem of the future. Alcohol
makes beautiful. clean and efncleht
fuel and where not intended for con-
sumption by human beings, can be man
ufactured very cheaply in an indigesti-
bile or even poisonous form. WOOD al
cohol. for example, can be employed as
a fuel, and we can make alcohol from
sawdust, a waste product of our mills.
alcohol can also be manufactured
from corn stalks and, in fact, from al
most any vegetable matter capable of
fermentation. Our growing crops and
even weeds can be used. The waste
products of our farms are available for
this purpose and even the garbage from
our cities. We need never fear the ex-
haustion of our present fuel supplies
as long as we can produce an annual
crop of alcohol to any extent desired.
Possibilities in Wireless.
DEVELOPMENTS of wireless telegraphy
are proceeding with great rapidity, and
no man can predict what startling dis.
coveries and applications may appear
in the near future. / know of no more
promising field of exploration.
ALREADY privacy of communication
has been secured by wireless transmit
ters and receivers tuned so to speak.
to respond to electrical vibrations of
certain frequencies alone. They are sem
sitive only to electrical impulses of
definite wave length. The principle of
sympathetic vibration operating tuned
wireless receivers has also been applied
to the control of machinery from a dis
lance and the steering of boats without
a man on board. The possibilities of
development in this direction are prac-
tically illimitable, and we shall proba-
bly, be able to perform at a distance
by wireless almost any mechanical op-
Grafton that can be done at hand.
still more recently wireless teleg-