South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-12

do the work II we could find some other
source of carbon dioxide than coal then it
might become another question. We know
of one such source, OF gigantic capabilities,
viz. gaseous emanations from the interior
OF the earth, particularly from VOLCANOES.
A Vesuvius or an Etna or a Cotopaxi in
full blast, might supply in a day as much
carbon dioXde as all the coal fires on
earth can supply I'm a year.
So far we have been considering the
problem on a worldwide scale. Suppose,
now, that We put It upon a narrower, and
what may be regarded as an approach tc
a more practical basis. Instead Of trying
10 turn the whole atmosphere into a more
effective dollhouse cover for the earth than
it now is. might we not conserve heat
emery. OF whatever origin, in reservoirs
Of limited extent, from which il could be
released when and where wanted as, for
instance. inside houses. shops. stores. fac
tories etc. letting the outside air take
care OF itself, as We are forced TO do at
present.
Imagine attached TO every dwelling house
and every other inhabited structure a
chamber. or an annex. 20 contain heat.
just as We have ice boxes and cold air
apartments 10 contain stored cold This
is the thermos bottle idea. The cOnserva-
tiCn OF heat is easy enough. although 10
keep II for months would require I'm.
provements in the structure of the non
conducting walls-but such improvement
could unGuestOnabjy be effected. The
great difficulty would be 10 obtain the
heat az a sufficiently high temperature and
IN sufficient quality. and to concentrate it
in manageable forms
Heat is due 10 molecular agitation. or
vibration. If the vibration is communicat-
cd TO other bodies, or substances their
temperature is raised az the expense OF
the heated body. which becomes colder,
Until il has sunk 10 the general level OF
he surroundine temperature. Now. We
get a heat-stOrage hint from what happens
in The Fall of the year. The soil, during
the hot days OF July and August. becomes
penetrated TO a considerable depth by the
heat vibrations, originally derived from
the sun. and this heat is temporarily stored
in the ground but the storage is imperfect,
something like putting water in a pail
whose bottom IS perforated with pinhOles.
During September. October and even part
OF November the stored up heat gradually
escapes. and being difused through the
air postpOnes the arrival or the first frosts
of Winter
Suppose some way could be devised 70
control the leakage Of Summer heat fror
he GROUND so that the amount stored IN
ten acres would he diverted to the int
riOr Of a chamber 40xf0 feet i'm basal area.
and delivered 10 the living apartments by a
system OF pipes OF nOn-COnduCting mate
rial such as asbestos. This supposes the
air OF the distributing chamber 70 be first
warmed By the heat from the ground and
If that heat represented the radiation from
ten acres OF surface. of course some
way would have TO be- found TO conduct
it 10 the chamber without sensible loss.
I have no data showing how many heat
units may be stored in an acre Of ground
during the hottest part OF the Summer. but
the amount must be large
There are many other conceivable ways
in which, n only the necessary apparatus
can be constructed. not only solar heat
but even heat derived from artificial
sources. could be stored in hot sons for
use in cold Cnes Whether these would be
commercially successful" is another Ques-
ton but when faced with extreme sufer-
ing or death men care nothing about the
commercial a-1ects Of what hey do Water
- great -torer and cOuyeyOr Of heat.
as witness our house furnaces. and on
natures scale the Gulf Stream
4 varianr on this class Of suggestions
Is one once put forth by the French asrrOn-
omer. Camille Flammari1n. for digging
heat, as II were out OF the depths Of the
Copy lEht 1878 by star Couuany