NEW AGE OF THE SEA — YEAGER 387 



tensive salt-water transportation, especially to and from coastal 

 islands or bay and inlet areas, and upon the world's rivers. 



In company with tlie fast-developing fuel cell, which may permit 

 a reliable source of localized, domestic power, and with the conversion 

 of salt water to fresh water, these oncoming sea-transport methods 

 will make island living not only reasonable but highly desirable. 



The need for removing large parts of the presently urbanized pop- 

 ulation into the hinterlands likewise depends upon independent power 

 sources, fresh water, and a transportation system which does not re- 

 quire expensive (and soil destructive) highways. Here again the 

 sea promises a large part of the solution — the fresh-water, and a 

 land adaptation of the hovercraft, or ground-effect machine, evolved 

 from techniques developed through use on ocean areas. 



The search for living room thus conjures iip a future network of 

 ocean-current corridors, seagoing traffic, and sea-dependent facets of 

 living which the most confirmed old sea dogs of yesterday could 

 scarcely have visualized. 



THE SEARCH FOR WATER 



The years 1954-57 were particularly notable as hurricane years 

 for the east and gulf coasts of the United States. There were many 

 such disturbances, and the American public was presented with dis- 

 tressing facts and figures based on damage caused by such wayward 

 whirlwinds as Hurricanes Connie, Hazel, and Carol. 



Notwithstanding the tragedy and damage caused by these and sim- 

 ilar storms, they were accompanied by a completely unpublicized but 

 highly valuable asset — namely, relieving the water crisis of a large 

 and parched section of tlie Nation. 



This is one blessing, at least, inherent in the hurricane during earth's 

 current dry cycle, 1951-62. As far as the United States is con- 

 cerned, the torrential rains produced by the hurricane which moves 

 inland have recently rescued more crops than they have destroyed 

 and, while in the process of tearing down beach resorts and causing 

 floods, they have nonetheless granted reprieves to thirsty agricultural 

 industries and well-dr}^ communities from Miami to Bangor. 



The situation illustrates the growing fresh-water shortage which, 

 in a few short years, promises to become acute not only in traditionally 

 arid lands but also in such water-blessed areas as the United States, 

 Europe, and western Russia. 



More than 200 major communities of the United States face water 

 shortages, and all but a handful of States are experiencing a serious 

 water problem in one form or another. The Middle East, Holland, 

 Spain, Italy, South Africa, Israel, the West Indies, and a number of 

 South American countries are worse off. 



