278 



NATURE 



[May 6, 1909 



When, however, we turn to the output we find that 

 we are raising nearly double the quantity that is being 

 brought to the surface in Germany, so that if the ratio 

 between the two outputs remains fairly steady, it 

 must follow that Germany will still be a flourishing 

 and powerful nation at the time when the depletion 

 of our coal supply has reduced us to the position of a 

 second-rate Power. 



In searching for the cause of the enormous demand 

 for coal in this country as compared with Germany, 

 where the climate is far colder, we find that our coal 

 production amounts to 6 tons per head of population, 

 as against 35 tons in Belgium, 2\ tons in Germany, 

 and less than i ton in France, where wood is the chief 

 fuel for domestic use ; and it is clear that there must 

 be something more than commercial activity to 

 account for our consumption per head being more 

 than double that of Germany. 



The Royal Commission on Coal Supplies compiled 

 statistics as to the proportion of the coal raised that 

 was utilised for various purposes, which may be repre- 

 sented in percentages as follows : — 



Per cent. 



Factories ... ... ... ... ... ... 2297 



Domestic ... .„ ... I3'87 



Iron and steel manufacture ... 1217 



Mines ... ... 7-80 



Gas works ... ... ... ... ... 6'50 



Railways ... ... ... ... ... ... 553 



Potteries, brick works, glass works and 



chemical works .. ... ... ... 2'i6 



Metals and minerals ... .. ... ... o"43 



Coasting steamers ... ... ... ... o'87 



Steamers over seas ... ... ... ... 7'25 



Exported .. ... ... ... ... ... 20'3S 



The first thing that strikes one is the high propor- 

 tion of coal exported from this country, and further 

 inquiry shows that this drain upon our coal supply 

 is rapidly increasing, having more than doubled in 

 the last thirty years, whilst the actual quantities ex- 

 ported in the last three years of which we have record 

 were as follows : — • 



Total quantity of coal 

 exported from the 

 United Kingdom 



1905 47i477>ooo 



1906 ., 55,600,000 



1907 63,601,000 



Of this more than 14,000,000 tons went to Germany, 

 an amount twice as large as was exported five years 

 ago. 



An instance of the amount of coal e.xported can be 

 cited in the case of one colliery alone, the annual 

 output of which is not less than a million tons per 

 annum, but of this quantity not a single ton is re- 

 tained in England, the whole amount being exported, 

 and at a price at which it is able to compete with 

 German coal even as far up the Rhine as Mayence. 

 We must bear in mind, however, that of the 20 per 

 cent, of exported coal a good deal is used for foreign 

 coaling stations, and is there loaded into British ships, 

 but this does not detract from the fact that steps 

 should certainly be taken to prevent the depletion of 

 our coal supplies for the benefit of our trade rivals. 



As before stated, the estimated life of our coal 

 supply is six hundred years, but at the rate at which 

 it is being consumed it will not last, from a commer- 

 cial aspect, for anything like this period, so that it is 

 necessary for us to find out some means whereby 

 economy in use can be secured. Isolated cases of fuel 

 economy would have no effect on the consumption, 

 but in the interests, not only of the country, but of 

 each individual unit in our Empire, it behoves every- 



NO. 2062, VOL. So] 



one to do his best to attain this result. It is possible, 

 by slight alterations in the method of fuel consump- 

 tion, to obtain the same manufacturing results as by 

 the present system, with the added advantages of 

 greatly reduced cost and reduction in the fouling of 

 the atmosphere, a consummation which would soon, 

 tend to the benefit of the health and wealth of the 

 community. 



In England, conservatism to old ideas and methods- 

 has to a large extent checked the march of progress, 

 but this does not obtain in other countries. In 

 .America and Germany, for instance, as soon as an 

 improved method of working shows economy in 

 manufacturing costs, the old machinery is regarded 

 as obsolete and is ruthlessly scrapped ; and although 

 in certain directions we have begun to realise the 

 logic of this practice, yet the majority of commercial' 

 firms are still pursuing the wasteful methods of their 

 forefathers in the production of power and the genera- 

 tion of heat. 



The Editor of N.wlre having kindly afforded me 

 an opportunity of perusing the foregoing article in 

 proof, it appears to me worth while to add the follow- 

 ing note : — 



It is a popular superstition that some new source 

 of energy will be discovered before our coal supplies 

 become scanty. The recent " marvels of science "■ 

 have been so striking that the average semi-scientific 

 or unscientific man, if directly asked, will almost con- 

 fidently reply that " electricity," or something else, 

 will replace coal. Now, there are possible sources of 

 energy other than coal : — (a) Water-power, derived 

 from rivers and reservoirs. These are few in Great 

 Britain, and of no great potentiality. If they were 

 all utilised, little would be added to our store of 

 energy. (6) Water-power, derived from the tides. 

 While such power might be utilised in a few favoured 

 spots, it is certain that any machinery erected on our 

 coast would be liable to destruction at any moment. 

 When we consider that heavy breakwaters are every 

 now and then demolished by storms, it is vain to 

 expect that machinery to utilise the energy of the tides 

 would escape. Moreover, the capital cost of such 

 machinery (apart from the heavy depreciation charges)' 

 would preclude its use as an economical source of 

 energy, (c) Wind-power, used for driving wind-mills, 

 is a possible source of energy. It has been shown' 

 here, too, that the cost of installation and repair is 

 so great as to make it an uneconomical source. 



(d) It is certainly possible to bore a shaft eight or 

 ten miles in depth, and so tap the internal heat of 

 the earth. Apart from questions of the slow flow 

 of heat into such a shaft, the cost is prohibitive ; and 

 the time required to drive the shaft enormous. 



(e) Lastly, a catalytic agent might be discovered tC' 

 accelerate the loss of energy by certain forms of 

 matter. But we do not know for certain that common 

 forms of matter are losing energy ; we have, on the 

 contrary, every reason to believe that any change 

 would be endo-, not exothermic. Substances of the 

 nature of radium are few in number, and small in 

 quantity. It would be fair to state that it is in the 

 highest degree improbable that any important supply 

 of energy whatever is to be derived from such sources. 

 (/) Heat engines, driven by solar heat, however pos- 

 sible in warmer climates, are for us impracticable. 



For these reasons, as well as for those given by 

 the author of the above article, the conservation of 

 our coal-supply is of the very highest importance tO' 

 the nation, and indeed to the human race. 



W. Ramsay. 



