FUTURE ENGINEEBINO. 



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may be said to belong wliolly to tlio future. The powers 

 most available are steaan, hydraulic power, compressed air 

 and electricity. At present those powers are obtained by the 

 consumption of fuel, chiefly coal ; but the question of utiliz- 

 ing natural powers for their production, such as wind, tide, 

 and waterfalls, is part of the future work for engineers. 

 The transmission of power by steam is limited in distance, 

 by loss of heat and condensation, to about throe-quarters of 

 a mile. The drawbacks of hydraulic power are the great 

 consumption of fuel for the work done, and the great loss 

 of power through friction in tlie pipes as the distance in- 

 creases. Compressed air is very difficult to carry for a 

 distance at a large power. Little progress has been made 

 in this branch of engineering ; but there is now a possibility 

 of electricity being the means of accomplishing all that is 

 desired in this direction. Fifty-liorse power has been 

 transmitted seventy miles with a loss of only 30 per cent, 

 by tliis means. 



In works of sanitation, comprising the collection, re- 

 moval, and utilization of all kinds of refuse, there is 

 mucli to bo done in the future. Tlie principle which 

 appears to bo the right one, is to utilize this refuse in 

 enriching and improving the land. One question having 

 a great bearing upon future engineering, is the production 

 of wealth from the land progressing and keeping pace with 

 tlie progress of other industries. The utilization of refuse 

 on the land would greatly increase its production, and also 

 to a large extent free our rivers from pollution. Sewage 

 works carried out on this principle are amongst the most 

 successful of the great number of different systems. 



The future of those branches of engineering dealing with 

 the production of materials, machinery, and tools, depends 

 more upon the cari-ying out of the probable great works of 



