ABOLISHING THE COALMINER.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 18 May 1912, Page 3

ABOLISHING THE COALMINER.

It has been said that there is no man living whose services are so valuable that he canot be replaced. As with the individual, so, perhaps, with man in the aggregate. This opinion Sir William Ramsay expressed in a speech delivered at the Smoke Abatement Exhibition in London, on March 23rd. The coal-miner may have over-reached himself fatally by the recent strike. By setting fire to coal in the depths of the I earth, and feeding engines with the gas thus produced, Sir William Ramsay believes that it is possible to run railways and factories, and incidentally to provide a solution to the coal strike problem. 'I have dreamt a dream and I have seen a vision," said Sir William. "The ideal state of things would be to have our gas retorts in the bowels of the earth. There is absolutely nothing that I can see, to prevent a boring being put down into the ground until the coal stratum is reached. What is to hinder the coal being lighted where it is? Why should riot the gas be made underground? You would .draw up the gas through your pipe, you would have your gas engines at the pit's mouth, and having made your electricity there, It would be a very small matter to transform and convey it hundreds of miles under high tension." A tube six inches wide could be put down for a few pounds, and the coal ignited by means of electricity. There would be no expensive shaft to sink, tunnels to be driven, or rubbish to be removed. The gas-engines at the surface would v.tilise 30 per cent, of the fuel value of the coal, which vvoul double the yield of energy. Transmission of electricity from the pit's mouth over long distances need present no difficulties. Sir William, however, admits that the change would have to be gradual. Existing mines would be kept open as a sort of reserve, and for the sake of steamers, which could not use the power produced by the gas-engines. It is to be hoped that this accomplished dreamer will be afforded an opportunity shortly of putting his theory into practice.