Works for Nothing a Day.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue XIV, 6 October 1900, Page 637

Works for Nothing a Day.

A single pound of eoal is capame o. producing horse power, and could do the work of an express locomotive for tme tifth "f a minute. In other w-rds. it is enough to haul a fain of eight cars, including the Pullman sleeping ears and dining cars, at th.- rate of mi.es an ho'-.i one sixth of a mile. In sawing wood. a man may work at the rite of about strokes a minute nd his saw blade may have progressed live feet a minute. but a circular saw. driven by machinery, will cut 70 times as much wood in the same time. And y< r this one little pound f coal contain* pow. r enough for ISO such saws. We can easily c«»mpan the power lo deed up in this black diamond with the work of a strong man. The strength of a man may be reckoned at one tenth ot a horse power. Allow mm eight work ing hours. equal to 4v minutes. During this time he occasionally stops for short rests. to change his position. to pick up another tool? to judge of the result of his work and plan for further procedure. This win take one tenth of the lime, leaving 432 minutes. which. at the tenth of a horse power, gives him a total effect of 4-'.2 horse power as the result ot his days labour. This pound of coal contains more than sufficient power to do in one minute the day s work of rive such strong men. Or it would take about 9coo strong men. workins steadily side by side. to do jointly as much work in one minute as Nature has locked up for us. ready at our call, in a sing:- pound of coal.