I. Challenge of Power 1 II. Coming of Coal 4 III. Drama of Civilization 10 IV. Coal in America 22 V. Awakening of the Miners 34 VI. Struggle for Organization 50 VII. Rise of Democracy 66 VIII. Rivals of Coal 78 IX. The Technical Revolution 90 X. The Strait Gate 102 Bibliography 114 Index 120 CHAPTER I THE CHALLENGE OF POWER Scientists tell us that the energy poured by the sun on the Desert of Sahara in a single day exceeds by fourfold the energy stored in the annual production of all the coal fields in the world. They dream of a time when the radiant energy of the sun will be captured and turned to the uses of man. Then the wheels of our myriad machines will spin with the sun and the stars. In the soft whirr of their motors men will hear the music of the spheres. When that time comes, will it signal the triumph of man's will over nature, the end of the brute struggle with hunger? Will it find our ideals of cooperation, service, and brotherhood ripe for practical application? Or will it mark a new intensification of the exploitation of man by men, of the clash of groups for power, of international wars for possession? Shall we have the spiritual capacity to match our technical achievement? Shall we know what we mean when we pray Thy Kingdom Come on Earth as IT IS in Heaven?