New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-13
HYDROGEN LOCOMOTIVES.
~w RAILWAY MOTIVE POWER.

A W RAILWAY MOTIVE fV"hh'
glIr PRO JcTIoS or FUEL GAS FROM "ArER-pk-
TAugD AocoUNrvoF AN EXPERIMENT RECENTLY
TRrD WITH AN ORDINARY LOCOMOTIVE hSoiNH
IMPORTANCE OF TIRE INVENTION.
20 fbs EdftOr OF Fhe TrtkGne
S,s. Having interested myself, as writer
for seieptino and technical periodicals some decades
rss, in the subjects OF las and steam, and particularly
in water AS fuel tor tho various processes for water
raa, have drawn upon myeelf more inquiries Houi
different parts OF the country than can conveniently
snswer IA person so great public inquiry and US yes
tnsuieieDt reply. regarding this fuel OF the inture
the deliberate and thorough tess have been enoDisu
10 mako and the astonishing character OF Tue
and facts recorded, to justify me IN oHef's ~ 80
fubllo xact information in matter OF SUCH In
through the Journal which has been taeSe Ioi'J | "
foremost friend OF progress In the arts -
rbs, water can be used u source OF Inei
,,osa,n chemistry never has denicdi and that
Az "a actually an economical source OF lue+ ~"
r,ractcal gas men have any doum. AL TAO
s,asrrbt companies In NewYOrk save one are already
MAJ ing watcT gss, aid the Strong process noW IN OPP
Grafton at Yonkers making fuel from water ana
coal dust has recently become the property Of power
full capitalist combination IN this city bn' toe "a'0I
gas companies In commercial operation Ia tS ""u
thirty or forty other cities make no claim TO get b|uo
gen from water without paying ,ts fun equfaehI anu
somethne over in other fucl. The limited grouho TAKEN
and proved by these manufacturers Is that our crude
fuel oil or COAL can be economically exchanged by the
decomposition Of watcr for fuo gas the more perfect
combustion and utilization Of which afford large
profit e. De divided between manufacturer ana con
sumner over and above the cost OF the process anu 'o
practical working value Of the crude fuel eommheu "
IS wen known however that the affinity OF oxygen ana
hot carbon tat 4OOq Is sufficient to dsengage
the former from the hydrogen OF steam AS
pvdroycn Is said TO burn with heat Oh
$1,000 there Il margin for profit here. after allow
ing ssy 0O0o latent in steam anG II the anteoeoehI
heat Of the carbon be oonearved and utilized 10 sH
fust as IL Is when made coalition of combustion win
atmospheric oxygen together With that evolved by us
union with tho steam oxygen and By burning the reed
hydrogen the result must be Of immense value 10 90
this the mos, practicable means appears TO DO FOUND IN
email local retoris seheating in which hot carbon In
the absence of atmospheric oxygen, takes the oxygen
fro, steam the freed hydrogen escaping with the other
proiuct carbonie oxde through the same burner tips
in Simultaneous combustion With the oxygen OF tie air
che entire asve heat anecedeut consequent apQar
emily going into immediate use on the spot
This method have had under Investigation and ad-
yisemen With scientific and technical experts Tor six or
eiSht months past. A specimen OF the repeated and
rnthodea tests which have been enabled make with
entire independence in the Interest Of the public is here
given for the first time Incredible the figures may
SEEM shah make them douby so II impeached, having
here selected the poorest Of experiments for tho
purpose Of nsurne Jus, that kind Of disappointment to
seeptical reyisers-
A WATER GAS LOCOMOTIVE.
tho Brooklyn terminus Of the Flatbush and Coney
Island Railroad there = private machine shop and
eneine-house the latter occupied by large fortyton
passengcr locomotive. OF the usual coalburning pattern
with I6x "a inch cylinders foot inch driving wheels
and boiler % feeti0ng place OF the ordinary crate
bars are laid three hollow bars pipes the length OF the
furnace q feet, and frOm side Of each pipe rise
bnrncrtips al short intervals making 302 IN all On
these pipe-bars as sloepers Is ia floor OF iron plates
studded with open thmblcs. through which the 352
burnertips re within hall an inch OF their openings
Over the first ~ braers next the door so four ro
torts-heAvy hollow blocks OF iroa--in These re
toYs receive naphthn and steam through separate
pipes aad whom heated discharge their vapors by con
meeting pipes into the pipe bars under the iron h0or'
aud thence through the $50 burners On the tender Il
fixed o cylindrical tank Of naphtha which, a. measured
by the writer 3j inches IN dlameterl contains nearly
A2s66 gallons per inch Of dOpth by experimental meas
urement that Is by pouring in 90 gallons the contents
were sa to have been raised exactly twelve inches show
tn less than IT gallons 70 the inch but this measure
was not my own, aiopt the larger and risk httle IN
Justice rather than tho least eNeegcraon or uncertainty
md ike course viii pc followed In regard 70 every
other plrticular Pressure Of naphtha Is put on d.
small steam f0rcepump the engine, which Is worked
By hsnd antil steam becomes available Water IA sup
Piled 70 The reorts without pressure until stoa can be
substituted Close examination Of the engine, tender
and connections at all points proved that no possible
supply ~ fuel could this Gre except from the tank
above described Everything cold a. the weather
eoald make g. and the saugococls were found TO be
covered by tn usual complement 800 galons OF water
for n boiler OF this SIZE
AT q:47 rn a small supply OF OF was tni.oi on IN
cavity under retorts and ami lighted IN twenty
Eve minutes they sufficiently heated 20 yaporize
oil c, into their interiors which then began 20 burn
throuyh the fortyfour tips under the 0ur retOrts IN
order IN raise them all experimenting temperature
Af this p,int having before marked the height OF OIL in
the tank measured the depression, onecghth Of an
tuoh or SO OF a gallon The same method was care
knuy pursued at every subsequent stage OF the
process This wa at 1919 a. In short time tho
retots we're hot enough % roCeve water also, and
forts and were set ia operation supplying vapors 20
she other 300 burners. ~ ll:i1 the steam-gaugo
showed pressure in the boiler of ten pounds to tho
suuarc inch and 209 gallons OF oil missing The
next ten pounds OF cost 1l25 gallons o. oil and
shirtythree minutes time, 70 1914 At 1925 steam
thirty poun Is oil out A0o gallons and tho locomotive
now moved out The enginehoase the waste Of steam
An heating up her cold cylinders, showing In the
Sumption OF 536 gallons OF oil 70 replace II ana gain the
next ten pounds registering forty pounds In thirteen
minutes al 1899 withsteaG in place OF water
An the retorts In the eight minutes fty pounds
was reached at cost Of only lS7 gallons further and
the apparatus was now getting warmed to its work.
The following table shows the further working Of 1t
At 1854 steam. 60 rs OIL 24l CALLS; time 7 min.
AT l2:59lo steam, 20 OIL l.33 gala; tne 5a9 min.
AT l:Oi steam, So ps OIL 1.07 gals; time AZ min.
al 1903. steam, 30 bs OIL lO7 gals; time min.
AT l:I3La steam 100 Ds OIL 107 gals; time dig min.
At LIZA steam, 40 Ms OIL .0S gals; time min.
AT is2lhs steam, 120 Be- oil .Os gals; time, min.
For the last Minutes IL VIII be observed the con-
sumption OF oil had the rate Of 2 OF gallon,
and the generation of steam 2's ss per msute The