Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-04-18
HEAT WITHOUT FUEL


An AstoundI.9 Claim which Sets AN Sci
enes ut Naaght.
The accepted theories of heat gen
Grafton limit the list of materials from
which heat may be produced by nrti
fetal means to the substances known
as fuels. And these fuels are almost
wholly confined to the various forms Of
carbon, organic or inorganic. vegetable
or mineral. Not to enter on the ques-
ton whether mineral carbons, coal and
oil are derived from organic bodies OF
not, we need only consider them As
mineralized fuels. And as to organic
fuels. whether vegetable. as in woody
tissues, or as carbonaceous matter in
the form of animal oils. they burn and
give heat in strict proportion to the
carbon they contain. We have, there
fore, in our wisdom. been attempting
much lately in the way Of keeping up
the stock Of these organic fuels by
planting forests. and by even making
straw up into cakes, like the dried peat
of the frugal Icelanders.
But there has now come forward the
bold invention of a new source of heat;
an ever-present material, and q self
acting process of using it, almost. It
is q heat generator that consumes lit
tie of any form of fuel, as we now de-
fine that word. At least, it requires
scarcely more than the. match that
lights a gas jet to set it going. It
does not produce or generate any inn
portant quantity of the ordinary prod
ucts of c0mbustion-neither smoke,
nor carbonic acid, nor ashes. It will
not be necessary to sell the residuals
90 carefully as gas works do, nor will
It be necessary to cumber the side
walks with. ash-boxes or ash-carts.
Yet the heat Is as decisive and gen.
uine as the heat from anthracite coal
in blast furnace. It will warm a
house thoroughly, and even heat it to
excess if not carefully regulated It
will melt iron or steel, and by its own
self-action. when once started. it will
heat the containing drum or fre-box.
to q red heat first and almost q white
heat next Its constant heat would
melt iron or steel if not checked by q
slight manipulation.
Is this miracle or an overweight
mental strain. such as might reasona-
bly, be inferred? 1t is neither. 1t is q
literal and absolute fact. rs plain and
practical as large iron-heating drum
can be made. In this drum q slight
coal-fire is lighted. and the ordinary
fuel door above and the draft door be-
low being properly adjusted. the cumu-
lative heat generation begins Instant
~. If not stopped by readjustment of
the doors it will go ON indefinitely. al
most to the full red heating of the con-
tanning vessel or drum.
1t is clearly the air that is burned,
the oxygen of the common atmosphere
constituting the fuel. There can be
no exhaustion of the supply of air with
its contained oxygen. and, as no arti-
fetal blast or other mechanical agency
is required to feed the air. it constitutes
q self-created fame. 1t is only requis-
tie to check the supply Of air so as
to avoid cumulative effects-otherwise
there would clearly be . steadily-in-
creasing draft to feed the fame, and q
degree of heat beyond any capacity to
apply it The combustion in this case
gives an intense heat. but with little
visible fame. It forms little carbonic
acid gas. It would not deliver suffi-
Gent of such gases into the air OF any
room to asphyxiate its occupants if all
the products Of combustion were deliv-
cred in and not outward through any
Aue. At the moment of orig
inal ignition the small amount of coal
or wood used to light the fire would
possibly make some smoke, but after
the lighting is effected the heat may be
kept up indefinite y by simply regulat-
ing the draft of air. and during that
time the contained fuel used to light
the furnace remains without being
more than in part consumed.
This reads little like the record OF
any experiment with ordinary fuels. or .
any record Of the evolution OF heat
units from weighed or measured frag-
ments of coal. or Of wood. or of oil. It
Is in q great degree a mystery under
our accepted scientific definitions. and
It's great significance is in the assur-
Rnce that the common air may be made
the adjunct fuel. alike for domestic
heating and for metallurgic uses.
1t will be blessing to the people Of
The great interior to be able to substi-
lutte the bitter north wind for the cost
y fuel that coal Is with them. It will
be a grateful chance fon retaliation to
burn the wipd there az . fuel against
ts own violence. All this ID too strange
10 b at once accepted. whether true
,r not and the writer hereof enters . [
plea Of pleasant enthusiasm to avert ,
90 great antagonism. Yet Il i true
hat the common air IL burned In this .
furnace. With evolution Of