The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-16
TO COOL ROOMS As THEY ARE HEATED
Practical Test of Novel Apparatus to
Be Made in New York Mission.


A novel machine designed to cool inte-
rior atmosphere as it is heated by art-
fetal means is soon to be tested in the
Galilee Mission house on East Twenty
third street. The inventor claims for his
apparatus ability to reduce in summer
the temperature of dwellings, hospitals.
churches, theaters, etc, just as easily as
it is now in winter raised by the various
systems of hot air. hot water, steam,
etc. The contrivance in working order is
now to be seen in an old building near
the mud and hustle of West street. There
the inventor recently told of his idea.
He seems to be perfectly confident of its
success; he is a man who as a machinist
has been knocking around the world"
as he puts it, since he was boy, armed
with a monkey-wrench, running, setting
up and repairing all sorts of machinery,
from that in coal mines to that in steam
ships. He is willing to speak of his in
vention now, he says, because he is sure
of the practical working of it in every
respect.
The mission hall which he has engaged
to furnish cool atmosphere for is about
25 by 70 feet, with a ceiling II feet high.
To fit this room with the necessary appa-
ratus for a reduction of the temperature
by degrees win cost about $500. A plant
that will keep an ordinary theater at an
average temperature of 20 degrees to 70
degrees in the warmest weather would
cost 1000. The running expense is esti-
mated to be small, at the rate of % cents
a day to cool 600 cubic feet of atmos-
phere to any desired point, even below
zero. The machine is automatic in opera
ton, requiring no attention, and the cold
can be turned on or off at pleasure. 1t
was perfected after study with the late
DIR. Wren of Brooklyn and Prof. Doremus
of this city, after seven years of expert
ment The ultimate plan is to make
small machines for dwelling houses with
pipes run through the various rooms as
heating pipes are now put, so that the
cold may be turned on in any room where
it is desired. An arrangement not vet
fully completed, is in process of develop
ment whereby these machines will also
supply oxygen and absorb carbonic acid
gas so as to provide ventilation without
recourse to open windows. The heat
absorbers are intended to be decorative
Those for the mission hall resemble chan
deliers, being suspended near the ceiling,
on the general principle that heat rises
and deseends.
Anyone familiar with the manufacture of
ice by ammonia will understand the princi-
pie. Ammonia heated expands 1150 times
its own bulk, and if it is then made to pass
through a small orifice, it absorbs, in ex-
panding, all the heat in the atmosphere
surrounding the aperture. Passing
through pipes in a room, it thus simply
eXhausts the heat from the apartment.
The pipes soon become ice cold frost is
seen gathering on them, and the temper
allure of the place decreases accordingly
The cold thus created is a pure dry cold
without any dampness. as from ice, and
without draughts. The machinery, now
in working order, has four boiler-like ar
rangements, an absorber, a still, a re-
ceiver and a condens y. The whole occu-
pies a floor space of 3x6 feet The absorb
er is filled with about GOO pounds of aqua
ammonia, and is so solidly sealed that
there can be no leakage, so that the same
material performs its work over and over
again, and will last, the inventor says for
twenty or thirty years or longer. From
the absorber the ammonia passes to the
still, which is automatic in movement. 1t
is there heated and vaporized under pres
sure. The heat may be generated by gas,
gasoline or OIL which is ignited and ex-
tinguished automatically as required the
ignition being from a small pilot light.
The ammonia, becoming anhydrous, pass
ses through the condenser to the receiver
and thence through an automatic valve
to the pipes supplying the heat-absorbers
in the place to be cooled. The return Is
made in the same way, the operation be-
ing repeated over and over again. Meth
er pump nor steam is required; the ma
chine when started runs itself without
even the attention of an engineer. The in
ventor claims for his apparatus perfect
freedom from back pressure on the alb
sorber feature long desired in expan-
sion machines. The automatic expan-
sion valve is operated by water, used for