The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-10-04
A SUBSTITUTE FOR STEAM.
Inventor ROhar Thinks He Has Dis.
covered It.
HE HAS AN EXPERIMENT STATION
IN LONG ISLAND COTTAGE.

Well Supplied With Money From Canadian
Sources-Two Tons of Castings Scnt
Over the Grand Trunk-The Machines
Will Soon be Exhibited.
Some months ago stranger, apparent
| ly French Canadian, and giving his
name as W. NJ. Rohar, went to Long
island, and hired cottage at Ponce s
for the year, rather an odd thing to do.
He moved his family to the cottage. and
| then in few days began to work at the
| construction of some machine. He proved
to be very quiet pleasant fellow, well
supplied with funds and after a while
there was but little curiosity manifest In
his movements. Recently, however, the
construction of his machine has reached a
point that has led Long Island residents
to feel more direct personal interest in
the man and his work.
| During the time Mr.. Rohar has lived
at Long island he has kept pretty con-
stantly at work, having for visitors only
a few strangers like himself, and like
himself interested in the work he has on
hand His few visits to Portland have
been mostly for the purpose Of having
castings made from models constructed
by himself in little work shop in the
cottage at the island. He is finished
workman and makes few changes He
has frequently during his stay at the
island brought large sums of Canadian
money here for exchange, fact that has
led to the conclusion that he is backed by
Canadians, who are keeping him we'll
supplied with funds. Very recently he
received from over the Grand Trunk
about two tons Of castings, to be used in
the construction of a large machine, his
own invention.
Yesterday he made one of his visits to
Portland and talked freely regarding his
work. That is up to certain point he
was very frank in his statements, beyond
that ha declined to give any information
He said that eight years ago he first
turned his attention to the construction
of machine to take the place of steam,
and that during the time he had been en-
gagged in making his experiments he had
spent over s18, ,0o0 He began his expert
ments in Montreal from which city he
came to Portland. For the purpose of he
better carrying on of his work and in
yestigation he went to Rochester, N. Y,
and was for some time in Newford's s and
Rowley's shops. BY this time he felt
that he was getting near the end Of his
labors, and he sought for a place where
he could be retired, and yet be close to
some large shop He fixed on Long
island as his place of residence. His ex-
treme caution regarding the nature Of his
machine is seen in the fact that he has
had his castings made in different places.
He disolaimed yesterday all idea OF
having discovered the long sought
perpetual motion, but said that his in
vention might be termed for want OF
better name, ga Cold Air Self Supplying
Power" He said that he could not in
telligently explain at that distance from
his working model the exact nature of
his machine, but expects in very few
days to be able to show large machine
in operation. There may, he said, be
some delay in getting ready. and forward
ing the necessary papers. the more be-
cause his machine will be patented in
England, Canada and the United States,
the applications being made practically
at the same time.
He said that he hoped to arrange with
Mr.. Baxter to put one Of the new engines
,,,+ ic nd lid hot hoh ho1
that speed of thirty y-six knots an hour
would be the result. He said he was in
correspondence with leading railroad men
and others, and that several reports had
been made of his work as it had
progressed.
money to burn" but that he had enough
for his purpose, and that no company
would be formed here. He added that
he had been offered $500, 600 for his
interest in the invention.
He said that few days ago he should
not have been in position to have made
any statements regarding the results of
his work, bnt that he had at last secured
such results from large working model,
as to place the invention outside of the
doubt limit. He said that this working
model was set up in his cottage at Long
island, people wanted to see it while it
was going, but 1 didn' wait them to, !"
he said, and added that his working
model will soon give place to the machine
he proposes to exhibit.
!'I started, :" he said in his quiet way,
'with thirty-six pounds pressure, and at
the end of four days and four nights, the
machine running all the time, it had in
creased to seventy pounds, and had only
an eighteen inch fly wheel. regarded
the test as sufficient, and was enabled to
see where few minor changes could be
made to advantage. You see have a
casting here, that was one Of the changes
1 saw that it would be we'll to make"
s'Mr. Rohar, will you please state the
exact nature of the claim you make of
what your machine will do?' was asked
and the inventor leaned back thought it
over, and then said in his slow, deliberate
way, ~ claim that I shall be able to