The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-23
.UR FR0M COIL no l|R.
0Sysl aeesesy Listens - . Pager ~
wlllss1 z Case, - AsAssn, n. "
Asssr . Committee haA VERT
asA ExnesiDents uaAe ~ uin-


- tucss an electric current by the
~ consumption Of nothing but car
S0 bon. except oxygen from tho
air. In described IN payer by
willard e. Case. OF Auburn.
n Y. read on June Is befn-e the Royal
Society tn London. Before the read
ing u the paper Mr.. Case made ex-
rersrnents before committee OF the
society 10 prove his discovery, as the
society wgIi net accept any paper the thee
rfes of which have not been substantial eel
BIZ actual proof 10 lis satisfaction. ~ the
pager a. read In foo technical TO b. intel
Lxihls 80 the general reader IL IN not
aSysn here. hut the following account OF
the experiments Will serve 70 snow how
Mr. Case has demonstrated: that electricity
can be produced direct from carbon with
out waste Of any mediam and without
beat, the carbon being exidixed hy the
oxygen Of this atmosphere through a
chemical carrier. A striking feature of
this process IL that the Inventor aas con-
trived cell which PARALLELS the chemical
Action Of the most effective machine
known 70 science. the human body.
To begin with. Mr. Case set forth three
propositions upon which his process 10
based:
1. That carbon reduces ferrtc chloride
solution to ferrous with the production Of
carbon d.oxide- This process In absolutely
compiese.
Tha, the soiutlas in this form takes
up oxygen from the air. returning 10 it's
original form Of ferric chloride solution,
This IL also q complete change.
3. That II into tnks solution Dc intro
duced platinum negative eleetroiel con-
neetcd by = copper wire with the carbon
tpositise eiectrodsj. electrical energy will
be set Up.
Each Of these propositions ne proved BIZ
- 0xsfxH a1.9 So
chemicals used. Into the acsd solution OF
ferric chloride he introduced q piece of
coal connected by copper wire with piece
Of platinum, then blew current OF air
into fhs solution 10 T.senerate the ferrous
chloride. to which IL WAS reduced, back
70 ferrtc constantly. In these processes
esectreai energy was generated. as shown
by The volt meter. The current Was used
also 10 rtrs an electric bell and in other
motor forfna When the electrical circuit
was not completed. the chemical process
generated fractional part OF one degree
o. heat. In THE process IL q not the ferric
chloride that attacks the carbon but the
oxygen OF the air. which uses the ferric
chloride ~ carrier. There is absolutely
no waste or consumption of the solution.
Here enters In the likeness 20 the pro-
eesses Of the human organism. alluded e,
above. When we breathe the oxygen OF
the AIR taken into The lungs Is taken I'D
by the blood and carried through the ar
ferss. This oxygen attacks the tissues
that is the carbon absorbed IN the shape
OF fooi-and thus produces energy The
aflertai blood, which IL analogous TO tho
ferric chloride. becomes ferrous hy giving
40 ~ axvgen. II IL then returned to the
lungs. there to be again oxlilxed by the
process OF breathing. and thus 10 return
20 serric. In this process the body gives
OF carbonhe atoxiie. Thas the parallel
between II and Mr.. Cases cell Is complete.
With few exceptions. the forces Of ma
tnrc the galysnie battery and similar
electric cells. which are not praeticabie
for tie production % a high degree OF
power. the worlds motive power. both cleo
trio and otherwise. is derived from carbon
Carbon is the cheapest material known
that contains stored up energy. The eicc-
trio power N general Csc f. obtained by
the combustion of coal 10 produce steam
or by means Of tho gss engine. the poHer
thus obtained running dvnamoss Hut all
this involves tremendous waase, due 10
the Intervention OF the all bit universal
second law OF fherme-dynamica. Avoid
ance Of this law Is what Mr.. Case II seek
snx In his efforts 90 derive energy direct
from carbon, In a namphies on the sub
teet af electrical energy published two
years ago. he writes on this law as follows
''in accordance With the second law of
which we ram utilize I'm given case
equals the difference between the high ami
low temperatures used. divided by the low
temperature. New. To express this more
simply, there is heat. or an expansive.
forre In everything. down tn an absolute
ssso. but under ordinary conditions we
cannot economically us. this heat in any
machine below the average normal tenn
nerature In which we TIVE. So.
when once we set NO molecu~
lar motion. called heat. we only use
II ahove the normal temperature. up D
that point 20 which we ar. limited nv the
destruction OF matter OR. SIS We might
saw, En- that point at which We burn ous
our boilers or melt car containing vessels
And this range ~ bat II small fractieu
az the total range Of tho heat we have
produced Lodge has shown US that tee
enerxy in a pint Of boiling water II l.
ecuh all 10 utilized. amounts 80 more than
haH n mitlion foot pounds. and even II
the water were quite cold, and an the
fcint OF freezing Il would still contain eff
srgy ~ Eaea foot pounds cf w1rk, ar ona-
sixth Of A horse power hour IN every pint
Now es~sI or zinc could he burned IL heat
this water 20 y boiling point. tr which case
only part II the energy between that
point and freezing could be utilized which
n a sssan povtioa ~ the total range h.
tweva she boiling Tasnf ARA absolute zero
lee IL be understood that this Is a Law ~
nature; II is inevitable under the ecndi-
TONS IN which we live. M cunaingiy de-
wise. furnace or fsesi-watsY heater. or cut
or. or tFspie-eSgansioa apparatus, or pyrs-
sen~ggseT can save this heat The most
that ans az these devices can 40 IS so save
what " otsli otherwise be wasted, over ana
above thst wasch We must 90 Necessity
lasv -
In hss experiments MFR. Case has shown
,hsi Il = Theoretically rossit3e - cosais
ere s.5Tse p0wer hour of electrical energy
srssn a p.see 0t cars>sn weighing n tvt1s
over ewe-sen;h q pound. In the hss;
Sssama Systetns in use as~aus four pounds
ef coal sre consumed Zoe every horse
power Nanr - electrical energy developed
sssna tee 3ivnaTao
In IRE hewtHmux shs possibility 81 cSr-
sertsmS Carez,u fnfa energy without aegn"
fas Il aAS suggested ~ Mr.. Ease ~ f5e
ssTecs@ssS - sas hsYssssn bessy. chemist
ey education, although not h~ pFefesStSs2ss
ssngc k:s s%vsoess. he became deeply ifs-
ssseSsgs IN sse chemical Ivoe@Sses * the
s-InsAl oTEass.sta. arss made a Study o.
them II seemed - htun that ar sra2sat-
Fsate Imitation - animate Hssssrss could -