Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-06
TO BOTTLE SUNSHINE
Solar Rays to Be Kept on Tap for
Lighting and Heating.
The Remn rl<able Invention OF n
Washington Man Which, III Per-
fectcd, VIII Rcvolutionize
4 the Art of War.

\ machine for utilizing the light of
the sun for relocating and lighting this
earth during the cold night has been
invented by resident of Washington,
William Calver, whose claims are shat
the machines will do away with the
use of all present illuminants or the a.
eessity of heating by artificial means.
Dir. Calver's machine utilities the heat
and light Of the sun in such a way that
the portion Of the solar rays which is
poured down on gi.en space during
cloudless weather may be stored up for
the future and taken advantage Of on
dark or cold days. lie declares that he
can turn out power in such quantities
that machinery, which must now be run
with steam generated by fire, can be
used by the adoption of this stored heat,
which will accomplish every purpose
to which the fire under boiler is now
put.
The light of the sun is the strongest
known in degrees of brightness.
Though o5,ooo,ooo miles away, it's radi-
nnce is far above anything ever accom-
plished in the way of artificial light,
and is more than equal to 5,o75 100000
of billions OF candle powcr-candle
power measure being the degree Of
light furnished by {: sperm candle one
sixteenth of n pound in weight.
That the vast energy of the sun is
simply being wasted. as far us any util-
Hation of it in mechanics is concerned,
is fact that has long been uclnowl-
edged, and though many have sought
for ages to construct some machine
which could be practica!-some invcn-
ton which would use this heat in doing
the work of the world--no advance has
ever been made in that direction which
led to any useful result August s. 1852,
there was an experiment made in
France by which Abel Pifre successful
~ printed paper by machine which
was run by solar heat, but the work
seems to have been dropped at that
stage.
His machine consisted of large horn
like disk nearly 10 feet in diameter, this
throwing the rays down into mirror,
by which they We're concentrated be-
meath a boiler in which enough water
was heated to generate good steam.
This boiler was connected with Mar
conf press, which ran by this means all
the afternoon, printing 500 copies Of :;
paper which was called the Journal of
the Sun.
MI. Calver, who has taken out many
patents for his invention. says his ma
chlne Will store up the radiant energy
from the sun. which is delivered in such
vast quantities in bright weather, and
release it in any desired quantities on
dark nights and cold lays. This bot
tied sunshine, which is caught by the
meshes of science in the summer. can
be put away in the storeroom, lust as
canned goods arc now kept, and it will!
be on tap in January. The details Of the
machine are fully given in he spccinca-
tons Of the patent, but are too tech
nical to be Of popular interest
The possibilities of machine that
Will successfully utilize the rays Of the
sun, transforming heat to power, arc
almost beyond the magination. In
stead Of gas bills and electric light bills
to worry the householder, all he would
have to do would be to see that the sun
shine machine had taken advantage Of
the rays that warmed the days of June
From the store Of sunshine thus ac-
cumufated he could supply his kitchen
range and his parlor stove with heat.
He could apply the power derived from
the stored rays to running motor that
would accomplish wonders in house
bold duties. He could illuminate his
house as brilliantly as he pleased
every night in the week without the
dread thought that the nevcr-tiripc
meter in the cellar was eating up his
income.
Applied to transportation, the sun
shine machine offers too a wondrous
horde of advantages. Heretofore the
great problem of the aerial navigator
allinventors are potentially aerial navi-
gators-has been to find motor the
weight of which will not keep his ship
from sailing on the brcezes. Electric
motors and the lightness of aluminium
have held out glowing promises, but
how much more could be accomplished
with stored sunshine
Railroads, with no coal to buy, could
declare larger dividends. Farmers,
able to dispense with horses, could drive
their plows and thrashng machines
with stored sunshine, and could go to
market on week days and to church on
Sundays with old Sol safely hitched to
the farm conveyances.
If the invention of Mr.. Calver proves
to do all he claims for it, the art of war
may well be reyolut;onized. No longer
will be necessary for the maritime ma
tons to have coaling stations. and no
longer will wars be fought over the pos
session of small islands valuable only
for such purposes. When each man-of-
war carries it's own machine for con-
densing the suns rays vessel can re-