Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-07-14
BOTTLING SUNSHINE.
SOLAR RAYS ON TAP FOR LIGHT
AND HEATING.

and Place It On Tap-An Astounding Prop
osition.
A machine for utilizing the light oil
the sun for reheating and lighting
this earth during cold or night has
been invented by resident of Wash
ington, William Calver, whose claims
are that the machines will do away
with the use of all present illuminants
or the necessity for heating by artili.
cial means.
Mr.. 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 given
space during cloudless weather may be
stored up for the future and taken ad.
vantage of on dark or cold days. He
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 a boiler is now
put.
The light Of the sun is the strongest
known in degrees OF brightness.
Though 95,OOO,OOO miles away, its ra-
dance is far above anything ever &C.
complished in the way of artificial
light. and is more than equal to 15,-
O75, 100000 of billions of candle power
candle power measure being the de-
gree OF light furnished by a sperm
candle one-sixteenth OF pound in
weight.
That the vast energy of the sun is
simply being wasted, as far as any
utilization of it in mechanics is con-
cerned, is fact that has been long
acknowledged, and though many have
sought for ages to construct some ma
chine which could be practical-some
invention 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 re.
suit. August 3, 1882, there was an
experiment made in France by which
Abel Pifre successfully printed q pa
per by a 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 IL feet in diam
eter, this throwing the rays down into
a mirror, by which they we're concen.
trated beneath boiler in which
enough water was heated to generate
good steam. This boiler was connect
ed with Marconi press, which ran by
this means all the afternoon, printing
800 copies OF paper which was called
the Journal Of the Sun.
Mr.. Calver, who has taken out
many patents for his invention, says
his machine will store up the radiant
energy from the sun, which is deliv-
cred in such vast quantities in bright
weather, and release it in any desired
quantities on dark nights and cold
days. This bottled sunshine, which
is caught by the meshes of science in
the summer, can be put away in the
storeroom just as canned goods are
now kept, and it will be on tap in jan
uary. The details of the machine are
fully given in the specifications OF the
patent, but are too technical to be of
popular interest.
The possibilities of a machine that
will successfully utilize the rays of the
sun, Transforming heat to power, are
almost beyond the Imagination. 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 sunshine machine had taken nd.
vantage of the rays that warmed the
days of June. From the store OF SUM-
shine thus accumulated he could sup
ply his kitchen range and his parlor
stove with heat. He could apply the
power derived IRON the stored rays to
running motor that would accom-
plish wonders in household duties.
He could illuminate his house as bril-
liantly as he pleased every night in the
week without the dread thought that
the never-tiring meter in the cellar
was eating up his income.
Applied to transportation, the sun
shine machine offers too q wondrous
horde of advantages. Heretofore the
great problem Of the aerial navigator
all inventors are potentially aerial
navigators-has been to find q motor
the weight of which will not keep his
ship from sailing on the breezes.
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. Farm
ers, able to dispense with horses
could drive their plows and thrashine
machines with stored sunshine, and
could get to market on week days and
to church on Sundays with old Sol
safely hitched to the farm convey
ances.