Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-09
RAYS OF SUN AS FUEL
Method for Substituting Focused Heat for
Coal and Wood.
DR.. Thomas Calver the Inventor-Com-
Pany Formed for Operating
in the West.

A method of using the heat OF the sun in
place of coal and wood has been perfected
by DR.. William Calver of this city. to such
degree that 1t is now proposed to make
practical test Of it on large scale. A
company has been formed for the purpose
of using the heat of the sun to furnish
steam power for irrigating purposes in the
arid lands of the southwestern part of
the country. The inventor of this method
of producing heat has been experimenting
along these lines for the past twenty-five
years, and in his lavatory at the end of
the North Capitol street railway line the
apparatus which he uses is in operation
whenever the Sun shines.
DR.. Calver has also thought out a plan
OF supplying heat on cloudy days when the
sun is not visible. and he proposes 10 ac-
complish this by storing up the heat in a
reservoir from which he can draw as it is
needed He says heat can be stored just
as cold in the form of ice is stored How
ever, his invention is means of utilizing
the heat from the sun. and as is broadly
stated, ii is by the use of mirrors which
are so arranged that heat from the suns
point.
For example, at his workshop DR. Calver
mas surface of mirrors comprising an
area of about go square feet. He claims
mat all the heat, or rather the rays of
the sun reflected from this surface can
be brought to point. the surface of which
IS not more than eighteen inches or two
1eet He has demonstrated that a vessel of
water placed in the focus of these rays
can be made to boil furously in a very
brief time.
Metals Melted.
He has in the same way melted all the
metals, except platinum, and he has gone
tar enough in another direction to be con-
WINGED that he has sufficient heat to turn
the raw clay into the finished product
known as bricks
1his surface of mirrors is not one large
sheet. but is composed of a number of
small mirrors, each about three by six
lncheS, which are concave in shane and
arranged in rows He has in one group
twenty-seven of these lines of mirrors, some
eieht or ten feet long, and the entire sur
lace is so arranged that 1t is concaye both
in its length and breadth.
The inventor gave some demonstrations
OF what these mirrors are capable of do
Ing this morning in the presence of a small
company AS the sun was partially COW
cred with clouds. only a small percentage
OF Its power could be obtained However
by focusing the rays from a small section
OF mirrors into reflector and exposing an
ordinary piece of stick in front of the re-
hector, the latter almost instantly flashed
into flame.
Experiments Explained.
DR.. Calver explained that experiments
along these lines have been carried on
Tor several years. He mentioned particu-
iarly NJ Mouchot, French inventor, and
Mr.. Erricson. the welI-known American,
who spent good deal of time in attempt
Ing to solve this problem. He said the diff
nculty in the previous attempts was that
the effort seemed to be to make use of a
parabolic reflector, and one of the expert
mentors, by placing a vessel Of water in
the center of the reflector. succeeded in
bringing the fluid to the boiling point This
KIND OF mirror, DR.. Calver said, had not
suficient surface to concentrate an amount
OF neat necessary to accomplish any great
results. Or. Calver thinks his method is
capable of expansion and Is able to pro.
auce neat enough to take the place of fuel
In practically all the uses of life
The company formed is known as the
Salyer Universal Power Company, with
headquarters at Tucson, Ariz 1t proposes
to make use of this invention on an extern
sive scale for irrigation purposes in the
arid lands of the southwest The presi-
dent of the company is Dr. William Calver,
the secretary ]. T. Cuppy and G. W. Will
cox treasurer. Lee Crandall of Globe
Ariz., and E. H. Darling are members.