The state herald., 1901-03-22
SUN MOTOR.

anu Workings OF the nrst successful sun
motor. lie Gays; "Tnis machine is ex-
hibited at the Ostrich Farm, nnd has at
trac'ed the attention OF a vast numner
OF people, especially as Southern Cali
fornia is nov tLropged with tourists In
appearance the moter resembles huge
disk of glass, and at distance NIGH,
well be taken for q Windmill OF some
kind; but the disk is reflector thirty
three feet six inches in diameter on top
and fifteen feet on the bottom. The
inner surface ia made up of seventeen
hundred aud .ishty-eIgbt small mirrors,
all arranged so that they concentrate the
sun upon the centra, or focal point.
Here, rs shown in the accompanying
illustrations, is suspended the boiler,
which is thirteen feet SIX inches 10
length, and holds one hundred gallons
OF water, leaving eight cubic fee; Tor
steam. Al the time OF tho writer's visit
to the farm the motor was tho subject OF
no little comment, aud the attendant
sisted, conddentialiy, that s"me Of the
questions asked were remarkable. One
man assumed that it had something to
do with the Incubation Of the ostrich
eggs; and mapy asked what made il 20,
being unable to understand or sppreci.
ate the idea. Ths motor is attractive III
appearance; built lightly, supported by
seeming delicate shafts, though IN r-ali-
~ strong enough TO resist wind pres.
sure oi one hundred milss an hour. The
reflector must face the sun exactly, and
ss heavy as it Is, Weighing tons, 1t can
be easily moved. It stands, after the
fashion Of the telescope, upon an equs-
torial mounting, the AXIS being north
aud south; the reflector fellows the sun.
rcguls'sd bya clock, the work being
automstic, IS, in fact, II everything T.
bout 1t. The trns focus In shown BY an
indicator, aud IN about sn hour after
II 10 adjusted the boiler 10 sees 10 have
attained whiis beat aud the steam gage
fsgistsn one hundred and fifty pounds
Tue s,ssn II carried from the suspended
boiler to the engine IN = fexihls ph"s.
phor.bropzs tubs and returns again from
tue condrnssr 10 the boiler 10 the form
Of water, 70 that tho boiler is kept auto.
msiicsily iull. The engine Is oiled auio.
mAticAliy, aud whom the dusk 10 once
turued, facing the sun. 1t ruas all day as
Independent OF Nh engineer AZ does q
windmill
The smouut Of heat concentrated in
the boiler by the seventeen hundred and
odd mirrors cannot be realized, Nc nn'h.
ing can be seen bu, small cloud OF
escaping steam; but should man climb
upon the disk and cross IL h. would ht.
orally bs burned to ensp in few
seconds. Copper ia melted IN shor,
time here. aud pole O, wood TIN iust IN.
TO the magic circle lam-s up like u
match That th. motor Ia u suuc.s ~ 10
seen by ilr work It Is joiug-pumpinr
water from we'll. illustrating the posi-.
biliti-s OF cheap irrigation. and lifting
fourteen hundred gpllons per minute
equal to op. hundred aud iifty I've
miner's inches. Up TO The present time
tho motor has produced results equal to
abou, 'en horse power, bu, fifteen ia
claimed iot IL.
The motor ia the resnl, OF a number OF
experiments by n baud OF Boston 1api.
ialis.. One Of the flrs. productions was
a a.iyer reflector, which cos, many thou.
snndr ~ doilart. ~Hs sbandin d. III.
mex, w,s modelled after tho Ericsson in..
chiue Of 1884: bn' It was u failure. A
ibird wns erected at Lung SooJ. proving
also n failure. A fourth A,t.mp. waa
made. this time IN Denver. which was
fairly sucr-,sfnl, doing uu. half the work
Of the Paand.b. model. Finally tho lat.
ter sns produced aud found 10 be- sue.
cess. A duplicate. perhaps improved,
will be erected at the Pan. american Ia,
hibition. Daell.rs IN ,b. Easi. sbrr.
rain ialls every fos jays throughout tho
year, cannot f.ali1. what aneh q per.
i'cisd motor means 10 the West, where
arid lapda await ba, ,ns ao~ Of water to
blossom an tho rose. H. such resiona-
And they rrprs..nt millions oi square
miles fuel Ia usually very scarce, often
being 40 important = factor that the
question Of II Determines tho success or
failure of ,bs work, THIS 10 essentially
true Of tho Californian desett aud vu.t
rrsiona 10 col"fsdo. Utah. and surround.
ins States aud Territories. Mines aud
pumping plants ste often far FROM rail.
'cads, aud In ssctioos whsr. no fusi Ia ~
s'sb,. ~cod spd coal being hauled from
long distances. 10 such i.oaiion. the
collar motor 10 boon The sk,ss srs
esupsrst,vsly tree Of olpuas. and III.
nschins csn bes,u work an hour after
sn"riss, possibly earlier. aud continue
until half sn hour before suns.,. Il 10
possibls that With eh.spsr ms,bod. Of
np-iaf sies''iel,s tscAei,n, isvsr shy