The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-17

lent to one horsepower. Prof. Langley,
of the Smithsonian Institute, recalls the
fact, in Ills interesting work on The
New Astronomy" that in the eighteenth
century Bernieres, Frenchman, and an
English optician named Parker, each
constructed burning glasses of great
size and power under the influence of
which iron, gold and other metals ran
like melted BUTTER One of those glasses
was presented to the emperor Of China,
Who was so much alarmed at it's perform
anceS that he had it buried in the ground
where it could work no similar miracle.
The later efforts of Mouchot and Of
Ericsson are well known. The former
exhibited a sun engine which operated
a printing press at the Paris exposition
OF 1870. while the architect of the IA
nous Monitor brought his device so
near perfection that scientific men be-
gan to build serious hopes upon it in
1884. But none Of these inventions was
able to stand the test Of application to
actual commercial uses. They concen-
trated the rays of the sun. They made
steam. They even drove engines. But
when brought to the crucial test of
practical, everyday uses-cheap manu-
facture, economical and continuous oper-
ation-they failed And so it has been
with many other less celebrated efforts.
While the present successful motor has
listing scientific knowledge, the solution
of the problem is a triumph Of Ameri-
can genius, which has built successful
device on the ashes Of past failures
The most obvious advantage of the So
lar motor is the saving in fuel. 1t will
be used over wide districts where the
cost Of fuel is prohibitive and viii even
supersede all other power in the uses for
which it is adapted in localities where
fuel is most abundant since it Is plain
that no fuel is cheaper than any fuel.
The saving Is effected not merely in the
purchase price Of coal or wood oil or
gasoline, but also in the item of handling
these materials. The solar rays are
not only furnished without cost, but, by
a convenient provision Of nature are
freely transported to the place Of use,
which is wherever the reflector may hap
pen to be erected.
The usefulness of sun power will be by
no means limited to irrigation, nor should
it be inferred by the size of the present
engine that ten-horse power bounds its
possibilities The new motor will be
used for various industrial purposes and
probably quite largely in connection with
mining Plants of 100-horse power, with
several refectOrs grouped about a central
engine, are already feasible and it is quite
within reason to expect that with the i'm
provements which will naturally be add
ed as time goes on the present maximum
will be much increased.
1t is in it's relation to irrigation how
ever, that the successful utilization OF
sun power will excite the widest public
interest. Mining is an industry which
aourishes in spite of all obstacles. There
is no country so far nor climate so Sc
vere-there is no peril and no expense,
which can discourage mining, because
the possible reward is SO great and the
hope of sudden wealth so alluring. 1t
may be sad and deplorable, but it is mona
| the less true, that a man will risk less
for home than for fortune There