The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-20
Lawyer PeTtects a Primary Bat.
isTy That May Do Marve|s.
SUSTAINED POWER ALLEG: d.
Running an Automobile and Maintaining
Electric Lights Apparent feats Of
the Cells.


idea involved In a podel left In his Of
nee, Henry Halsey. young lawyer,
nearly four years ago deliberately sacri-
feed his growing practice. turned from
his briefs and cases and forgot every
thing In the study OF IL.
Now, after the years of study. after
he has expended his own resources and
with capital supplied by two friends, he
has perfected what Is declared to be
practicable primary electric battery.
which Will supply sustained power and
will revoluionize electric motive power.
Scientists. among them the foremost
electricians OF the country, n committee
OF United States engineers and practical
electricians have studied Mr.. Halseys
models. According 10 their reports there
ts but one opinion: IF the battery does
what II appears 10 do II Is a wonderful
invention they say.
Many OF the investigators have frankly
explained this report by saying that they
do not believe the evidence OF their own
senses. and, with the Keely motor case
still In mind do not propose to commit
themselves until they know absolutely.
HIS AUTOMOBILE RUN.
With n battery OF 10 cells, weighing
BOO pounds, I'm an automobile of the run
about pattern Mr.. Halsey has ridden
about the city for hours. with four horse
power ready at any time he might need
It. lie asserts that with the same ma
chine he can go to Philadelphia at a
uniform speed of ten miles an hour,
climb hills as steep as any other automo-
bile stop there just long enough TO re-
plenlsh the electrolyte In his cells, and
return to this city 1.-THE same rate. The
cost. he declares. will be 20 cents each
way.
At a private exhibition yesterday. in
addition to the automobile. he. with four
cells, maintained thirty small electric
lights as long as he wished. One cell.
weighing less than seven pounds. opera
ted by a clockwork arrangement, he as
serted would be an ideal sparker for the
largest gasolene automobile made. and
would run six hours without replenishing.
He already has an order for 100 cells To
be placed I'm the launch OF New Yorker.
The cells will weigh 2ooo pounds when
completed win develop "a horse power in
an emergency, and will run ordinarily II
hours before the electrolyte must be re-
newed
Stripped Of technicalities. the lawyer 3
battery is nothing more than an ordinary
battery. in which the carbon disk is
made to revolve in the sdlphurc acid and
water. The zinc~plates are. az IN the COM
mon batteries. stationary. From the disc
the element OF power is taken by brushes
against which 1t revolves. These connect
cd leading TO the motor
EXPLAINS THE BATTERY.
Contra adictory as IL may appear. the mo-
tor run by the battery In turn re-olves
the disks by which the sustained over
IS furnished This Yas explained by Mr.
Halsey yesterday.
There is as much power In all pr nary
batteries as In mine" he said. The only
difference Is Il does not last The ordinary
Aot x.rf1 La N 0ln
will run a motor but for a few minutes
only. Ii is this short lived power that
use. In each cell the carbon discs are
sogged. and they AT into cogwheels at the
Top of the cell. In chain Of cells the
cogwheels are joined by a rod. When Tho
current is first turned on there Is power
enough to turn the wheels of the motor
Tor several seconds. This OF course turns
the cogwheels, which produces the sus
tained power. The force of the battery
therefore never dies out
THE whole idea is simply explained
thus: THE primary battery which oper
ates a doorbell lasts, say, for six months
simply cut It's life down to six or sever
hours by the revolving brushes gaining
therefore, so much more power"
Mr.. Halsey Is about 30 years OF ag'
and Is a member of a well known Phila
ielphia family. He came to this cit,
10 practice law about ten years ago. III
pFOSpeEeu anu TOT stNtTdi sttTS ilNt'
at the Waldorf-Astoria. IL was Their
he met an Italian business man fou
years ago who told him of the invention
OF primary battery by Dr. Isador Kit
sic, OF Philadelphia. This man had oh
talned an option on IL, and intended &
purchase II. He was recalled 10 his ma
tive land. however. and In departing lef
the model with the lawyer with instruc
tions TO see what could be done.
MR.. HALsEY'S TRIUMPH.
Mr.. Halsey began to study IT, He foun
he would have TO study electricity first
lie did this and took the model to hi
rooms at the Waldorf-Astoria. His bath
room became his laboratory.
He forgot his law practice and spent hi
savings. He moved from the hotel {
other quarters, and finally, just as n
thought he would have 10 give up. n
met two wealthy men OF Pennsylvani
who had known him there. and afte
they had investigated they told told hr
10 go ahead and there would be none
enough supplied lie did So working 4
little west side machine shop, and arte
three years finds himself one-third own
er OF % patents obtained in the princi
countries Of tho world