The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-18
Brooklyn Eagle.

One pound Of carbon perfectly burned
yields enough energy to operate eighty
four ordinary incandescent lamps during
one hour. Few electric stations are able
to supply more than five such lamps for
each pound Of carbon in the form OF coal
hourly consumed. If all the energy de-
veloped could be delivered In the form OF
electricity the amount Of light obtained
from a pound of coal might thus be null
tiplied sixteen times
Much Of the loss at electrical stations Is
inherent in the nature Of their operations.
First, the energy OF the coal must be OBJ
tanned in the form of heat to make steam,
and part of this heat escapes in the
chimney gasses. Next, the heat IS trans
formed into the mechanical motion Of the
engine and still greater loss occurs In
the exhaust steam. Another change and
the mechanical work Of the engine ap-
pears in part as electricity at the dyna-
mos, the remainder being lost in friction.
If electricity can be obtained direct
from coal these successive transforms
lions and losses may be avoided. If a
battery supplied with coal can be made
to yield electricity just as boiler now
yields heat boilers. engines and dynamos
alike may find place in the scrap heap.
The prize implied by such results has long
been sought by inventors.
Among the latest and apparently best
shHOWn Investigations alOnH CQlS line are
those of DR.. William w. Jacques. an cleo
trical engineer of Boston graduate OF
the lMassac husetts Institute of Technology
and Of John Hopkins university. Interest
has been added to the experiments of DR.
jacques by the recent announcement In
the daily press that John D. Rockefeller
has offered to supply capital for their fur
,ther prosecution. It Is now more than ten
years since DR.. jacques began his inves-
legations and meanwhile some very re-
markable results have been reported con-
corning them. In Harper's Magazine for
December, 1896, DR.. Jacques told the pub
lie how, while sitting before an open fire
he had often dreamed Of converting the
energy Of coal into electricity instead OF
into heat; also how the dreams came true.
To quote the words of DR.. jacques, speak
ing of nature:
II surprised her in her secret and dis
covered the way by which we may aban-
don even combustion and heat itself, and
convert the stored-up energy Of coal d.
rectly into electricity"
According to DR.. jacques his invention
consists of a process by which the exy-
gen Of the air Is led to combine with q
mass Of carbon beneath the surface Of g
suitable liquid thus generating electricity
instead Of heat.
In general the apparatus required to car.
~ on this process includes an iron POI
containing molten potash, rod Of carbon
partly submerged In the potash, an all
pump, an iron pipe thru which air |.
forced into the potash at a point beneath
the carbon rod, and furnace In or owe
which the iron pot Is heated. When tn,
potash Is kept In molten state by tn,
furnace fire and air is forced thru the iro,
pipe to the lower end Of the carbon rod
an electric current may be obtained b.
connecting point on the pot with the en-
Of the carbon rod that sticks up out Of tn
potash. During this process the carbon