The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-08

Although a real commercial trdctlon
| battery cannot be said to exist. We don
care to assert that the outlook is hope
less. This was as much as any one cared
TO say at that time
THE storage batteries that are at pre-
sent in use in automobiles were originally
designed for stationary purposes, not fol
vehicles. The various automobile com
panies have been oding the best thai
they could with them, but they We're
entirely madaptable to vehicle traction.
THE acid or lead which is used in these
batteries gives a complicated chemical
action. The batteriesare htus not per-
fectly reversible, or, in other words.
there is a feakage-a gradual loss OF
power. A true storage battery is one that
must be perfectly reversible for all time
IF a man buys an electric automobile
today he is furnished with a book u
instructions about the battery, he must
hire an expert to teach him how to run
1t, and If he does not follow the instruc-
tons he finds himself in a short time
without any motive power.
1.-The life of an old-fashioned battery
is in proportion to its weight Its life
time also is inevitably cut down.
THE problem. therefore, was to con-
struct battery not for experts, but for
the general use-a battery that a man can
forget and neglect and which will plod
along and do its york just the same.
THE thing that was needed was what l
might call brutal practicability. Every
machine made for general use must be
made not only so that it will work pro-
perly when properly treated, but when it
is abused as well.
The new battery fills the bill in this
regard. For a long time it has been my
habit to test the packing of goods that
were to be shipped. The packages are
taken to third-story window and thrown
to the ground If they are found to be
unbroken when they are picked up. the
packing is said to be successfully done.
The same kind of rigorous tests have
been applied to the battery. On one
occasion the test automobile was turned
upside down with a crash. but neither
operator nor machine was injured.
There no comparison between it and
the other batteries. The one on exhibi-
ton in New York City weighs $50 pounds
and will drive a heavy automobile, with
two passengers, 100 miles without charg-
ing, if the roads aregood.
1T has an enormous charge rate and is,
lin my opinion, the beau ideal for vehicle
traction. At any rate. it is absolutely
the best that / can do in that line.
-Otherscouling after me may do more.
Nature is a pretty big proposition and a
man would certainly have swelled head
hot .,~iya ad hot ha had fino
ty in any line. No one knows more than
a hundred thousand miIlionth of one per
cent about this universe.
TO describe the new battery in a po-
pular way is not easy, though the mach
inc is very simple. 1t may be called an
internal combustion apparatus. Finely
powdered iron forms one pole and an
oxide of nickel form the other. These
two have never been used before for stor-
age purposes. / also use an alkali. which
ism ore stable than an acid.
when you connect number of these
cells with an autombile motor. the iron
rusts, or becomes, oxidized. If the iron
Were outdoors this rusting process would
duces electricity insteoad. 1t turns into
neat IHdAy, Ol cOdISt
The oxygen necessary to burn the iron
is stored in the nickel, SO we don't have
to get it from the air. When all the iron
is rusted, or oxydized. then the battery
gives no more current and must be re-
charged.
1.-The battery was invented to SOLVE
prearranged problem in vehicle traction.
If it failed in any one of half dozen par
ticulars it would be a complete failure.
When L began to work on it, four years
ago, I Iabored for eighteen months with
out getting anything tangible. At pre-
sentnothing remains but for an automo-
biie company TO build an automobile
around it.
These improvements and inventions
cannot be made instantaneously Facto-
ries must be built, with ali their mach
inery and paraphernalia. If anyone thinks
there is any undue delay l would like to
have him come out here and work along
side of me for a while. He would have
all he wanted of the strenuous life
Il have had to import all my steel from
Germany-paying double price for it and
a 40 per cent duty besides-there is not
enough raw material in this country
to build twenty machines day. though
factories arenow being built.
Yes, the new battery will settle the
hors-not at once. but by degrees. The
price of automobiles will be reduced SO
that almost every family may have one
and run it, without the aid Of an expert.
In fact, l hope that the time has near
" arrived when every man not only have
light his own home. charge his own mach
inery. heat his own rooms. cook his food.
tee, by electricity without depending on
any one else flor these services.
independence that is what We may
nIl t-in