Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-27

operative ddstilleries for the sole purpose
Of producing this "denatured" industrial
alcohol Is the proposition of Nahum Bach
elder. master of the National Grange who
is here pressing the bill In the interest OF
the 10000 farmers of his organization.
These cooperative distileries would be I'M
der close government supervision and the
alcohol would be rendered unfit for bev
erage purposes before leaving the distillery
warehouse. In this way the cost to the
farmers of this material for lighting, heat
Ing, cooking and motor fuel purposes could
be kept at the lowest point
Europe has already done just what the
farmers and other victims of expensive fuel
and oil are clamoring for our Congress to
do In Great Britain alcohol made I'M
drinkable by the addition of 5 per cent OF
wood alcohol and a much smaller proper
ton of mineral naphtha is now sold freely
without tax. Since 1887 Germany also had
untaxed alcohol for industrial purposes.
France, Switzerland. Holland Belgium
Italy, Russia Sweden, Norway, Austria
Hungary, Portugal and six Latin-American
republics exact no tax on this "denatured
alcohol. already regarded as one OF the ne
ceSsities of agriculture, manufacture and
general industry. In these 'free-alcohol
countries there are being used many vari-
eties of alcohol engines. alcohol automo-
blles, alcohol motor boats, alcohoi farm
motors, alcohol lamps and alcohol stoves
Germany has far surpa ssed in all of these
inventions. which We're largely mothered
by necessity, for the fatherland has no nat
ural gas or petroleum But its broad sandy
plains produce cheap and abundant crops
of potatoes, from which every farmer can
manufacture a vast quantity of raw alco-
hol. Inventors and scientists have been
busy with improvements in farm distiler-
les, motors lamps, cooking and heating ap-
paratus Their spirit motors are being
turned out In all forms-upright and hort
zontal. stationary, portable and locomotive
Alcohol locomotives pull trains of dozen
cars on large farms, sugar plantations and
engineering works. They are of the yer
ticai cylinder type, and carry a hywheel to
balance and regulate the motion of the en-
CINE The army has had built ten horse
power alcohol engineers wagons" each
with a speed of ten miles an hour carving
tools and apparatus for regiment of sap
pers and miners in field service.
The army has also twelve horsepower
self-propelled fieId-lighting wagon. in which
an alcohol motor generates electricity for
lighting camps, headquarters or hospitals
Then there are alcohol motor wagons
coupes and runabouts. Alcohol stationary
engines work rotary pumps, circular and
band saws, corn. mills. creameries thrash
ing machines and all sorts OF apparatus for
teamwork and small manufactures where
less than twenty horsepower engines are
needed. At the same time internal-combus-
ton engines using gasoline are coming into
general use on the farms In all parts of our
country to compensate for the scarcity of
labor. Our farmers are adopting them for
paling hay, Smelling corn, saving wood
thrashing. churning, spraying fruit trees
pumping water and various other purposes
one or our largest agricultural Implement
manufacturing companies is arranging TO
place on the market farm traction engines
operated with these gasoline motors for
moving, reaping and other field work But
gasoline has been going up in price and de-
creasing in supply. Moreover the farmer
small manufacturer or automobile owner
who keeps gasoline on hand for these COM
pact engines must pay high rate of insur-
ance for the privilege. Alcohol on the other
hand, vaperizes so much more than gaso-
line that 1t Is not dangerous explosive
mixture in the open air. II alcohol catches
fire 1t can readily be extinguished by water,
which only spreads the fire when played
upon gasoline. THE danger of using gaso-
line is so great that 1t is practically pro-
hibition," says DIR. Wiley. Such an in
f1ammable thing as a farmers barn ought
not to be subjected to such danger" The
odor of the gasoline motor-which has led
tho gentle skunk to dispairingly ask,
whats the use?''-needs no commentary.
The alcohol motor, for automobiles or farm
work near dwellings, has the superiority of
being absolutely odorless and clean. We all
know how free from SCOT and smoke was
our grandmothers spirit lamp. And this