The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-21
NEW ERA DAWN|AG;
ACE OF Gas POWER
CONTINUED from First Page.j

i 4stablish ments tho steam boiler and
the steam engine are being "Osler-l
lied" ard replaced by producer gas
4 plants. with their accompanying in-l
lternal combustion engines. The inter
nal combustion has demonstrated It's
I power to produce nearly three times as
much power with given amount OF
coal as the steam engine. In addition
TO this. IL has been proven that the
4 poorest quality Of coal. such as the
4 Hgnite of&the Western States and the
peat o. the Florida swamps, generate
lin the gas producer twice the power
4 the same coal does in the steam plant
such coal will generate gas, although
4 It will be found useless in the fire box
= OF the steam engine.
The great saving to the country
d (which all this will effect Is variously
! estimated by experts at from $780,
4 100000 to 5000. 100000 annually. The
peoples coal bill In 1905. $1,000 ooo. Ooc.
One bird OF this, or $500. 600. oool-one-
half billion-was spent for coal to pro-
duce power.
i Thus 1t. will be seen how important
this newest factor will become to
those who buy coal for the purpose
OF making steam. S
In these days OF gigantic Industrial
"A endeavor. with the great nations OF the
earth struggling for supremacy in the
y worlds marts, the prizes will go to
those counties that can manufacture
II the most economically. Realizing
II this the manufacturers of the United
States are taking an intense interest
IN the work now being done by gov
eminent experts IN solving the problem
II OF the best utilization Of the fuel re,
# sources OF the country. ATbettcr5utili-
zation OF fuel means more economy IN
the production of goods. and more
economy means larger opportunity
for the Yankee manufacturer in the
trade OF the world.
The technologic branch OF the United
States Geological Survey has been en-
gagged for several years testing GOALS
& flor the use. Of the government. and in
these tests the possibilities of the gas
engine or internal-combustion engine,
have been developed to such a marked
Z degree that the entire commercial
wor is taking notice.
@ Actual Tests.
For three years the government en-
perts labored at the fuel testing plant
,at ST. Louis, Mo-, with wonderful re-
lsults. The plant, SO far as fuel testing
Us concerned, has been moved to Nor
a folk, Va. where the tests are being
continued.
The experts at the beginning found
they had most difficult problem on
ltheir hands. They found that the
losses in tho utilization of fuel for the
q development Of power. heat and light
were so great that in q ton of coal
consumed in an ordinary manufacturing
N (plant less than five per cent. Of the
i ltotal energy was available for the ac-
tual work OF manufacturing They
also found that In ordinary locomotives
only three to Ave per cent. Of the fuel
energy is obtained for pulling the train.
b This is about the same as If a house
2slwife took barrel of flour and sue
ceeded In getting but one small biscuit
tas the entire result
y + In the hope of stopping this tremen-
Ia dous waste which Is going on. the gov
eminent experts have been experiment
ing for some time. A method OF COM
bustion which, ills believed. will elm
tinate this waste, has been found In tho
Esas-producer and the internal combus-
ton engine. 81
Gas engines and gas-producers have
q been in operation in the United States
for many years, but the development
WAS slow and uni,nportanl until The
government experts proved by test.
that soft coal and even lignIte and pea
could be utilized In the producer. Priol
TO the year 1904 no one In this coun
sgi try had succeeded In using soft Goa
land Ignite in this way, and with~tht
l5 big prices for anthracite there wai
but little economy In the gas engine
For many years the natural fuel o
ithese internal combustion engines wa
l city gas, but even this was too expen
AZ slve except for engines of small ca
pacty. 1t was seldom found feasible Il
operate engines of more than Is horse
Apower on this fuel. "a .&
Steam Engines Rival.
The theoretical possibilities of tn
a anternal combustion engine operate
'7pon cheap fuel promised SO much tina
the practical difficulties We're 500
overcome, with the result that the in
ternal combustion engine at once be
came serious rivalo the stcam-en
gine. The development of the gas-en
sine Ina paint or: size has been exceed
f dngly rapid. 1t was only a few year
that a 6o0-horse power engine eXhi