Bisbee daily review., 1907-03-16

very careIul tests nave been maqe
 of how much power alcohol yapor can
 exert in internal combustion compared
 with gasoline, which is the form of re
 fined petroleum best adapted for this
 purpose. They show that with a gal
 lon of alcohol fully 20 per cent more horsepower can be obtained from the
 engine designed to use this fuel than
 from the modern gasoline engine us
 ing the same quantity and in opera
 ton for the same length of time. As
 the expert puts 1t. the alcohol motor
 has a thermal efficiency" of about
 thirty per cent while the one actuated
 by gasoline has but twenty-one per cent, because the alcohol can be com
 pressed to a greater density in the cylinder than gasoline, and thus it's
 heating value or power can be used
 70 a greater extent. This is an inter. esting fact as it indicates that alec hol will stand a much greater degree of heat before igniting than any form of refined petroleum, thus reducing the danger of handling and transport ing it. But besides generating more
 power, the spirit does not injure the motor as much as gasoline. The con tinual explosions and the action of the
 vapor may coat the interior of the cylinder with sediment. If the gaso-
 line is mixed with other liquids, as is
 done to adulterate it, the Vapor may
 rust, but the residue left by alcoholic
 vapor is so minute in quantity that
 its effect is slight compared with that
 of fuel oil The mixture of alcohol
 and gasoline makes an excellent fuel
 for the gas engine, as the Germans
 have found. The combination ignites
 readily and has been found to be very
 efficient, especially where pure spirit
 costs too much to utilize entirely.
 Let us pause a moment to think
 what all this means. We have re- ferred to the farmer because he may
 be as necessary to furnish the light
 and power of the future as he is to feed us, but there are six millions of him to consume the spirit as well as to make it Only few motors are as yet used in the rural districts, but including the automobiles and power boats fully 100000 engines are now being operated in the United States by means of liquid fuel, ranging from the little cycle motors of single horsepower to massive machines of 500 horsepower. The Germans, how ever, have shown us the possibilities of the gas motors, for they are mak- ing them of 5000 horsepower-more than twice the energy exerted by a standard locomotive. What alcohol may mean in expanding the use of the automobile can only be conjectured, since it not only creates more energy, but is free from the objectionable odor of gasoline as well as the smoke which is too often created by imper. feet combustion. An idea of it's i'm portance to the agriculturist. however. may be gained from the fact that two corporations in this country man. ufacturing farm machinery have en. larged their plants so that combined they can build no less than 50.000 of these motors in a single year. ,
 We have to turn to the Old World to realize what this fluid means in preparation of every day necessities. The industries in European countries where alcohol is permitted to be man. ufactured without taxation, indicate that the variety of it's uses is almost without limit It forms the base of high grade yarnishes, since it is the best known solvent shellac. Pianos, organs, household furniture and ve- hicles, when coated with varnishes of this kind. have a finish and luster which cannot be obtained in any oth- CT way, while the compound acts as a wool preservative. In chemistry it' is indispensable. In the manufacture of dyes enormous quantities are used. The Germans, aware of it's value, per nit the production of alcohol without taxation, and this is why Germany the worlds market for ami line dyes, as the great chemical com panies of the empire make these sub stances for less than 10 cents pound. In the United States the industry is insignificant in proportion, as the pro- ducing cost per pound is over 50 cents. Every kind of hat we wear is stiffened with alcohol in some form. Every dczen of them requires 8 gallon of ethyl or wood spirits. Our bill for has been enormous owing to the cost of alcohol. which forms one of the principal elements in the of modern explosives. Here, again, Europe has had the ad- vantage of us in the preparation of !