The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-30
AN ALCOHOL TEST
A Study Made of the Product as
an Auto Fuel.
Chicago Machine Shows Dena-
tured Material o. II.
MAKES A so MILE RUN.
Consumes Seven Gallons and so
Ounces on Trip.
Motor Ran Smoother Than w hen
Under. Gasoline.
MAKES A so MILE RUN.

Chicago, Jan. S0.-Denatured alcohol
was given thorough test as a fuel for
motor cars yesterday in run from
Chicago to Crown Point. Ind, in a for
ty-five horsepower Pierce Great Ar
row. machine. The run was made I'M
der the auspices of the Chicago Motor
club and David Beecroft, chairman of
the technical committee and mechani-
cal expert for Motor Age, accompanied
the car for the purpose of making a
report on the performance of the car
driven by the new fuel
From every standpoint, according to
Mr.. Beecroft and Paul Hoffman, who
drove the car, the trial was successful.
Compared to the economy run of last
summer to the same place under a gas
oline drive, this machine would have
beaten two or three of those entered
in that run.
1t was found that the motor ran
smoother and steadier under alcohol
than is usual with gasoline. that it
pulled better on inclines and that more
power was generated than expected.
The combustion was good and the motor
was started once or twice from the
spark. When it was found necessary
to crank 1t quarter turn was all that
was necessary.
The car left Chicago at 1920 o'clock
in the morning and covered the sos
miles to Crown Point in 2:05:00, reach
ing there at 1925 noon. This was an
average of twenty-five miles an hour,
which was considered good travelling
over winter roads and when~no effort
at speed was made at any time.
When the car was ready for the trip
1T carried ten gallons of alcohol in it's
big tank, and an extra five-galIon can
was carried for emergency. The total
amount used on the ffty-nile trip was
seven gallons and ifty-two ounces. De-
natured alcohol now costs so cents a
According RI pau IOff
who drove the car, it would have re-
CURED at least four gallons of gasoline
to have covered the same trip.
When the machine started on its trip
1t carried five passengers. In addition
to the driver. Paul Hoffman and the
expert, Mr.. Beecroft, Joseph V Law
renee, vice president of H. Paulman
G. Co., local distributors of the Pierce,
was in the tonneau. with c. G. Sinsa-
baugh and E. G. Westlake. The whole
car, including the five passengers,
weighed 4,675 pounds.
Discussing the results of the test, Mr..
Beecroft said:
1.-The car in which we made this
test has been used as a demonstrating
machine and was given no chance to
be tuned up specially for such a trial.
1t was driven by Paul HOFFMAN, who
andled the winning thirty-horse-
power Pierce in the economy test last
fall.
machines in that test our work yes
terday was satisfactory. The percent
age of the winner in the economy test
was 2.46. Based on the same calcula-
lions, our percentage yesterday would
have been S-34, which would have
been good enough to beat out two or
three of the cars which competed in
the economy test.
THE first time we had to stop was
as we turned off the Hobart. road to-
ward Crown Point. The carburetor
choked and we found that a cotter-piil
had been lost off the throttle. Except
for traffic this was our only stop. zOc-1
casionally we had to stop the engine
owing to danger of frightening horses
Once we started the motor after this
from the spark, and when we cranked
it only a quartersturn was leeessar y.
This showed that the combustion of
the alcohol was good.
I'VE used the same carburetor
used on the car for the consumption
of gasoline. Hoffman, who is pretty
clever mechanic, has been experiment.
ing with carburetors for some time
and he adjusted this one for this run. |
The changes he made were to raise
the float one-quarter of an inch, choke
the auxiliary air intake valve trifle
and cut down the size OF. the intake |
manifold one-half. The throttle was