, 1908-06-02
AUTOMOBILE ENGINEERS HAVE
SURPASSED THE GOVERN
MENT TESTS.
Power Equal to GasoIine's With Part
Of Problem solved, Difference In
Cost Promises to Be Adjusted
chief Engineer Wilkinson Heads
the Investigators.

line motor. John Wilkinson is chief
OF the engineers. The alcohol motor
has received attention at the hands
OF the leading engineers in this coun-
try and in Europe for a number Of
months. For a time the Franklin com
pany did not believe there was a fu-
ture for 1t. The tests just finished by
MI. Wilkinson and his corps of engi-
neers throw new light on it. Mr..
Franklin said in a recent interview:
Thought Nc. Profitable.
Only recently the engineers Of the
Franklin company announced that the
results obtained from the experiments
carried on with the alcohol motor in
the laboratories at the Franklin auto
mobile factory did not warrant the
belief that there was an immediate
future for the alcohol motor. 1t was
stated. however that the engineers
had not finished their work and that
they were experimenting, with the pos
sibility that the problem would finally
ed out that even If alcohol and gaso-
line could be purchased at the same
price per gallon the gasoline motor
would be the most economical for the
reason that there was a great deal
more energy in a given amount Of gas
oline than in a given mount of alco-
hol.
Use New Design.
Our engineers have now so far per-
fected the alcohol motor that 1t is,
size for size, as powerful as a gasoline
motor. The former tests were with a
regular gasoline motor converted to
use alcohol. Under the knowledge
gained by these experiments they de-
signed and built from the ground up
a motor adapted to alcohol use. Much
to their satisfaction this motor is thor
oughly practical In every respect for
automobile use. Only ninety pounds
compression is used as against $50
pounds used by the United States gov
eminent in its tests, and the results
of the Franklin motor equal the re,
suits of the government tests. Com.
preston above ninety pounds is hardly
practicable for automobile motors.
With the improved Franklin motor al
cohol is as economical to use as gas.
oline with both at the same price per
gallon. Is motor shows a consump
ton Of alcohol per brake horsepower
hour of about LOS pounds. Sos
viii Play Important Part.
There is every eason to believe
that the price OF. alcohol will gradual
ly be reduced, SO that the alcohol mo
tor is certainly going to play a very
important part In the automobile indus
try. The fact that alcohol Is much
safer than gasoline is greatly in its
favor. Contrary to prediction by emil
lent foreign experts, the alcohol pro-
duces no bad effect on the motor it.
self. These experts have expected that
in process of combustion certain chem
ical compounds would result that
would be detrimental to the working
surface Of a motor. The Franklin en-
g%ineers declare that not anything of
this kind ocurs.
OF Unusual. Importance.
ooSSSootoA VOAhlh6 Out VI INV
alcohol motor Is an achievement Of
unusual Importance. The problem has
engaged the attention Of the govern
ment of France, Germany and the Unit
ed States for some time, and the re-
suits Of these government tests have
been watched with a great deal OF in
terest. That the Franklin engineers
have reached the practical solution in
advance. of others is, they explain,
partly accounted for by the fact that
their experiments have been conduct
ed exclusively with the Franklin air.
cooled motor. Other tests have been
with water-cooled motors which lack
the high development and refinement
of the Franklin motor. Two great
achievements now stand to the credit
of the Franklin engineers, viz: The
development of the air-ocolej motor
and the development of the alcohol
MOTOR