Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-21
INVENTOR SHOWS
WONDER CELLS
ANGELENO DISCOVERS NEW
BATTERY
DEVICE WILL REVoLUTIoNIZE
MANUFACTURE
Electricians Deeply Interested in New
Method of Generating Mystic
Power-Chemist Guards
His Secret

hopes to bring about a complete refor-
nation in the electrical world, and
which has created great enthusiasm
among all who have seen it in opera
ton, is rapidly being completed by
Julius j. Krohn at his work shop and
laboratory at 105 Ord street, Los An
geles.
The invention is q small, hard rub
ber primary cell, capable of producing
over two volts eff electricity at a We
locity of twenty-four amperes, ana
weighing about two and one-haH
pounds. Beginning Wednesday after
noon, August 2, Krohn will exhibit 25O
of these cells in action, forming
complete battery and used in conjunc-
tion with a patent percolating system.
The cell is a small, hard rubber
drum, five inches in diameter and one
and seven -eighths inches in thickness.
The walls are but one-eighth of an
inch thick, while the cell is fitted with
rubber tubes, SO that the liquid used
for storing the electricity may perco-
late readily. Regular zinc and carbon
plates are used in the cell, the carbon
being especially prepared by a secret
process known only to the inventor.
Secret in Liquid
The secret of the remarkable life and
power of the cell lies not only in the
carbon, but also in the liquid which
is used to store the electricity. Com
posed Of per cent acids and 96 per
cent water, this liquid is SO mild that
one may wash his hands IN it, and
yet it will completely dissolve either
gold or platinum. 1t may be exposed
to the air, costs but very little to man.
ufacture and is possessed of an eX-
ceedingly long life.
Another great advantage of the cell
over the ordinary article is its weight
of two and one-half pounds, as com
pared with the ordinary wet battery
which weighs about twenty pounds.
The zinc, upon which this remarkable
LIQUID acts although but one-fourth of
an inch thick, may be used twenty
four hours each day for a period OF
over two weeks before ii must be re-
neWed.
Interested by reports that a wet cell
had been invented which is capable of
producing over two volts of electricity
at a high amperage and nominal cost,
numbers Of local electricians and chem
lists have visited Krohn's laboratory and
have been unanimous in declaring that
the cell exceeded their most sanguine
expectations. The ordinary Edison or
Gladstone cells, than which there are
none better on the present market, are
expensive, heavy and capable of pro-
uOL Qullt OllC WIZ VI 1lONNA wv
at velocity Of fifteen amperes.
Has New PercoIator
Krohn also has perfected percolat-
ing system, by means of which the
liouid may be readily circulated from
one cell to another. This apparatus
consists of a light wooden frome, at the
top Of which are placed several wooden
barrels filed with generating liquid,
which is kept in motion by small CEN
trifugal pump. The entire apparatus,
in conjunction with the primary cells,
is capable of producing $50 volts at a
velocity Of seventy-five amperes and
giving a continuous discharge Of seven
kilowats.
Inasmuch as but 4 per cent of chemi-
cal is used in making the generating
liquid it's strength may greatly be in
creased, Krohn already having raised
the amperage of a single cell to sixty
amperes.
II am willing to state" said Krohn
Yesterday, that the ozone is the active
principle of this primary cell, and the
more ozone which I can create the bet
ter results shall I obtain"
The cell may readily be assembled
and is water tight. soft rubber washers
being used on both sides. Iron screws
are used as connections, having been
found to be more satisfactory than
either copper or brass. The carbon
plate, which is prepared by patent
process, is capable Of receiving seven
kilowats of electricity, a feat hitherto
considered impossible.
Cost Is Slight
The generating solution, after hav
ing been thoroughly saturated, is
50 evaporated, leaving a zinc precipitate
which is in turn used for making zinc
plates. The entire cost of operating
the cell is very slight, Krohn believing
that electricity may be readily pro
duced at a cost of 2la cents per kilo-
wat
An illustration of the working prin-
ciples of this remarkable apparatus
will be given Wednesday afternoon
and continued for several days at
Krohn's laboratory, 105 Ord street.
Krohn is now operating under the
name of the Yuma Electrical Develop
ment company, which was Incorporated
a short time ago under the laws of
Arizona Many influential capitalists
and electrical experts of Yuma own
shares in the company and a demon
strat ton was made during March of
1909 in Yuma although the cell had
not at that time attained its present
stage of perfection. Many who wit
messed the exhibition were enthusiasts
tic in their belief in the ultimate sue
cess of the enterprise. Should the
coming demonstration prove entirely
successful a new company will inn
mediately be incorporated in Los An
geles and a plant will be built. Many
invitations have been issued to leading
chemists of California. The officers of
the Arizona company are A. w. s.
Smith, president: S. e. Kent secre-
tary, and s. NJ. Smith. treasurer. Don
s. Rae with offices in the Dresden
house, 224 South Main. ST ct, has been
appointed by Krohn as the Los An
eeles agent for the company.
julius Krohn probably is one of the
best known chemists Of the west and
has been employed as a cyanider by
many of the leading mining companies
of the United States. Born in Chicago
and educated in chemistry by Prof
II. c. Foreman, Krohu was soon rec
ognized as one Of the leading chem
lists of this country Since he was 10
years old he has been working to per-
feet a light and strong primary cell,
and at last believes he has succeeded.
The inventor has been in Los Angeles
seven months, perfecting what promises
to be one of the electrical sensations
of the twentieth century.
-s-A-Ha---
Sue Directors of Wrecked Bank
NORFOLK, Va, Aug. 2O-John r.