The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-06-24
sun POWER FOR
IRRIGATION PLANT
Powerful Solar Motor Built
Near Cairo, Egypt.
AMERICAN The INVENTOR.

= Frank Shuman, Distinguished Enei-
neer, Now on the Way to SuperIn-
May Prove to Be Solution of Grow
ing Fuel Problem.
Frank Shuman. q distinguished en-
<gineer who is now on his way to Egypt,
T. Iis making a radical departure in the
generation of natural power.
Mr.. Shuman. who Is widely known in
Engineering circles both in this coun-
try and abroad is going 10 harness the
- sun to the Nile. He has already In
stalled near Cairo a 100 horsepower
- sun plant for irrigation, and his pres
ent mission TO Egypt is to complete the
Installation and begin operations al
most Immediately.
Four times only In the history Of the
human race has the generation Of pow
er been the subject Of invention. First
came the windmill then the water
& wheel. The third departure and the
E greatest so far was the combustion Of
fuel. Now comes the use of the solar
rays, which, If successful - and Mr..
Shuman says that success is already as
sured-wfll be the most complete revo-
luton of all, solving at once for the
tropics the problem Of fuel which in
the past has been 30 great handicap
TO remunerative labor and which in the
Future, with the diminishing supplies
bf coal, must become greater handi-
zap still.
In an interview which he gave out on
he eve of his departure for Egypt Mr..
Shuman explained the character and
purpose of his sun power plant. He
said:
"By means Of paraboilc mirrors the
heat of the sun is concentrated to five
lines its nssslral intensity.
Concentrating Sun's Heat.
This gives us temperature Of
lbout GOO degrees Fahrenheit, and by
means Of this heat concentrated on
boilers the steam is generated, which
IS used for driving q low pressure con-
WleuSlllS GDSllbe, 1IllS tl1SllFt Ill Iul IL
7lrives a large reciprocating pump ca
bable of pumping 1900 gallons a min
= lte and thus Of irrigat1ng in this par
icular locality 1000 acres of land
"You can do the same thing, Of
Fourse," Mr.. Shuman went on to say,
by means of steam generated from
oal But coal in the tropics costs
From $40 to $50 ton. Sunlight does
bot cost anything 1t is true that the
ost for first construction Of sun
bower irrigation plant Is double that
Il first class plant using coal. Es-
imating the interest on the increased
Investment at 6 per cent, this places US
IN an equality with coal at $3.50 ton
delivered at the site of the plant
'"The plant moreover, Is 80 con-
tructed that with ordinary care it will
hst for many generations. 1t Is COM
osed entirely of REINFORCED concrete,
ron and glass. The glass and concrete
Fill last indefinitely, and 30 will the
fonwork, provided that It is painted
very five years.
you have therefore a permanent
liant, the upkeep Of which costs very
tile. The labor that ts required to
un q sun power plant is indeed
reat deal hess than that which is nee
- ssary for a coal plant No stokers
re needed, and there is no coal to be
hoveled and no ashes to be removed.
Fuel Gosh Former Handicap.
"Hitherto the great handicap TO cul-
Hon ~ ha oof1 IN fha frOydOc hoo
cen the high cost of fuel, making
be irrigation Of all great areas of land
rohibitive The sun power plant by
Forking without fuel sweeps away
~ be handicap completely, and as soon
5 its use becomes general, as It is
ertainly bound TO do, It VIII make
1de areas of deserts productive and
Il enable the tropics to support a
stly greater population than they are
bile to do at present.
'Tn this country in the summer and
~ b of 1911 thirty-three horsepower
In plant was thoroughly tested with
erfect success. In Cairo we hope to
ave the plant working by the first of
ext month.
"If its success there is established
Z use In tropical countries must be-
pme general, because no one need
+ ave to face any longer the difficult
roblem Of fuel In addition to the
! fopics, the sun power plant could also
used with immense advantage In
ne south Of France, Spain and Italy
nd, in fact, IN all countries where
ley have on an average 70 per cent
sunshine every day of the year"
Mr.. Shuman added that 1t win also
possible by means Of electric stor-
BE batteries 30 store the power that
derived from the sun Just as one
IN store any other power.
"Lazlost Man" 10 Found,
Il - - Z.