Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-29
AUTO MANUFACTURERS
DISCUSS UTILITY OF
ALCOHOL AS POWER
Varying Opinions on Prediction
Made by Experts Before the
American Chemical
Society
VIRTUES AND DEFECTS.

Alcohol can be successfully used In mo-
torcars by making q slight change In the
mixing compartment. II alcohol can be
sold at n cheaper rate than gasoline, II
would be welcomed by the automobile
manufacturers in general. These two opln-
ions were expressed today by Louis c.
block. manager of the Philadelphia branch
Of the Ford Motor Company, while COM
snenting on the prediction made yesterday
before the American Chemical Society in
New York that gasoline would be replaced
BY alcohol in the near future. Mr.. Block
said:
s~rhe use OF alcohol Is practicable. IL
vvouid require a slight change in the car
buretors Of the present-day engines. Car
buretors for alcohol and kerosene had al
ready been made. Alcohol or any other
cheap fuel Of quality would be welcomed
BY the manufacturers OF automobiles. II for
no other reason than bringing competltion
IN the market"
On the other hand. Howard r. Miller,
superintendent Of the Fiat motorcar branch
in this city. was skeptlcal on the possibil.
fly Of alcohol replacing gasoline. Mr..
Miller said:
alcohol has greater compression than
sasoline. In fact, too much for the ordinary
sasoline engine. have tried both alcohol
and kerosene in cars. but neither of them
proved as efficient as gasoline"
An official of the Dodge Motor. Company
said that he would be surprised II alcohol
could be manufactured as cheaply as gaso-
line, but was of the opinion that IL II was
successfully accomplished II would be of
extreme value. He also mentioned that
Che carburetors In use at the present time
would have TO be changed
1t was the belief Of A. T. Hawes. Of the
Locomobile Company, that there is plenty
Of gasoline. and that the Standard OIL
Company would meet any reduction OF price
IN fuel made possible by the manufacture
OF alcohol
SEES OBSTACLES TO CHANGE
From b. d. Gray, of the Hess Bright
Bearing Company who for many years
made an extensive study of motorcars and
their fuel, being former engineer for the
Alec motorcar. when asked his views as to
whether alcohol would ever be the chief
fuel for automobiles, said:
'Tt would be remarkable IL such thing
took place. Alcohol cannot be used In the
present gasoline engine. Changes are nee
essary to provide for proper vaporization:
There are a number of stumbling blocks to
be overcome before II could be success
fully used. Carburettors would have to be
adjusted. There is more than the mere diff
ference Of price per gallon. OF course, II a
big margin in price separated the two fuels
a change would be warranted, purely for
commercial purposes"
CHEMIST FAvoRS ALCOHOL
At the session Of the chemists in New
York. DIR. Arthur d. Little, of Boston. as
serted that there is no longer any question
of the commercial success in the manu-
facture of alcohol He said that It was
cleaner than gasoline for use in engines
and IL would not explode easily catch
fire. and It would develop virtually as much
horsepower gasoline.
BY the new method of treating sawdust
sulphuric acid is added and the combina-
tion subjected to heat and pressure. BY
this process the cellulose is split and later
after fermentation. alcohol is taken from It,
The chemists said sulphide liquor and
'black-strap" a sort of molasses that is a
by-product OF the sugar refinery also can
be used to manufacture grain alcohol.