Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-18
:MOLAssEs PRODUCT MAY
!. MAKE GOOD AUTO FUEL
Tractors and Trucks
May BE Operated With
SCw Alcohol

Thirsty souls and cconpmists who
have been wondering what will be-
come of all, the molasscs which form
erly wen; into the manufacture or
rum. remarks writer in the current
number OF American Motorist., will
he Interested 10 learn that au;omo-
operated, not with rum, nor even
with molasscs. but with alcohol made
from the latter. Continuing. The
writer sets forth:
Oncrs Many Possibilities.
american Motorist not long ago
called attention to the possibilities
offered by the use of alcohol as fuel
for internal combustion engines. y
Geological survey. through its tech
biological branch. made series OF
elaborate tests of the relative value
or gasoline and alcohol AS power pro-
ducers. The mos; important result.
OF the Investigations are contained
IN the evidence that wcll-desiEned
internal comhustion motors using at
cohol or gasoline Will consume about
AN equal volume Of fuel per unit of
power. The averages of the minimum
consumption values give n like figure
OF S-l0 of pint per hour per break
horsepower from gasoline as we'll as
for alcohol In this comparison II is
OF decided interest that tho thermal
value OF alcohol is only clio that Of
rasoline-a tact which explains the
persistence Of the eNpcrimcntcrs bod
ter than anything else.
Obstacles Arc overcome.
Heretofore the obstacles in the
way Of universal adoption Of al
Cohol as motor fuel lay In the d!tii-
Guilty of finding D. raw material that
could he secured sufficiently cheap
10 render the m;/ ing OF alcohol for
fuel uses profitable.
And now come prohibition. mo-
lasses. and alcohol in quantities prac-
ticallv AS unlimited as the former sup
plies OF that dclcctablc dainty of the
Sroc shop-rum.
In britain where gasoline is much
moro expensive than II is here. tho
question Of finding a substitute fuel
has recently received renewed atten-
ton. y committee has been appointed
which. after exhaustive tests of tho
subject. is convinced that alcohol as
motor tucl has great possibilities and
tina, the hy-products OF the sugar
industry and many other substances
yielding sugar. starch or celluloso
will bt utilized in this fashion.
Investigate New Fuel
According 10 the british commit
toe appointed 10 investigate the
merits Of power alcohol. the funda-
mental attraction Of alcohol lies In
the fact that its chief sources are
found in the vegetable world. In
consequence the raw materials for
tho MANUFACTURES Of power alcohol are
being continuously renewed and are
SlSCrntipIc 81 CfraI CNp1 nSiCu Mi'n-
out cncroachment on the food supply.
Rather interesting experiments
- were made wiz! alcohol derived from
he flowers. OF the mahua trees grow
SssinE in the East Indies. II is said
--4that the 'sundried flowers of ;h!s
-rs-tree contain something like 60 pcr
cent Of fsrmentahlc sugar and that
S.zthey can he collected and delivered
ITO the factory in-the zone OF growth
at $3.50 per ton. One ton OF these
toaves produces 90 gallons OF al
cohol
Our late antagonists. the Germans
long before the war. had developed a
system OF Industrial alcohol manufac-
turc under which every farmer could
produce his own motor fuel. The cir
cumstancc that our own oil resource,
are 50 abundant may delay similar
development IN the United states
There Is no doubt. however. that al
rohol for motor fuel purposes loom
more important and more promising
than ever"