OCR Text |
Show GAS FROM STRAW STILL FUR OFF Experiments Being Conducted Point to Success in Future, Fu-ture, Is Belief v .Mr.siT i.N. oct. 9 Although the experimental work now being con-'ducted con-'ducted by the bureau of chemistry' of the depsriment of agriculture In the li- llatlon of a gas from straw, in the hope of finding a, new motor fuel which may be used as a substitute for gasoline. Is reported as progressing fa-fsvorabl fa-fsvorabl present Indications do not point to it speedy development for usu on a commercial scale. This is largely became up to date U has been found Impossible to reduce the straw derived ggl to u 1 1'iiild form. Although an automobile has actual-ly actual-ly been operated with the new combustible, com-bustible, the supply of gas has to be carried In an ungalnl) sack on the. top of ihe machine as was done with some of the Ixmdon omnibuses during the war period, when the gasoline shortage, short-age, because of submarine depredo-llons. depredo-llons. became acute. The best that the government experts in now predict le th.n In tiim i In-;, m iy develop a gas unit tor the Individual farm sufficient suffi-cient to run thi f irur rg' tiaetors and trucks and possibly supply his automobiles automo-biles for short runs l I I - l I I 1 V I I What the quantlt ot SjasOllne which may le reb-ased b this substitution .of straw gas for work on and about the farms will be apt to be. it Is us 'yet too early to predict, as the cxperl-iin cxperl-iin ids are now beum conducted on a small scale, owing to a lack of suffi-. suffi-. lent appropriation In fact, the work-v work-v 111 have to march very slowlv until the end of the iiirrent fiscal vear on June .10. fill, when the department of agriculture. If result , obtained this year warrant It, hopes lo have a larger appropriation with which lo push the work more vigouously. This erir the experiments will be devoted in the main to trying out the quality of gas obtainable from the various va-rious kinds of farm refuse, corn stalks, corn cobs, leuves, straw and even waste paper. The gas thus far obtained ob-tained from taee aiirCeS has been f.Mji.d good for lighting and for running run-ning small power plants, hot until a way can be found to compress or liquify It. the prospect of manufacturing manufactur-ing It on a large scale for commercial usages as a gasoline fubstitute Is not al all roseate So the immediate goal of the department depart-ment experiments Is to design and construct con-struct the most practicable and simple gas producing unit the) can contrive for the farmer, for his purely local uses, and to keep down his power costs by enabling him to use Ihe waste products of his farm instead of having to buy gasoline St thr present prohibitive prohib-itive price As yet, however, the cost Of the straw gas per cubic foot has not been determined upon with any degree' of accuracy. Fifty pounds of straw. according to recent tests, produce about 300 cubic feet of the gaa. an amount sufficient to drive a light roadster road-ster some fifteen mlk. t AN Mil IDEA, The process Of gas distillation which Is being worked on at the department's depart-ment's experimental farm at Arlington, Arling-ton, Vo.. was developed by George Harrison, the Canadian engineer In 191-J. in collaboration with Professor MacLaiarip nl the CnlversfTy of Fns. tntchewjnt. Cann'ds. The university-had university-had straw iMs experiments on view at he exposition of ftemical industries n New York two vears ago, which was ur chased and Improved b) tue United States department of agriculture. Which now has th.- work in the hands )f David J. Pryce. engineer in charge the newly created division of the ihemlatrj bureau, with H. E Kothe, lr.. In charge of the actual production eils with the apparatus set Up at A.r- Ington. |