ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 10, 12 July 1922, Page 15

ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

Non-Motorist (somewhat of a bore): "Do you mean to tell me that.you have a complete electric plant on your car?" Motorist (a' bit of a wag):: "Yes, cep tainly; a real electrio plant."' Non-motorist: ''And what is it supposed to do?". ' ' Motorist:' "Well,-for instance, nomally I .can depend on it producing a fairish crop of electrio currents." ■'■

It is interesting now to see how Germany is coping with the fuel situation. It has become necessary there to go very closely into the matter; of home supplies. A suitable fuel is benzole, but the quantity available for home consumption is inadequate. Naphthalene, another byproduct of the German eoko industry, is available, but tho fact that it is a solid at ordinary temperatures makes it necessary lo uso complicated devices for preheating. During the war German chemists succeeded in converting solid naphthalene by catalytic hydrogenation into what was called for short "tetralene." This is a liquid at ordinary temperature, waterwhite in appearance, and of a specific gravity of .975. Alcohol may be added to telralene-benzole mixtures in almost any desired proportion, as the addition of alcohol, on uccount of _ its water content, influences the combustion o£ the tetralene in a favourable manner. This seems to provide the likely solution of the German fuel problem—a standard fuel comprising 50 per cent, benzole, 25 per cent, tetralene, and 25 por cent, alcohol, producii^ a fuel of .865 specific gravity This will compare with petrol of .725 specific gravity, but tests have shown the standard fuel to be quite satisfactory. A 35----h.p. car, with a Zenith carburetter which was adjusted for petrol, consumed, on a run of 685 miles, at an average speed of 25-28 m.p.h., only 12 litres, equal to 19.6 m.p.g. On petrol of .730 specific gravity the consumption was 11.9 m.p.g. With the standard fuel all cars used in the tests showed a very good performance, good starting and acceleration, and no "popping back" in the carburetter in cold, moist weather. In a recent trial held by the largest German motor club the standard fuel was prescribed, with the result that the Government has adopted the new fuel ahd ordered its sale, instead of that of pure benzole, at their fuel stations.

The automobile clubs of the United States'give the credit of being the first Australians to motor from San Francisco to New York to Mr. and Mrs. E. A -Stacey, of Hobart, Tasmania, states the Auckland Herald. Tho journey of 4442 miles by tho popular routes for touring motorists was accomplished in 18 days. This was claimed in America to be record time, but' the greatest "record" to the party was tho remarkable fact that they did not have a single puncture during tlie trip. Mr. Staeey, an .actor-manager, purchiised ■ a touring ear at San Francisco, and the lii.-_t stretch ot the torn- was down the coa.it lino lo Los Angek., over 500 mil., ol' oeniotilcd track through th. orange groves of the Pacific Slope Tho next run was through the barren stretches of Nevada, and on tips groat dessert a t-mffio riin-ionn w '«k*ht hoars flooded

_Ie oountryside. Travelling was dangerous over tho Rookies, and a three days snowstorm with a' blizzard reduced the speed to something like 58 mile* in seven houre. Rough roads marked the trip through Arizona into Utah, where Sa.it Lake City provided brighter interests, including a lectu*e on "Mormonism" at the Tabernacle. From Salt Lake City tho route of, the tourists ran through the Devil's Gate, Echo Canyon, and on down the Dovil's Slide on the Great Divide, the altitude being 7000 ft. There is mountain scenery for 109 miles. Then tho route was info the fertile State of Wyoming, where irrigation plays a prominent part in production. The Telephone Canyon,leads to the highest point of the route, 8835 ft. Thence the road lay down hill all the way acro69 the, Missouri into lowa, and onward to the Mississippi, whichian in a flood that elsewhere caused widespread disaster. Then there was a stretch of 282 miles of cemented road into Chicago. From Illinois the party travelled through Indiana to Detroit, thence' to Buffalo, and Niagara Falls, and into Canada, with a side trip through the "One Thousand Islands" oi the St. Lawrence. Then followed t bee-lino run through Rip Van Winkle's country to New York.