BENZINE SUBSTITUTE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1059, 25 August 1930, Page 1

BENZINE SUBSTITUTE

Discoverer of “Mystery Gas” MORE LIGHT ON SCHEME MORE light is now thrown upon the Auckland preparation of a “mysterious gas,” claimed to be a substitute for benBine, which was mentioned in Saturday’s issue of THE SUN. Mr. J. W. Johnson, a gardener at St. Outhbert’s Girls’ College, Epsom, claims to be the discoverer of the formula which he holds in his possession at the present time.

t’ollowlng the announcement In fhe Sun on Saturday, Messrs. A. J. Stratford and H. A. Steadman, both eonnected -with the private company lormed with a purpose of producing the “mysterious gas.” informed The Sun that they wished to give a warning against trafficking in the shares of the company until such time as the company was in a position to give further information concerning its projected operations. The directors of the company did sot divulge definite information. As u result of further inquiries, however, it was found that Mr. Johnson claimed to have a formula of a preparation whioh would provide a substitute for benzine. He was approached this Homing, and gave a demonstration of the powers of his preparation. Two years ago Mr. Johnson discovered the formula and he was immediately taxed for information concerning its possibilities, but at the time he was not disposed to discusß it with any but a few friends. Later, however, he found it worked with marked success as a spray for plants. As a spray only, it became known among several of his fellow gardeners and one of them asked Mr. Johnson if he could oSer any assistance in the destroying of an insect which was playing havoc in his employer's garden. Mr. Johnson consequently mixed him some of the mysterious liquid. RAD DESIRED EFFECT “He used It and, of course, it had the desired effect and later he came back for more," said Mr. Johnson, in teling the story. “But while using the second two gallons I prepared for Mm there was an explosion and, somewhat alarmed, he reported the fact.” In a small tool shed in the grounds of St. Cuthbert’s College this morning, Mr. Johnson, who has studied chemistry, gave a demonstration. He had the mbstance of the formula in a small jar and brought In an old jam tin of water. He mixed the two, and the result was a mixture resembling milk and possessing a strong odour of coal-tar. He spilled a little of the fluid, and put a match to It. There was an immediate explosion. "And with the addition of the white of an egg that could be made to look like benzine,” he said. For some time Mr. Johnson has been working steadily on his process and his aim hits been to reduce the mixture to a powder form. For experimental purposes, he purchased a car sad found that it ran most successfully on the preparation, but owing to the ‘juice” being considerably thicker than benzine, it was necessary to alter the carburetter jet and to keep it Sowing freely it was necessary to have constant vibration from a running engine. The lubrication of the motor was also affected as the water got Past the pistons into the sump of the 'rank-case. ALCOHOL FROM PLANTS But hand in hand with this scheme, which Mr. Johnson has regarded more 11 *“• light of an interesting experiment than a commercial proposition, eving to its many disadvantages, he has investigated another in which he maims he can produce alcohol from inous vegetable growths. T can get alcohol from gorse, ti-tree » « ® n 7thing like that, and especially fitichokes,” he says. “The poorest * n the country will grow arti- , okes. There is no doubt that this 3 3 “® better scheme of the two and 1 J-culd produce a benzine substitute at f *““® over one shilling a gallon. I ave applied to the Government for Permission to run a distillery in conih ii. 11 W3t k e:t Periments, and to make thing a success it would require a big company with plenty of money.” DIRECTORS’ WARNING peculating in shares "YET TO BE SATISFIED J! Utino the vendors of the t certain obligations an< * that the directors had to be satisfied that the vendors’ '••ms were practicable, a warning tra^*c^*n fl in the shares of I •* s* ew Zealand Petrol Company, : ®t inflated values has been * u * -by the directors of the comP«ny, O^Th rePOI in Satur day’s issue re C6n *? e , ® un ’ t* l * 9 company was m ent in Auckland to experifrom 11 ttle man ufacture of petrol r e * ori uula of an Auckland in?! 81 * With a capital of £3,000 terowj the company was regislast f weeks ago. During the <iays shares have been bought p^lces >. figures up to £25 being th e d,* arn pe °P le against speculating. Wrltt» eC * ors t * le company have laM <? to ihti secretary of the Auck I* vi* ° Clt ® xcljan Se requesting that, co am . W , of the rumoured sales of the shares at high premiums fleklni A. 6 likelihood of further traf•houlH . memb ers of the exchange Until. v Use to effect any further sales » Do,ih c “ time as the company is in tonceuhl? 11 t° give definite information The Ji ng its Projected operations, the* < “ rec tors further state that until satisfied that the claims are fetid cabl ® no pronouncement could be fclv»i^ n< * un tH further advice was reIt vu hoped that members of

the exchange would do all they could to discourage anything in the nature of a boom in the shares. Any contracts for the sale of the shares require the sanction of the directors of the company, as no transfers from the original allotments have yet been registered. THE “MYSTERY GAS” EXPERTS ARE SCEPTICAL The Research Department of The Sun supplies the following note on the story published in our news columns on Saturday regarding the mention of a new kind of motor spirit which is alleged to be produced by mixing some substance with plain water: “The production of a cheap substitute for motor spirit which has been occupying the thoughts of, organic chemists for a number of years, has, in the opinion of some of our citizens, at least been accomplished. “The necessity of obtaining a cheaper fuel either by enzymic action or carbohydrates, the products of which must either, for cheapness, be a fuel or be changed iiito one by simple and cheap industrial methods; or by using the gases evolved from coking ovens or using water gas. producer gas, etc., as primaries, cannot be too highly stressed. “The mineral oil on which we are dependent for most of our motor spirit is becoming a valuable primary and chemical industry. The Allies were dependent on Borneo and Mexican gil which contains a notable proportion of toluene for the manufacture of the of T.N.T. required. Professor Sydney' Young has been carrying out much research in utilising these oils, with marked success in the production of cheap chemicals necessary in industry. EFFORTS NOT FRUITLESS “Xeedless to say the efforts of these chemists have not been fruitless. By their work power alcohol, especially In tropical and distant districts, is already taking the place of our ordinary motor spirit. It has been pointed out that in certain districts in Queensland, for example, that a crop of 20 tons of sweet potatoes to the acre would yield about 700 gallons of alcohol at a total cost of production of about one shilling a gallon. ' A heavy handicap is placed on the industry at present due to the high cost of denaturing the spirit under the existing regulations. “In Great Britain about 20 million gallons of crude benzol is obtained annually from coking ovens and the bulk of this is used as an ingredient of motor spirit for fuel oils. “Also we are now asked to believe that a new .method of producing a motor spirit from water has been de--1 vised. According to the article in The Sun on Saturday a motor spirit is produced very quickly—almost by magic—by adding some mysteridus .substance to a gallon of water. “It seems impossible that this can be dono without the use of a high temperature carbon furnace, for while largo numbers of new substances are constantly being prepared, some of which are highly combustible, their use as fuels becomes impossible, owing to the high cost of manufacture. In dealing with a fuel, it is necessary that it should leave no solid residues on burning or yield substances likely to produce strong acids or oxidation. This at once forces oh® to conclude that only compounds of, or mixtures, of compounds of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen can be used as fuels. In dealing with these elements, when using water as steam, perhaps as a primary, it is necessary to use a compound possessing great internal energy, e.g., calcium carbide, or what is usually done is to pass the steam through white-hot coke. In Germany, thousands of gallons of power alcohol were produced in this manner.’’ J.M.R.