Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 116, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1914 — The Battle of the Engines. [ARTICLE]

The Battle of the Engines.

During 1910 it is expected that strenuous efforts will be made to Improve the already great efficiency of the gas-engine. Although this fonn of engine enjoyed a triumph in 1909 through the achievements of the aeroplanes, yet it is pointed out that its, old rival, the steam-engine, at the same time greatly advanced In fuel .economy, achieving a thermal efficiency of 19 per cent, aiflgure hitherto associated with gas rather than with steam-engine tests.' It has recently been discovered that, owing to epMpi ous assumptions, the gas-engine has not been credited with having approached as dose to the theoretic limit of thermal efflieocy attainable by the prevailing four-stroke cycle as it really has approached. Thus it has been shown that a. gas-engine which by the old standard of efficiency was supposed to have attained 80 joints outs of a possible 35. This leaves so little room for improvement that e*r perimenters are turning their attention to radical changes»ln the method * I * r " r

For the fourth time the city off Delphi has won in the laiw suits into whßeh it has been plunged over what is known as the South Delphi Hill improvement. The dispute involves afltxmt $30,000. The city has always maintained the woTk d/id not meet the requirements otf the contract and refused bo pay for it. This suit was in the United States district court at Indianapolis and . was begun Monday morning and Tuesday morning the case was dismissed on motion of the plaintiff. This last defeat was the most crushing of any as it was the first one In which evidence was submitted. It should he a strong lesson bo careless or dishonest contractors.