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Bisulphide of Carbon - Across the Country on One Tank of Fuel?

The People's Voice from April 17, 1880 continues to turn up weird and delightful stories. In "Supplanting Steam," the article claims the invention of a new fuel source that could be used with current steam engines with minimal alterations (essentially adding a condenser). 

The extraordinary properties of bisulphide of carbon have been long known, but no one has hitherto discovered the means of utilizing its forces until recently, when its union with petroleum solved the difficulty.

This substance, bisulphide of carbon, is more commonly known today as carbon disulfide. Petroleum, of course, needs no introduction (but in this invention, it seems to have been used primarily as a lubricant). The article claims this combination, when heated in the steam chamber to "lukewarm" temperatures around 140-200 F (60-94 Celsius), "acts precisely as steam, only more dense, and with greater force...It is claimed that three-fourth of the fuel required for steam is saved by its use, and that the vapor acts like hydraulic pressure rather than explosive like steam or gunpowder." 

The article goes on to claim, "On railroad locomotives, at one sweep, it renders water-tanks useless; a locomotive boiler once filled can be run to California and back without change or replenishing, and the same on ocean steamers." The question comes to mind at this point, if this invention was so fuel efficient and required very little alteration to the existing technology to upgrade current engines, what was the catch?

Bisulphide-of-carbon engine, March 23, 1880, detail
First, carbon bisulphide was already well-known to be poisonous when inhaled; an article published in 1869 discusses at length its use as fumigant poison - if you are sensitive to descriptions of animal cruelty, skip the article. [1] Most newspaper articles mentioning its use indicate it was favored as a pesticide for weevils. It is also extremely flammable, given its low vaporization point, and containers may be an explosion risk in a fire. According to modern day safety manuals, even the heat from an ordinary (aka incandescent) light bulb could ignite the air and vapor mixture. [2] 

Despite the apparent dangers, there were multiple patents for a carbon bisulphide engine around the end of the 19th century, discussed in much more length and detail at The Museum of Retro Technology. The invention in our newspaper is likely referring to the patent from March of 1880 by William S. Colwell. 

As other attempts to use this volatile concoction often ended in explosions or poisonings, the note at the Museum that "surprisingly, [Colwell] lived to take out more patents for carbon disulphide prime movers in 1882 and 1885" shows that at least this inventor had extraordinary luck, but quite possibly a good deal of technical savvy. The Alleghany Tribune from April 2, 1880 claims "This new motor has been subjected to thoroughly practical tests by leading experts, and it is said, with promising results." So far, however, detailed accounts of these tests remain elusive.

Unlike some other inventors we've discussed here, William S. Colwell has remained obscure. The Directory of American Tool and Machinery Patents has ten entries for William S. Colwell, all predating his attempts at building a better steam engine. If it does happen to be the same man, his patent history indicates he was likely involved with barrel-making at a sawmill. Colwell likely lived between 1832-1906, and spent most of his life in Pennsylvania. A census from 1900 lists his profession as a machinery dealer - much as we'd expect.

Did Colwell or any other inventor make the attempt to cross the United States with a bisulphide of carbon engine? A Wheeling newspaper in 1884 notes by that point all of Colwell's patents were controlled by a syndicate, and "eight million dollars have already been realized on stock." [3] It seems all this speculation amounted to nothing in the way of railroad developments, however - not even a whisper of a successful test has been found. 

If you'd like to dive into the more technical aspects of Colwell's "Triple Thermic Motor," a compilation of several articles and patent drawings is available at HathiTrust.

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