Inventor Francisco Pacheco, seated at the edge of the boat, directs his grandson Edwardo, as he operates a 26-foot vessel with hydrogen power for nine hours in a 1974 Point Pleasant demonstration. (
)
After Francisco Pacheco of Bolivia demonstrated hydrogen power energy at a Green Energy Conference in Canada and participated in the International Hydrogen Energy Conference in Hawaii, some influential businesspeople in the United States began to see his invention as a cheap, clean power source that was worth consideration.
When he was in his 20s Pacheco heard of a Bolivian priest who created a super battery “Pila Bolivia” that gave 3 volts instead of the usual 1.5 volts. Unable to locate him, the self-taught inventor continued experimenting and produced hydrogen gas that led to the development of the Pacheco generator, providing hydrogen fuel from water with aluminum and magnesium used in the process. His dream was to produce a super battery to run an automobile engine.
In 1942 Vice President Henry Wallace, on a Good Will Tour to South America, saw the Pacheco generator run an automobile engine. World War II was under way (1939-1945) and he believed the generator might be helpful to the United States’ war effort. Pacheco arrived in the U.S. with a letter introducing him to Colonel Clarence Barnett, Chief of the Military Intelligence Service of the United States, with a request for an audience to see if the hydrogen energy invention might be useful to the nation to help win the war. Pacheco successfully demonstrated his generator to the Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C., and applied for and received a United States patent. A year later, a response letter said high cost of aluminum and magnesium used in the generator made it impractical. With petroleum still believed to be plentiful and cheap the hydrogen power patent was shelved. Pacheco returned home to Bolivia.
He soon returned to the U.S. with his wife, daughter Yolanda and baby grandson, Edwardo. While waiting for right time for recognition of his invention, he worked in a defense plant and after the war, was an oil burner mechanic in New York City until his retirement. In 1967, he was driving into the Hewitt area with a friend, saw Our Lady Queen of Peace Church on Greenwood Lake Turnpike, felt connected, moved his family into a house on Princeton Road, Upper Greenwood Lake, and continued his hydrogen power work in the basement. In the 1970s, the nation had pollution and oil shortage problems. Francisco tried to showcase his hydrogen energy power source. With patents in the U.S., Germany, Brazil and Japan in 1974, he hoped for U.S. government backing and contacted Congressman Robert Roe.
Roe was impressed and promised to take information about the Pacheco hydrogen cell energy to Washington, D.C. Francisco was enthusiastic and hopeful that necessary publicity and support would result when he operated a boat with his energy cell at Point Pleasant. Major news sources in the New York City and New Jersey areas were contacted along with Roe and were expected to be present on July 17, 1974, to see the Pacheco hydrogen energy cell power a 26-foot boat for nine hours, dumping only clean water back into the ocean. I was there with Francisco and his supporters, waiting for Congressman Roe and the news sources to arrive. After many hours, we realized that Roe or the newspeople were not coming. The successful demonstration took place with a small group watching. There was even a musical group present performing an original song praising hydrogen power.
Disappointments continued with businesspeople showing no interest but admitting to Pacheco, “We are in the oil business. Your invention, if we were to develop it, would be against our interests.” Pacheco never heard from Congressman Roe again. Geraldo Rivera, popular newsman, of the time, was willing to do a program but his TV station turned down the idea. In 1980, “60 Minutes” programmers did a video for a presentation, but a new lawnmower Pacheco used as part of the demonstration, was not pre-tested and the engine chocked due to an excessive amount of fuel being produced. Cameramen told Pacheco not to worry as they had enough footage. The show aired, not focusing on Pacheco and his invention, but on the failing lawn mower. Disappointments continued without recognition of the Pacheco hydrogen cell. Francisco Pacheco died in 1992. His ashes were spread throughout the mountains of his beloved Bolivia.
