A critique analysis of Daniel's cell is provided at following link
(improved):

http://www.elkadot.com/chemistry/Daniel%20cell%20and%20the%20salt%20b...

The old Daniel cell and some of its variants have not get a coherent
explanation in actual orthodox science.

A modern variant, using a salt bridge between half cells, is found to
be non-functional. More precisely, the salt bridge, formed by an inert
salt, does not participate at general reaction chain, so no reaction
takes place inside such cell. Such cell can be leaved in short-circuit
position for months without a significant consume of electrodes or
without solution color modification. Of course, in this case, there is
a small residual current due to the reaction between Zn and water, but
this is a secondary reaction and not the expected reaction able to
produce the expected current.

 Further, the actual explanation can be proved to be false using
simple chemical reactions able to be performed in any low level school
laboratory.