The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-12 00:00:00

PETROLEUM AS FUEL.

In a late number we gave an account of the application
of petroleum as a moans of generating steam for propel-
ling vessels, for which purpose the United States steamship
Palos was fitted with the necessary apparatus. We now
give the account of the trial trip, taken from the Boston
Advertiser of the 15th June :

The Palos left her dock at the navy yard at ten minutes
before 11 o'clock, and returned to it shortly before one.
When she had been out fifteen minutes it was found that
she was moving through the water at a rate of over eleven
and a half miles an hour, and she was gaining steadily
with thirty-eight pounds of steam, having- started with
thirty-five pounds. This fact caused considerable sur-
prise on board when it was shown that, under the coal
as fuel system, upon its first trial trip, when the vessel
was new, its best time was only eight knots an hour, and
that it had not made better time than eight and a half since
until now. It was further clearly demonstrated to the
intensely interested passengers that the Palos was in very
poor trim, that her bow stood up from the water and her
stern was planted down; that she dragged dead water and
in several other respects was not all right, and therefore
that the rate of speed under the circumstances was rather
extraordinary.
The vessel went down the harbour past the forts and
islands, and out to sea a short distance beyond Boston
Light, and then returned by a somewhat circuitous route.
The first 48 minutes she made over eleven and a half
miles, and ran upon the entire trip twenty-five miles in
1 hour and 55 minutes. With her action and the success
of the experiment there was general satisfaction among
the passengers, and much enthusiasm was shown by the
scientific gentlemen.
The Palos, which made this novel trip, is a small gun-
boat, and formerly used four coal fires, and had a crew of
twenty firemen and coal passers. With the petroleum
apparatus she requires a crow of only th and men,
as the supply of fuel is easily regulated, ci-
ders or ashes are made. The petroleum is supplied from
two large iron tanks placed on deck, each tank having a
glass gauge at its side to indicate the height of the petro-
leum, and a vent pipe upon the top to permit the escape of
vapour. From these tanks the petroleum is conducted by
halt-inch pipes to the boiler furnace. It there drops into
iron retorts, heated by boilers placed beneath them,
mixed
and is
instantly vapourised. This vapour, in burping, is
with steam, decomposed by passing through the pipes
partially filled with iron filings, and with oxygen sup-
on air
plied by atmospheric air, forced in by a commenerated is intense, and it is a
pump. Tho heat thus g
noticeable fact the combustion is so perfect that nor o smoke
is perceptible. A diminution of the supply of air steam
at once creates a smoke. Her engiue is about 850-horse
power.
This initial voyage will be followed by several othersbe
so as to completely test the invention. Should it
.d
will
found to be all that promises, undoubtedly it
of propelling
create a revolution iu tho manner
machines. The
steamers and locomotives, and such
advantages of petroleum as fuel overcoal are appa-
rent. For, the trip yesterday about four barrels of oil
wore used; the captain of the boat declares that some six
or eight tons of coal would have been consumed in the
same work. A large amount of coal would have been
required to start the fires, and much would have been
wasted when the sail was moment. as the heat was
until the last When it was
kept well up
given out yesterday that the fires wore needed no
longer, by simply turning two or three throttle
valves the flames were extinguished, and in a few minute's
time tho fires were down. Of course there wore no ashes
and no dirt, and tho fire-room was as clean as could be, and
the neat carpet with which the floor was covered was not
soiled in the least.
Colonel Henry B. Foote, of Tennessee, the inventor,
superintended the work in the . fire-room, which was ex-
ceedingly light and not disagreeable, and Engineers C.
W. Penningteu and Ileary W. Scott had charge 9i the
engine.