The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-10-17
Petroleum as a Ectiye Power.

e0'ii'u VI boston clal1ES tC have
solved very important problem for the
Pacific railroad, and for whoever else has
need of fuel for generating steam. Be-
tween the Sierras aud Salt Lake, dis
rance Of seven hundred miles, somebody
tells US there is not tree of timber ar
piece of frewood to be obtained - Coal
has not been discovered either there nor
within three hundred miles.
The Boston Journal informs us that
the apparatus OF Col Foote has been ap-
piled to one of the steam fre-eneines with
most satisfactory results, and gives de-
scription OF the process Of burning petro-
leum, and the report Of recent public
trial, which we quote
"a number of experiments have been
made during the past two or three weeks
in testing Col H. r. Foote'S apparatus
the same as that recently tried on the
steamer Palos,l as applicable to steam
re-engines, and the result has been SO
satisfactory to the Committee on Fire
Department and Engineers, that the
steamer to which the apparatus has been
| attached has been ordered into commits
sion, and she has accordingly been placed
| in the engine house on Washington street,
near the Old Franklin school house.
"We have been kindly furnished with
| the following description of the process Of
| burning petroleum instead OF coal il en-
CINE No. 3, and certainly it seems quite
simple: :.
''The oil is led, by gravity, from two
reservoirs, holding about thirteen gallons
each, through small pipe into retort
In the furnace, being vapoIZeG by the
heat of the furnace fire. 1t then comes
in contact with steam and air, the former
being superheated and deoxydized on its
passage to the retort, and air injected by
an air pump located on either side OF the
engine and washed by the engine.
Looking into the furnace the gas escapes
| through u number OF burners formed by
futed plugs OF cast-iron inser,eo IN the
retort, and ending at the top in disc OF
the same metal about three inches above
the orifice, and about three inches IN di-
ameter These plugs and discs are main
tanned at red heat by the action OF the
fire, and serve the purpose OF lgnIt!ng
the mixture lmplng upon and 11owlng
past them and distributing the flame pro
duced throughout the f,.rnace. The III
tenslty OF the FIRE Is regulated a Will by
adjusting the stop-cock IN the lG,ie pipe
conveying the oil, the steam and TIE air
to the furnace. The reservoirs containing
the find fuel are placed upon the springs
OF the engine close to the hind wheels,
and In close proximity to the furnace. =
This Is, III hrief a description OF the ap-
paratus for burning OH liz No :. 10 get
up cam with this apparatus, Il few
shavings Or klnd!ings are lighted and
place under the retort: when this gets
hot, the oil is let on, which, immediately
vapo ing As it flows unon the heated BOT
tom of the retort, ISSUES r;oni tie harm
ers where it is lighted. This gives DARK,
smoky fire. but it raises the steam III q
few minutes. and then S:e.au: Is let Oh and
an Instantaneous Improvement takes
place III the ire. As soon as there is
sufficient pressure tp start the engine the
pumps admit the air, and the uornla!
| condition OF the fire Is obtained.
| At the fire Oh SATURDAY, the steamer
with the petroleum apparatus oct up
steam to a pressure OF 100 pounds lii j ,i>t
three minutes, ard when working with
one stream, showed an average Of 50
pounds steam and l2o pounds water pres
sure, and with two streams 100 pounds
water pressure, thus demonstrating hat
by the use OF petroleum instead ui' coal,
there was in this case a gain of thirty pei
cent ct water pressure over any ctiiuI en-
CINE at tire fire. This came from there
being no choking from the exhaust OF NJ.
3, which is regarded as a great point gain
ed. 1t was also observed that while other
steamers poured outgreat volumes OF dense
SIN IKE. scarcely any smoke was visible
from the smoke-stack of No. 3, which
usel the oil for fuel.
The operation Of No 3 on Saturday at
ira ,tcd much attention from ifremen and
citizens, and Chief Engineer Daurell and
other city officials expressed themselves
hlg NY plea ied at he success of the nm
expected trial, and regarded the problem
solved as to introducing an economical,
SAFE, and efficient fuel in place Of coal.
We believe it is claimed that the explo-
sive elements Of the petroleum are chem
ica'ly extracted, so that there can be nc
possible danger from accidents. The sue
cess of this experiment will revolutionizt
the carrying trade both by land and sea
A first-class ocean steamship burns about
so tons of coal a day, and most of the
passenger steamers now take on board
coal enough IN England to last the round
trip The Cunarders take at Liverpool
every trip some 1000 tons of coal 4
very simple calculation readily shows the
immense profit that could be realized by
the use of petroleum, both in tie price oi
the material and the economy of space