The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-21
STEAM FROM PETROLEUM.
THE STRANGE SIGHT TENED At THE
NIyr rfRb ~ BROOkLYN


rolled away from the pilc. but no coal was
thrown upon tho fire below. 1t had the look Of
an eIoct without cause. hut in reality thero
was wonderful cause. and the effect was
scrics Of miracles.
The boiler room Of the machine shop was we'll
filled with officers OF the Naval Bureau of Con-
structon and large iron and glass mnnufactur-
ers. " Tho most wonderful sight have over
seen" the veteran Engineer Ishcrwood said.
II rovolutionzcs iron and steel manufacture
tho world over" ono Of the largest iron mon Of
the country exclaimed. " 1t opens now era in
glass manufacture; we shall soon have glass
roofs on our houses and French plate will be as
cheap as common window glass" said the
largest glass maker in the United States. I
only wish Faraday were here to-day" an active
little gentleman with gray hair and ruddy coun-
tenancc said as hc danced about the fiery fur
nances and caught tho first breath OF the tri-
umph for which he had been working more
than twenty years.
The cause Of this demonstration was the fact
that the means had at last been discovered OF
using petroleum for fuel in producing steam.
and tho results were extraordinary in the
perfect combustion attained. In the intensity OF
heat quickly produced. in the enormous pres
sure Of the supcrhcatcd steam. in the astonish-
ing evaporation OF water in tho freedom from
uNlHts tluufls, sulphur. anu all ttlul
these experts at once realized that II revolution
in all departments where steam is used must
occur Immediately.
This invention consists Of both the LIQUID fuel
and tho appliances for using it. The fuel is
made ofthc residuum Of petroleum and coal tar.
which is mixed to about the consistency of mo-
lasses II Is conducted from the barrel to the
furnace by means OF n small Raspipe. At the
end OF this pipe. as 1t extends into the
door of the furnace Is funncl-shapcd
apparatus. As the fuel enters this fun
mel il comes in cQntnct with u current Of
highly super heated steam. which ntomi1as
the liquid. 50 that as II leaves tn" machine It in
duces the required amount of oxygen g. enter
md mix at the point of ignition. Thus tho
atomzca fuel shoots in u fierce but delicate
spray into the blazing furnace. The brick
arches oi tho great fIrnaccs are kept ~ white
heat and a pure white flame flashes along tho
whole length. registering II heat Of 5000 de-
grecs. melting pig iron in ten minutes. instead
oitwo hours and making liquid glass in two
hours. instead Of sixteen. All that there is TO
maintain this extraordinary heat is the slight
spray dnrtng in from the little funnel. which
comes just within the door. while the grimy
coal HEAVIER stand aside. looking on with the air
ofOne whose occupntion is gone.
can send THIS lntonsc white flame from
the Battery 10 Grace Church II have furnace
arch that long suid tho inventor.
During ihe day many eApcrimcnts were made
making: In fact the results described in this
article have been attained in continuous ex-
but the secret war Iealously guarded IN order to
allow Mr. lsherwood TO make the first an
nounccnent in a report to the Navy Department
which he is preparing
be estimated from its effect upon the oil trade
alone. This industry has long been forced 10
carry the dragging burden OF nm enormous and
steadily increasing over production. The
forth. The market is SO lar depressed that the
oil cannot u" pumped except ~ "A loss. The rul-
ing rico ranges from IS 10 s5 cents barrel Of
~ lsuil Ilp reserve tanks full. and hero
comes THIS enormous daily surplus OF 10000 or
Mr.. :. {. Salisbury. the inventor. is about to
make a proposition to the producers and the
United Pipe lines for a permanent contract to
tax" from them. nj Pittsburgh. all ot this surplus
ana Al th'lr situate ,tar naphthns ri price
that will giyo the producers full 81 prr cent
prq,lt. Gnd also pay the pipe lines for piping ii
The ocean steamship business will also feel
the eneCt ui this revolution in steam producing
fuel. Experiments ar"ndt made show thnt in
a single "trip across the Atlantic a saving OF
about $1,000 will hc effected In freight room
alone, ~ the spa"c now taken W for 500 tons Of
coal will uc used for freight. The hazard will
not he increased for this fuel as prepared for
orcnil purposes. contains only the residuum of
petroleum inter- ail the volatile and inilnm-
mahlc rt'ors have been eliminated. 1t will
| not blazn when thrown upon bed OF live Goals.
Tn" inventor cain a lso the following hd
vantagrs: |. saving Of three fourths Of the
labor now employed In loading and handling
the fuel. q The fire doors are not opened from
the beginning of u voyage to its rnd and the
drnugtt- OF cold air now 50 injurious To boilers
will be ohvinted. 3. Combustion beng perfect,
thare will he no '1rbOuiNatIOn Of the tubes and
tho scrHpng that now wears out the tuhos 80
quickly VIII b' don" away with 1. The smoke
bD!uG absolutely consumed the vessel will he
clenner and tho danger from sparks Will be
entirely avoided.
But the greatest achievements of the now sys-
tem will lee in iron making. Said the leading
representative Of this INTEREST," " This is the
grand"st achievement Of science in this age,
snd ns Sy1pi@r to- n%9mbS yen ,ns on yer! Swa
cHpitHlist' With the mechanism invented by
Mr. Sgl ishury. n blast furnace of 80 tons per
day will convert It's liquid iron into blooms or
ingots OF wrought iron or steel at a cost SO
irilins that It enhances the value Of pig metal
100 per cent.
Sulphur and carbon. the two deterioratlng ole
menls that are present in all the wrought iron
now made, are utterly cast ont by this new pro-
is melted Ia thin liuuid in fftern minutes. 1t
II then drawn on into second furnace, one foot
lower than the ilrst. and which is heated by the
waste heat OF ,the first. The second fur-
mace is immediately charged with con-
hinmoIIS sheet Of h0i r.ro" ar and ssuprr
mcpse pressure, which keeps every particle
of the liquid metal III agitation. And burns out
the carbon utterly in from eight to ten minutes.
when II is ready for the uudder. At no timo
in this operation can any cold air come in con-
tact with the liquid. and consequently every
processes every trace OF sulphur is taken up
The Instant ~" meta Is run of into the second
furnace, the first is llled WIN pigs when No.
ready to run into the second furnace and
80. on in ceaseless attenuation, Note some
whore coal Is used as fuel Il: ~ II has
always been impossible 70 ire" the iron from
Ten charges ara run N in a day and a night
with the present process the same numherwill
| bc run oi. ~ ten hours Win the new. one iMi-
dlcr VIA turn out lu ten hours tAu amount that
four pui Hers an" b prr- now turn ont IN
ity-iour hours. g. the furnaces viii be
krpt 30; tor three months cont. t.nuOu-iy, rs tho
iira h:irS, becoming lhvirln"d by iac Intense
hcnt Will last hnt Ions under the present