Savannah morning news., 1885-10-12
A sunsTlTuTn FoR CoAn.
steam Made by Petroleum and Working
Wei In California.


Coal is not cheap in this State, and there
is little prospect that it ever will be. Up
to this date no genuine coal has been
found in California, or at least none which
figures in the markets. Ignite is found
at various points. The Mount Diablo
mines supply a great deal OF this mate
rial, but for some reason not 80 much as
formerly. There is a considerable de
poslt of Ignite at lone valley, the larger
part Of which Is owned by the Central
Pacific Railroad Company. Some Of the
private owners have been supplying it to
mills and factories at low prices. Ii Is a
low grade, even Tor Ignite, and its com
merclal value - not much above S3 30 a
ton, delivered at points say 100 miles from
the mine. or rather from the beds, for the
Ignite Of lone valley appears to occupy a
fat stratum Of IA few feet in thickness.
Steam Goals are brought from Puget
sound for the supply of considerable
part OF the consumption of the Central
and Pacific railroads. The Carbon Hill
mine, near Tacoma, is owned by these
railroad companies, and the large steam
ship San Pedro, owned by these cOmpa-
MES, can make about three trips n month,
bringing 1900 tons a trip from the Car
bon hill mines, or say 1900 tons
month. Besides this amount considera-
bic English coal is used by the railway
companies. The average price per ton it
may be promised of all coal at present
consumed by these railway companies,
ranges from 81 TO $S. Perhaps 81 Is near
er the figure.
Sooner or later the Pacific coast will
do its own manufacturing, provided
cheap fuel can be found. In this view
the experiments which have recently been
made with petroleum for steam purposes
ere of special interest. The Central Pa
ci6c Railroad Company has used this
fuel on the SOlano, the largest ferry-boat
in the wOrld-emplOyed in taking rail-
way trains across the Straits OF Carqul-
nez-for nearly a year. Petroleum has
also been used for some months on one OF
the largest freight ferry steamers employ
ed IN transporting freight trains from
Oakland creek to San Francisco. The
Piedmont, the newest and most cOmmO-
dious Of all the ferry passenger steamers
between San Francisco and Oakland. has
just been withdrawn from service in or
der to Ill her for burning petroleum. The
changes involve only a slight expense
ana are simple in their application. An
iron tank is placed at a suitable elevation
above the boilers. Pipes lead To the fur
naee. OF course the petroleum would
enter the furnace by the mere force OF
gravtatiOn. just over the furnace-doors
there is perforated pipe from which the
oil is thrown In jets into the furnace. But
in order to make the combustion more
perfect, just under this pipe is placed a
steam pipe which throws out Jets of su-
perheated steam, spraying as 1t were the
petroleum. Tne superheated steam being
deprived OF moisture, is for the most part
gas which adds to the intensity of the
flame.
1t has required some years of expert
ments to reach this degree of success.
There have been many failures. But
whoever will watch the use OF petroleum
upon the great ferrybOat SolanO will have
little doubt Of the success Of the present
use Of crude petroleum for steam pur-
poses. 1t is probable that all the ferry
boats will finally burn petroleum and the
locomotives on all routes where coal is
as dear as 1t now is in San Francisco. For
while foreign Goals. by reason of low
freights, are cheap, they are not cheap
enough to answer the requirements of
steam purposes.
The saving in the use Of petroleum over
coal for steam on the ferry boats is un-
derstOod to be about go per cent. Now
suppose the price OF good steam coal av-
erages 81 a ton, petroleum at the present
AN5b NOuAA OIi1 ISpItStub % OU per ION.
II coal for steam purposes, say from the
Carbon Hill mine, can be laid down here
Tor 50 per ton, whic his the lowest esti-
mate made, then petroleum would only
represent 81 40 a ton, which is probably
very near the difference in the two kinds
OF fuel. The economy In the use Of petro-
leum is further illustrated by the fact
that Immediately on the ferry boat ma
king landing the supply of petroleum is
shut oh-the furnaces are simply black
without flame. When the boat starts the
petroleum spray begins and a lighted
torch sets II or. 1t requires only one
man as fireman; there is no punching or
stirring OF the fuel; il takes care of itself
there is no stocking up Of twenty, thirty,
or forty tons OF coal for ferry use, Dut
simply the filling OF tank with crude
petroleum once day.
The fact that experiments In the use OF
petroleum, covering now the greater part
OF year, have been so successful that all
the ferry-boats controlled by the Central
Pacific Railroad Company will probably
be fitted for the use OF this fuel is one
just now OF great Importance. 1t sug-
gests a revolution in the use OF steam
fuel in California. There is great deal
of crude petroleum in the State-enough.
it is said, 10 supply the demand at present
tor steam fuel. Petroleum can now be
obtained in large quantities in a crude
state for about lac. a gallon. At that
price lt is maintained that no steam coal
laid down In California can compete with
crude petroleum FOR steam purposes. The
successful use OF the latter for steam pur.
poses i5 one OF the important events OF
the day.