Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-07-30
RUN BY PETROLEUM.
Trial Of an Oh Locomotive On a
New Jersey Railroad.
Clean and Easily-Managed Fuel which
Emits No Sparks or Cinders--Tts Great
Advantages Over Wood and Coal
The Power or OIL.
IN. Y. Mail and Expressl

N. Y. Mail and Expressl
"There is a probability that before q very
long period oil may come into general use
as fuel on locomotives and steamers Some
years ago this did not seem likely, bnt the
marvellous increase recently reported from
many parts of the globe in the production
OF petroleum upsets all fornier caicula-
tions. Within the past ten years the yield
from the wells in the neighborhood of the
Caspian Sea has increased over $1,000 per
cent, steady gain in the production of
over 300 per cent. per annnm. The Baku
wells in Russia now yield over $4,000 tons
year, and one well that has been bored
in that vicinity is capable of discharging
5000 tons day, and will DO so when the
proper machinery is provided. The main
objection heretofore to the use of petro-
leum as fuel for steamers and locomotives
has be- n the cost, but If the oil springs up
freely as water, the expense must de-
Grease. i feel warranted, therefore, in
predicting that the day is not far distant
when oilers will take the place of coal
passers on many railroad and steamship
lines"
This language was usel by railroad
engineer, who is also the editor of lead
ing scientific journal publish ed in this city,
in response to the inquiry of a reporter rs
TO whether it was likely that the substitu-
tion of petroleum for wood and coal on
some of the Russian railroads would la We
any effect in changing the present system
of generating steam in this country. This
subject is now heing seriously aeitated in
England, especially by the owners and
agents of the steamship lines which ply
to India and China by way of the Suez
Canal. The most sanguine believers in
the virtues Of petroleum as fuel for sea-
going vessels have this programme:
Steamers bound east from America will
fill their bunkers at New York with
petroleum from the oil regions in
Pennsylvania; in England they
will "oil' with American or Rus
sian petroleum; at Suez with the Russian
of Egyptian article; at Singapore with
petroleum from Burmah, and at Hong
with japanese petroleum. The recent dis
covery of petroleum in abund ince on the
the missing link in the long chain Of
travel.
''There is great excitement and no little
enthusiasm in Europe over the petroleum
discoveries" said the authority above
is not at all unlikely, that the cost of pc
troleum fuel should become so low as to
take the place of coal in the Mediterranean
and Eastern steamers, it would certainly
affect this country, for this fuel would un-
doubtedly be introduced on some if not all
Of the great Atlantic lines"
1t is a fact not generally known outside
small circle of railroad engineers that
/ experiments in building and operating
| petroleum locomotives have for a long
time been conaiucted privately in thi,
! country. Thus far the result has not been
entirely satisfactory. Quite recently q
locomotive was turned out in Paterson, n
! j., and brought down the track to Hobo
ken. 1t was the intention 10 have it re-
| turn with its own power generated by pc.
| troleum, and car was attached which
contained n select party of invited guests
! principally railroad men. The petroleum
was set afiame, steam was speedily gener-
| ated, the throttle valve was opened, and
away sped the oil horse. He proved a
wayward steed, for he stopped short in
his career before going half the distance
and coulo not be bullied or caressed into
travelling another step. He was put out to
| pasture on the Jersey marshes, for he was
adjudged TO be q fiat failure. But this did
not dampen the ardor of the inventors and
engineers, and il is reported that another
petroleum locomotive is now being con
structed, also at Paterson.
Petroleum locomotives differ i'm many
essential points from those in which coal
is used. The crude petroleum or naphthu
refuse is carried in tanks placed on the
tender, these tanks being connected with
one another, and oil being connected tc
the engine by a flexible tube. The
firc-box Is fitted with parallel pipes
generally five in number, which
spring from a cross at the real
of tho fire-box, this cross pipe receiv.
ing supply OF petroleum through the
pipe leading from tho tender. Below each
of the parallel pipes is a corresponding
steam pipe, each steam pipe being fitted
with four jets and each steam Jet has or
annular passage to which the petroleum
has access, and which thus injects
spray Of petroleum into the fire box
Provision is also made for admitting air
mixed with the steam. When the engin,
is standing much smoke is thrown out
but it is claimed that when running with
n fair draught sufficient air is taken il
to consume the smoke. The furnaces ar,
lined w th brick TO protect the metal. A
railroad man who had been a witness O
experiments made with one of those loco
motives said:
"There are many reasons why these Ell
gines should come into general use wher,
petroleum is plentiful and coal scarce, an,
l am surprised that they have not beef
extensively introduced in the oil regions
Of Pennsylvania. AS a fuel, petroleum
possesses twice the cnloric power of coal
and allows a great increase in vaporiza
tion while diminishing the charge. Thi
Is most valuable feature as regards 1t
Application to steamboats,, and tspeciall,
TO torpedo boats, as well as to the locomo
tives of fast express trains. It is a cleal
and easily managed fuel and emits n
sparks or cinders. No forest fires could b
started by train drawn by petroleum
locomotive"
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Drawing bounty OH n Tame Bear.