The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-03

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w.sarse,A Ave si.lThs suee... & N. - :
British steamet James brand In u.inr betro-
leum TOT tno seneretion OF steam during q
period OF three days, n q recent yo,,.a %
Philadelphia. affords another illu,,rs,,on y,
the adsptability Of LIQUID fuel for nnyicot,on
II In rather curious that two classes OF y.saeI.
in which these experiments have been mad.
and often with success. are those in which tho
General use OF oil as fuel would be most oh.
fashionable. One class is that Of the vessela
employed. like the James Brand. In carrying
oil in bulk. since the great quantity OF in
fau,na able material In the cargo might natu-
rally cause anxiety among the underwriters.
and 40 raise the rates OF insurance" or in some
CASES make them prohihitory. Another Chassis
tb, wnr vessels, which In battle would run the
risk Of the explosion OF their stores OF retro-
leum BY tho fire OF the enemy. Nevertheless the
great advantages OF this fuel for some kinds OF
war vessels. particularly torpedo boats. has
caused experiments to lie conducted with It;
and some very favorable reports have heen
made as to Its practlcnbility 1t 10 shown that
the liability to EXPLOSION has been greatly di-
minished In various ways, particularly ny
using residuum. which Is non-infiammable w
to a very high temperature and by careiuily
constructing tho apparatus. Besides. IL ~ pos
siio to carry the iuel sone distance beneath
the water line.
but. apart from the. question OF Its use on
safely on mercantile vessels carving general
cargoes seems to be more and more clearly
shown. and tho matter even now has been
largely. though perhaps not wholly. teduced
to the consideration OF expense IL Is true that
there would also. probably. be some opposi-
ton among travellers to its employment. as IN
toassSer With the extra cost sssnrSr steam
after all. steam il also an explosive under GER
tain conditions, while var 81, ships carry powder
and yet which are subjected TO such safe
guards that an explosion through negligence
Again. the use Of petroleum. for stationary
boilers in manufactures i most familiar and It
is only an eftens,on OF e pdnspie w b
ers. Indeed. 1t has made it's way even into
households. th S si 81 OH stoves being
to have gone far toward removing popular oO-
jections to employing LIQUID fuel on passen-
those OF The iocomotises on the 0royH RaiiroaI
Company's steamship. Ewo, running on the
Pacific coast OF South America. The latter hnd
day. but cached . Knots on less than four tons
of oil residuals. Tho evaporntive power of oil
than Of
effective power Is really about double In a
m shP hs Eve Sp Used THE
non infsmmable until heated to $50 degrees,
and was therefore safe to carry. He also found
lose it's power in the tanks. and that it had no
disagreeabe smell. A great advantage was
ence in the ability to get up steam. and that
the pressure on the boilers was constant: and
were needed. The tubes on the Ewo only
needed to be cleaned once In six months. and
On the Oroya Railroad two competitive loco
motives exactly alike. except that one used oil
and the other err. coal al were run Tor period Et
pulling e1ualtrains 1t was found TINT whilethe
consu mption OF coal per mi was lit tie over 20
n Ia hof nj n nnI II n ,,tIf <.
The result was the regu lar use OF oil MS iuel,
and another. railroad in that neighHorho,?d
road has oil it's engines adapted for this pur-
pose. aud. in fact. the south Ameriea1 steam;
valuable data on this subject.
Italy has also contributed much to the oues-
used mNeG fus % Of 'c coal anI pe;rosam one
the warship Messaggieros. thereby adding two
knots t. the speed put with some damage to
sd H. ns esg
gineer Cuniberti. used upon the Schirhau tor
lent results: The fuel w.s refuse petroleum.
days OF use the boiler and tubes required no
repairing; while throughout no smoke was
generated; The Russian steamers on the Cas-
plan and the locomotive engines in the neigh.
boring territory have for many years employed
oil as fuel. and a torpedo boat in England used
It with some success more than four years ago.
The James Brand. to which reference has
already been made. employed 1t for three days
mouth. 1t 10 said that she is the largest steel
tank steamship afoRt. On the other hand in
some French experiments. out OF ten cans OF
petroleum. protected by an armor plate in snc'i
way as to resemble the protection thaS
might be given IT, them on torpedo boat.
series Of Gozen shots had been lred at the
plate. ibis. however, concerns the employ
ment OF oil on war vessels rather than Its use
in the merchant marine
The advantages VI oil will be clear from what
has been said OF the various experiments The
use Of refuse petroleum. which stands a fire
test Of from 800 to $50 degrees. makes the fuel
with the precautions for tnnk storage which
can be taken. Agar. to eraporate given
quantity Of water only about half the weight
or bulk OF oil Is required. SO that for n given
voyage this great gain Is made both of weight
and space. or. in IL war ship. her radius of ac-
ton is proportionally increased. That there
is some additional danger under intense heat
Gence or accident. or imperfect apparatus.
may be conceded. but an Official report in our
own navy is that rs to storags there Is now
" no more danger with petroleum than with
any other eX posive." The advantages OF car
ryng fewer tremen. with their belongings and
quarters. and of giving very much easier work
to those that are mployed. since there are no
be put overheard is very obvious. The alb
sence Of smoke is grateful. and on a torpedo
boat might DO OF much advantage in HOSTILE
ties. while the rHpidity and ease Of fueling at
sea Is another point tor consideration. Thus
lar. however. the question Of cost has been one
Of prim me i'm portance in retarling the general
useof petroleum In the commercial marine.
heavy draft upon the supply. and thus further
Increase the cost