The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-10-29
CRUDE COAL OIL
as Fuel on the Srnah
Craft in the NaT.
Argument In Favor of Building Unitee
States Ships in Classes-The Govern
ment VIII Lose Nothing on Account
OF 100000 in Bogus Warrants.

WASHINGTON, Oct 27.-The gradual
replacement on war vessels of the fa-
miliar cylindrical boiler by various
forms of the water tube boiler constr
tutes the most important fact in ma
rine engineering at this time, accord
ing to Engineer-in-Chief George w.
Melville, who has just published his
annual report to the secretary OF the
navy. For torpedo boats, he says the
advantage of these boilers were SO
evident that they quickly displaced the
old types and have now been used for
several years exclusively for this kind
of craft.
Touching liquid fuel with which
many nations are experimenting as
substitute for coal the report gives an
interesting history of those made in
this country. Included in this list is
the test made by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Co. about ten years ago,
which, while proving the practicable
ity of using crude coal oil for
fuel for boilers, demonstrated that the
Pennsylvania railroad itself would con-
sumo more than one-third of the entire
output of coal oil at that time if it were
used for fuel instead of coal.
Nevertheless the balances of adj
van tage are so greatly in favor of the
hq uid fuel for small craft that the bu-
reau expresses the intention of making
use of coal oil on torpedo boats.
Commodore Melville makes strong
argument in favor of building our
ships in future in classes, so as to Sc
cure the great advantages that follow
the training of men for whole classes
of ships instead of for one vessel, and
also the ability to use duplicate parts
of machinery. 1t is recommended that
the machinery of ships laid up in re-
serve with skeleton crews be subjected
every six months to a dock trial with
full steam pressure to make sure they
are ready for use at short notice.
The bureau has been making some
inquiries as to the possibility of pro-
curing large merchant ships in an
emergency to serve as machine shops
for fleets, and having secured a list of
some suitable vessels. now submits an
estimate of $25, 900 for machine tools to
be laid aside for fitting one of them out
when needed.
The engineer-in-chief has good deal
to say in his report on the subject of
personnel, and he insists that he is
warranted in urging, after many years
of careful observation and study, two
things as necessary to the highest eff
cheney of the engineer corps: First, an
increase of numbers of the corps from
1875 officers of all grades to about 800,
so divided as to the various grades as
to give fair promotion. Second, the
comforting of actual rank and titles
with the names of the corps attached,
as is the case for the staff officers Of
the army.
Government officials are at loss to
know on whom will fall the loss by the
800, 900 of bogus warrants on account OK
the Creek Indian payment which are
now out. The government will not
lose anything, but the money on all
these warrants has been paid out in an
intermediary way. Whether the Creek
nation, which is said to have paid some
of the money on the warrants, or outside
parties, who are known to have cashed
at least part of them on premium
as brokers, or others will be the ones to
stand the loss is not known. Secretary
Bliss stated Tuesday that while there
was about 800, 900 of bogus warrants out
for the Creek payment they had not
been paid. Who holds the warrants
can not be learned, he said, but the
government wO111d not 1OCa n cont