The evening times., 1900-05-16
LIQUID FUEL IN EUROPE.
Consul Central Guenther, at Frank
fort. Writes of Its Use.

fort. Writes OF Its Use.
Consul General Cuenther. al Frankfort
in speaking Of the use of liquid fuel in
Europe. writes the State Department. as
| fellows:
The scarcity and high price Of coal
have given much impetus to the eonstrue-
tion Of apparatus for using liquid fuel. pc
troleum. benzine, and gasoline, and com
petent authorities are sanguine OF success
The advantages OF liquid fuel. when prop
erly applied. are obvious. There is no
sr-oke, no stoking nc ashes, or einders, no
| incomplete combustion; the fire can be
started CT shut on at 4 moments notice;
a more even temperature can be maintain
ed than by the use Of coal or wood. and
| the IRE can be regulated by the mere
| turning OF a single cock There is no dust
or dirt, no spacious coal sheds are requir-
/ ed. and there is no danger OF spontaneous
! combustion, as frequently happens with
| coal.
1T is claimed that petroleum and its
I manufactures will soon 70 a great extent
/ supersede the use Of coal for manufactur-
/ ing purposes, ard therefore the supply Of
petroleum becomes of great importance.
( Statistics show that the United States and
/ Russia are between them producing, in
/ round numbers. 120. 900. 900 barrels per
/ year and that the production Of outside
Z countries has of late increased so much
/ that they are able 10 contribute enough
now to bring the worlds aggregate annual
production 10 about 80. 900. 600 barrels. Il
/ Is well known that the production OF Rus
| sia Is much less now than il might De.
| owing TO the lack OF enterprise OF the peo-
| pie and TO inadequate transportation ia
cilities. which cause tie price to be high
er even in Germany, adjoining Russia, THAI
/ that OF American petroleum, which has 10
| travel thousands Of miles.
What IS true Of Russia Is even mere
| true Of Asiatie countries. like Persia The
Z increased demand will stimulate the eX-
/ plOitatiOn Of oil fields in the EereEt
| lands Railway companies are trying oil
fred locomotives. one steamship line has
adopted oil for firing under the boilers Cf
NEST Of its vessels When oil vas first
/ burned under the boilers il was intro
! Guoed through an open trough or gutter. or
/ placed in the furnace in Bowls \ rcw
! system Is now employed, and Is ginning
i in favor. whereby the oil is eyaDOrated y
being mixed with hot air. This is said
/ 10 be an improvement on the method OF
/ employing a steam Jet. Nothing seems -
( be IN the way Of more extensive use Of OIL
Z for fuel. except the price.
/ -BenZine and gasoline are Csel to fur
7 nish moGye power -maay different Tur-
/ poses. and their use IS constantly Iurreas-
! ing A benzine- worked locomotive. cCn-
( strUcted at the Deutz GAsmOt0r Works.
I near Col0ngne. has been running IN The
\ third level OF the Laurathutte C0lliery. in
{ the kattOwitz coal district. for over year.
l With the exception Of 2 slight d=ranse-
I meat, which was readily repaired.
/ the locomotive has performed its work
| satisfactorily and without interruption.
/ The locomotive weighs 4.50G pounds. the
/ length IS feet ? inches; with. feet
/ II inches; height from rail level. 1 foot
! ( inches. ana gauge. ] foot inches Il
/ has six horsepower.
4 The actual woTk performed by the 10
! cOmCtive is the hauling in one trip CT from
/ thirteen TO fourteen buckets loaded with
/ ere. weighing about 1875 pounds. or about
4 l20 metric tons per shift To do this. the
I consumption OF benZine is about % rounds
( and the daily expenses including interest
/ on investment and sinking fund. wages Of
/ engine driver, bsnzine. and lubricants. are
I $50; so that the cost OF hauling one me-
/ tric tea (2,200 pounds. is 1 II cents.
I against , SIS cents with horses. As the
/ engine IS closed On all sides, 50 that the
/ driver can only get at the interior by
I using key. the danger OF explosion is
! practically obyiated- No Inconvenience
/ from The cdCr emitted has been experience
I ed by the miners working in the level
! In another communication Mr. Gueuther
| adds: 4 notice in St Petersburg des-
/ patches that the Russian Government Is
/ considering a new mode for leasing oil
/ lands owned BY the Crown in the district
/ Ct Baku, in order 10 reduce the price Of
| eoel oil. which within the last few years
I has been raised eXOrbitanJIy- II is prO-
/ posed that after 1900, the iessees shall Pay
10 the Government 20 per cent OF the oil
/ produced in natuTa.' so that the Govern
| ment can become q competitor in the sale
I OF the article. Heretofore. the iessees
/ paid a certain tax in cash on every pound
/ Of oil