The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-14
RAILROAD news.
Tests of Beaumont Oil Are I'm
portant to Texas Roads.
Santa Fe Interested Along With
s. p. and Gould Lines.
EXCELS COAL AS FUEL.
Roads Are Building Extensions
Into the Oil District.
George T. Neubert Made General
Foreman at Point Richmond.

The fact that the tests of the Beau
mont oil as fuel for locomotives proved
highly successful. is one of the greatest
Importance to the several companies
operating extensively in Texas This il
pSrlIcular1y true as applying 10 tne Sahta
F'e, the Southern Pacific and the Gould
ROADS, buying as they do large quantities
of COAL will be able to get fuel oil in the
beaumont neId at a very low price, proDa-
Dly not exceeding ~ cents per Darre! at
Beaumont The numerous tests which
nave been made show that this oil IS a
than much of the coal that is being used
These tests have demonstrated that about
three anu q nalI barrels OF OH are eQuk4A
TO one ton OF coal for steam producing
purposes 1t IS asserted by some that
two and one-half barrels of oil is equal
to one ton of Indian Territory coal, which
IS used on most of the Texas roads The
Texas to the state railroad commission
show that the total amount of coal used
tor locomotives on the 1exas INES Ior the
twelve months ending June 30, 1900, was
1;t1b,44 tons The price paid per ton Tor
Paris and Great Northern obtained it, to
$, which was the price paid by the Velas-
tons of coal during the year, and the lat
ter road only 525 tons
The total mum Der of tons of coal used
for locomotives by all the roads belonging
to the Southern Pacific system in Texas
during the last year was 539, sos. and the
aggregate sum paid for this fuel was ST.
764970-04. Taking the liberal estimate that
II requires three and one-han barrels OF
the Beaumont fuel oil to equal one ton
Of coal, it is shown that the 539, sos tons
of coal are equivalent to ], $3.50, 32S barrels
of fuel oil. InaSmuch as this oil is nov
being sold in large lots at 20 cents per
the Southern Pacific will be able to con-
tract for it at that rate, or even lower.
At 20 cents per barrel, the 1SS9,S2S barrels
would cost 1871 $3.50, as against $l.I64,910-O4
which was the sum paid for fuel for To-
cOmotives of the Texas lines belonging to
the Southern Pacific system during the II
months ending June 80 1900. This would
mean a saving of 81, 1854 304.44 per annum
III the company's fuel bill for its Texas
lines alone The cost of installing oil
burners on locomotives is i'd to be about
800 for each locomotive
The railway group in Texas, next in inn
I,ortance to the Southern Pacific, is made
Texas & Pacific. which used 260,26S tons
of coal at an ge cost of $2.15 per ton
for the u months ending June 80, 1900,
the international & Great Northern,
which used 1861 44 tons on an average cost
of $2-44 per ton; the St. Louis Southwest
ern of Texas, which used &c. ISL tons at
average cost of f.. 45 per ton. The total
number Of tons of coal used by the lines
belonging to this system in Texas for the
year named was 4S3 1893, and it's cost was
81. 104, 500. Figured on the basis of three
and One-half barrels of oil for one ton of
coal. the Gould Texas lines would use an
nually approximately 1851, SIS barrels of
This would mean a saving of $766, 494 per
annum in this item of expense. The st.
Louis Southwestern has announced it's in
tentiOn of building extension of itS-line
south from Lufkin, Tex, to the Beaumont
oil field and when this is done it will be
the same footing at the Southern Pa
ciflc SO far as saving freight on the oil for
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