The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-06-02
IT'S USE BY RAILROADS.
Oil as a Fuel on the Southwestern
Roads.
WOULD MEAN A BIG SAVING POP SOME
Test on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa re
Gives Satisfactory Results.
The Benefits.

The Financial Chronicle az New YORK
SAYS. The Boston News bureau on Wednes-
day printed a dispatch from Austin. Texas
saving that General Manager Polk Of the
Gulf Colorado aud Santa Fe rallrosd ia
part n the Atchison. Topeka and Santa Re
system, was quoted as saying that the test
Of the Beaumont oil as fuel lot locomotives
on that road had given highly satisfactory
results ana that it NIL be generally used
on that Hne MS soon " can ne dennitely
ascertalned whether the oil VIII he Oh
lalnahle tn lasting and United DUMMY.
The Gust of installing OH burners on the
locomotives ie estimated at from $-h 10
$500 per engine
Mr Polk is reported as saving that the
Cuff Colorado and Santa Re NJ present.
consumes about 500 tons of coal per day.
About three barrels n oil are reckoned
Us equal 10 one ton ~ coat and the OIL
can be purchased IN large quantities for
With oil In Use on the Gulf, Colorado and
Santa Fc, n is thought 1t Will be only =
short time before u is substituted for coal
ns fael for locomotives m the whole
The dispatch adds that the Southern Pa
cifc and the Could lines In Texas are aiiD
considering the matter Of eauipping their
4 engines with oil burners. and that many
! large manufactures In Texas are using the
oil successfully as fuel
The foregoing Is suggestive hnt gives
only s hint Of the benefits that may he ".
( pected u permanently cheap supplies II
I fuel can he counted on in Texas and In
! California Just what the saving 10 the
Atchson will be from such 8 substitution
as here indicated Il Is difdNplt IN compute
from tho available data AZ hand The
average cost Of coal on the whole Atchisou
system has not ruled exceptionally hgh.
/ This Is due 10 the fact that the system
extends half way across the continent.
from Chicago 10 the Pacific ocean lAd AZ
I Its Eastern end Is IN position ~ get c9al
al fairly cheap rates. besides which the
Atchison has some coal mines ar points ou
| Its lines
The average for the late dscal year Ia
reported az 81 6s per ton hut this figure Is
not altogether reliable. ne tho company iu
that year had already begun 70 use oil pu
ITS lines In Southern California. and The
oil Is included In the coal at its estimated
equivalent In The latter. The same remlrk
applies to the quantity NJ coal consumed.
Nnlch for the same wear Is given as 100
an equivalent In coal
The Atchlsou, by reason ~ having eN.
perimenlcd with oil on It's Southern Can,
iorni6 lines. has exceptional facilities fnr
Texas lines.
The last Atchison report saws the use NJ
iuel oil on the southern California line had
continued to give satisfactory results. since
the close Of 1900 coal has moi heen usad
MS . fuel for locomotives mon anv nj tho
alghison limos In the State N California
w nave no means ot est mating what
me saving from the introduction of oil on
the california lines win hc In rhe ease ~
me Texas lines the dispatch saws tho Gulf.
Colorado ana Santa 70 is AZ present CON
summing 500 tons OF coal per dav. This
would be, roughly, $4,000 tons wear If
We estimate saving of 81 4 ton In this
Oh equivalent Of this tonnage tho aegrc.
gate saving on this Texas portion OF the
system would he $4,000 ner annum
but the company which win have most
70 gain from the introduction and eubstitu
non or oil IS the Southern Pacific Here
the cost ~ coal has been ertraordlunriiv
hlsn by reason NJ the complete absence ~
cont areas west ~ the Sierra Neyadas Tho
last annual report OF the Southern =, eiGc
company contained special reference 10 the
matter II stated that the cost ~ fuel FOR
locomotives forms large factor in the
expenses Tor conducting transpnrtation
mon the company's lines
.F"r the year covered nv the report tho
ucm counted for no less than ST. 588 ~ fl
constituted 6l4 per cent nf tho cost ~
locomotive service 2NOl Per cent cf mo
Iotal expenses for conducting trnnsnnrtn
u9n ana 1850 per cent of the gross lS
me hest way to show AT what , 4t.,,,
vantage the Southern Pacific has lohored
IN thls respect Is 20 compare the a'.nro,a
cost per ton to II Of coai. with tbr AVS,
ages OF a few other roads in diTcrent nort.
following: "''' "'ii' III the