New-York tribune., 1902-06-15
OIL FUEL FOR THE NAVY
WARSHIPS NAY SOON GIVE
Up USE OF coal.
SUCCESS OF TESTS ANNOUNCED BY
ADMIRAL MELNILLE-RENARkA
RLE RESULTS ACHIEVED.
tRr rr1EeRAF1 TO TIE Tribune :

WASHINGTON June 14-Adniral Melville an
nounced to-day notable advance in oil fuel
combustion which indicates that the navy may
soon dispense with coal 4 board Of engineers
under his direction has succeeded in producing g
one-third more steam from a standardized boiler
with oil than was possible with the best coal
and 1t is thought that the use of LIQUID fuel is
on the point of tremendous development for
marine purposes. In careful tests extending
over whole year the value of coal as a fuel
has been accurately determined, and in the last
week the same boiler has been fired with oil in
the preliminary series Of exhaustive tests, which
will last several months. The results from the
first have astonished the skilled experimenters.
and while the wild claims of oil boomers are
in no likelihood of veriication, it seems almost
certain that oil fuel will supersede coal as
controlling element of naval warfare. Afoat
the supply problem is altogether different from
those encountered ashore. In the crowded COM
plication of a warship, where cubic space and
weight are the all powerful considerations. the
aim is to evaporate the greatest quantity or
water in the smallest boiler with the least
weight of fuel and usually without regard 10
expense The water tube boiler, adopted three
wears ago cut down the weight and volume OF
the steam producing apparatus. and its higher
pressures enabled some saving in the relative
weight and size of propelling engines; but the
size Of bunkers and the weight of coal were in
creased until coal was not successfully burning
under forced draught, and the use OF IT aooard
shin would have compelled the adoption OF
larger and heavier boilers greater bunker ca
pacity and other prohibitive conditions
MANY OBJECTIONS TO OIL OVERCOME
To-day Admiral Melville announces the disap-
pearance of most of these objections 10 OIL anu
the tests Just beginning in Washington become
80 +ba oraa+ast interest to naval officers, ma
rine engineers and all steam users afioat IN the
world With the remarkable results achieved by
Admiral Melville's assistants with oil under
forced draught several new objectionable feat
ures developed One of these, an intensity or
heat which existing freboxes will not stand,
will doubtless be rennedied by American invent
ors in short order Another Is the dea1ehlng
noise of combustion. which will probably prove
tn some extent frremedia ble. but as oil would
he burned under natural draught With great
ragerd IN economy under cruising conditions,
the noise could he avoided except IN erner-
earcies and IN battle this would not operate
against its use in warships. Ever since the close
of the Civil War the Navy Department has
made earnest but desultory attempts to deter
mine the value of liquid fuel for naval purposes
A portion of the boiler plants at several Of the
navy wards as we'll as the boilers of gunboats
and torpedo boats have not only had liquid fuel
burned in their furnaces. but these steam gen
orators have been temporarily turned over 10
tho use Of private persons who have invented
special forms of burners.
In general it may be said that there has been
no difficulty experienced in burning some liquid
fuel When complete and careful data have
been collected. it has been invariably found in
the past that The results in burning liquid fuel
Continued third page.