New-York tribune., 1902-10-25
PETROLEUM VERSUS COAL
PROBLEM OF OIL FOR SHIPS FUEL
TREATED BY ADMIRAL MELVILLE.
RESULTS OF TESTS CONDUCTED BY ENGI-
NEER BoARD-UsE on SMALLER NAVAL
VESSELS Recommendation MORE
EXPENSIVE THAN COAL

|
Washington. Oct. 24-The annual report OF Rear
! Admiral George W. Melville, engineer IN chiel ol
the navy. which was made public to-day, is OF un-
| usual interest -
| The proposed use of petroleum as substitute lot
coal on sEipboard is treated at length ana IN sucn
detail as thoroughly to meet the innumeraole ue
| mands that have to the Navy Department Ior
the snecial information collected by the engseer-
| ing board composed of Lieutenant Commanders
| Edwards. Parks and Bailey For months lhls
| board has been working with two thousahu
| horsepower boiler on the waterfront in TINS CITY
testing multitude of oil burning devices ana 'he
| greatest manufacturing concerns in the Unlteo
States and abroad have been seeking TO learn tne
results the Summing up the results Oh the
boards work. the report says:
That oil be burned in a very uniform man
That the evaporative efficiency of nearly every
same While the crude oil may be rich in hydro
carbons it also contains sulphur so bat me caie
rife value as the crude product: .r =. forced 70
even as high a degree with oil as with coal.
That up to the present time no Ill efects nave
That hTeen are disposed to favor oil oil and. tp:
therefore. impediment Will De met III 'iS
That the air requisite for combustion should be
heated if possible before entering the furnace.
Such action undoubtedly assists the sasHca''oh VI
THAT the oil should be heated so that 1t could
be atomZed more readily. - - -
That when using steam higher pressures % are un-
doubtedy more advantageous than lower pressure
for atO oil
That Under heavy forced draught conditions, and
particularly when steam is used the board ard mas Ia,
suing from the stack. although all connected With
the tests made special enGrs 10 nuTposcg Is n
desirable that the smoke Ge Sh not be m
That the consumption Of liquid fuel cannot
probably be forced to as great an extent with
steam as the atomizng agent as when & go
ar Is nseq IPF I'm bs d for aom9ressing purposes
after entering the iurnaee Ten 3ba rara6ed
vapor simply displaces air that Is needed TO COM
pete combustion.
USE OF OH. FOR THE NAVY.
The details of the report this subject will be of
great interest 10 special classes For the public
perhaps they summed up so far as the navy is
concerned. in the following extract:
The more this question is investigated the more
INTRICATE seems the problem OF successfmuliy m IN
1t ought to be successfully used on the torpedo
boats as well as upon auxiliary naEal vessels 1nat
port service It might prove very desirable. since
calling ports pc Hu In regard ar to the instaa on the
there are three distinct features which must be con-
sidered. viz: The mechanical. the commercial and
of view. # seems if II would be some time before
COAL snip ceases 10 ne an eaIlau9h S upon the
vessel traverse the ocean there is wide difference
"a men n az b Me t s m he st t,eu into 10 e s
count IN designing the motive plant
The first line Of inquiry by the board was the en-
cheering mechanical feature. involving the pos
sibility OF successfully burning oil for pur-
poses and 1t is said that this problem is nearing
solution. 1t has been found necessary to atomlze
the oil dt cannot be completely gasihe) instead OF
using IL without pressure The air blast should be
heated by some simple device II this Is done prop
eriy the experiments have shown that II will be
possible To force the combustion OF oil 10 the same
extent as coal, something not done before. but
sentiaI for naval
OIL MORE EXPENSIVE THAN COAL
Treating Of the commercial aspects of the ques-
tion the report makes the following important
statements:
1t may be regarded as n certainty that excent
for marine purposes viii generally be greater than
that OF coal The may be less for vessels de-
parting from the Gulf and California seapoTts bnt
the rule will hold elsewhere While the question
Of cost should be OF secondary Importance In mill
tary matters. II must be taken into consideration
II is the expense of transportation that will AL
ways prevent the oil from being a cheap com
very cheaply ar ports like Point Sabine its com
mercial value will be determined by The cost ~
delivery At commercial and maritime centres This
feature Of the problem is beyond the ability OF the
important phase Of the subject q" a."
WANTS A TRIAL ON TORPEDO ROATs
1t is then shown that IT would be more expenst,.
and difficult to store oil than coal and tbat ,b
fumes are dangerous in places like the small bunL-
ers and double bottom spaces aboard shin whore
being heavy, they cannot be easily blown ava,
But in spite Of these and other objections the ro-
port says:
The bureau has hesitation however IN A.
claring that, in view the results IA de
by the liquid fuel board. an installation SbouIJ H
torpedo boats and destroyers The funinr 90, U the
OF me service are very much interested In ~
iIlehaIy rFairy Will be created. which will rssyit
III d material increase In the efficiency OF The tor
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