The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-05-25
The RAPID
TRANSIT
USES OIL
The Motive Power
Generated by
Petroleum.
Change Makes Saving
of Twenty Dollars
a Day.
Chief Engineer Mennaush Ex-
plains Advantages OF Crude
Oil Over Coal.

i oil was directly responsible for the
pleasant ride you enjoyed on the cleo
trio cars yesterday. Since Wednesday
of last yeeE crude petroleum has been
substituted for coal as the fuel of the
Honolulu Rapid Transit and Land Co.
system and every one connected with
the plant is enthusiastic over the sue
cess of the change.
lit is cleaner, more economical and
better in every way" said Chief En-
gineer R. Mennaugh yesterday, as he
showed an Advertiser reporter over the
neatly kept plant at the power house.
I'VE calculate on a saving of about $40
per day." he continued. while this
isn't as large as some plants. it is as
new and up to date as any. The
change to oil, which was made on
Wednesday without the shutting down
of the engines for an instant, is the
latest step towards modernization, and
there isn't a better plant in the United
States now. We put in the oil burners
on one of the furnaces Wednesday, and
fired up with oil the same evening. The
change on the second furnace was made
last night, and both have proved sue
cessful.
There is no danger from the oil
either" continued Mr.. Mennaush as he
led the way to the tanks where the oil
is stored. There are two of them, each
with a capacity of $50 barrels. They
are of heavy sheeting with solid stone
and cement wall built around them and
each is twenty-eight feet long and
eight feet in diameter. The most mod
ern system of ventilation is provided
and the tanks can be inspected from
every side, so leak can be easily dis
covered. There is provision also by
which the oil may be pumped from
one tank to the other in case of leakage
in one, and there is a three-inch pipe
for carrying off water or any other
sediment which the petroleum may
contain.
There is a double ventilated roof and
two sets of screens and not ONLY is
the ventilation perfect but there is also
every possible precautiOn against fire.
The tank house is kept sealed under
lock and key, and only Engineer Men
naugh has access to it. He pays visit
of inspection every morning and sees
that everything is all right, before be-
ginning his regular duties.
The oil is pumped from the tanks.
by a double set of duplex pumps Az
by 315 by 4, a pressure of thirty pounds
being maintained for that purpose
Here also the oil is heated to a tenn
perature of from 100 to 100 degrees. A
feed pipe takes off any excess of oil.
The oil is conveyed by overhead pipes !
to the furnace, which since oil has been |
with a set of McLain down shot burn |
ers of the most improved pattern. One |
advantage of the down shot burner |
over the ordinary variety is that that 1T |
keeps the fame from shooting into the |
boiler. Steam and oil enter in separate !
pipes and come in contact at the end |
of the burner where they are atomized. !
The resulting heat from the consump-
ton OF this gas generates the steam. !
and Engineer Nennaugh estimates that |
one heat unit of oil equals Two of coal. |
What was formerly the fire box into |
which was shoveled ton after ton of |
coal daily, now constitutes with the ash !
pit, the combustion chamber.
There is no smoke" said Engineer |
Mennaugh. and the big smoke stack at
tested to the truth of the statement !
for only a thin vapor barely visible 10 !
the naked eye could be seen. Then oil !
is much cleaner than COAL he con- |
tinued. which is quite an item in an |
electric plant. The saving of space is |
another thing. Four barrels of oil take !
tina place Of one ton of coal. We used !
nine tons of coal a day, now we use |
thirty-siG barrels Of oil. and there is |
no dirt. There Is a saving of labor |
as well and the oil costs less than the |
proportionate amount of coal. The saw |
ing Will be in the neghborhood Of $50 |
per day"