The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-06-22
SHIPS RUN By GAS
MAY nEvoLuTroNlEE HA1IN1
lst, TRANSPORTATION.

Changes IN the Motive xoW0r ol
Boats Of All Kinds PeinS 70
Eventual Adoption
Of Gas.
II the steamship and the steam
locomotive are not actually doomed
1t Is certain that we are on the eve ut
developments which will bring into
the field several competitors. Even
In the experience of the present gen.
Grafton, says the London Telegraph
the great Atlantic transportation com.
panies may advertise voyages BY
gas ships" and we may travel ashore
In trains drawn by gas locomotives
In small boats the gas motor is al.
ready displacing the steam engine, and
In our greatest men-of-war oil fucl
is now being utilized. Within a short
time all the battleships of Vice Al.
mival Sir w. II. Mays Atlantic fleet
will carry liquid fuel in their double
bottoms. and the navy will soon have
vessels driven by Internal combustion
engines. practically sea automobiles. to
sN'' 'so 'hS''SVhSCiS SCOutb. HeTe
has been a disposition to regard the
motor-boat as toy, or at most as
q vessel suitable fer use only on the
smooth waters Of our great rivers. II
may be recalled that when the Tur.
binia whisked about Spithead during
the diamond jubilee review. to the
amazement of spectators, II was urged
by some that the turbine might serve
for small pleasure craft, but could not,
In our time at least, be of practical
utility. 1868
To-day It is displacing the recipro-
eating engine. Great turbine lines
have begun to ply across the Atlantic
with complete success. and the new
engine has amply demonstrated its
economy of power in his majesty's
ship Amethyst, cruiser of 1900 tons
The same vindication may await the
motive power which, after Initiating
q revolution on our roads, has lately
performed amazing feats afloat. Those
who have scoffed at the motor-boat
as plaything have an object lesson
In the unwisdom of facing the future
with lack of faith, which means stag.
nation, in the long trial of the motor
boat Napier Major, making a nonstop
voyage from the Thames to Lerwick
in the Shetlands, distance Of 750
miles. This craft is merely a com.
Portable 12-ton cruising yacht, fitted
with 20-horsepower marineI motor
and with sufficient fuel to last for
nearly 5000 miles at fair speed. The
trial Is the severest test of reliability
and seaworthiness which has yet
been made by any ship of this new
type, and the promoter shows his con-
fidencc by sending his little craft
plowing her way up the North sea.
Science is moving so quickly that II
is difficult to keep pace with its ad-
vance. and even the turbine, and the
oil motor-boat, are now threatened by
the gas" ship, vessel propelled by
coal gas. The age of marvels did not
end with the Victorian era; we have
yet more remarkable applications of
invention to the service of man al
ready outlined with some distinctness
The motor-boat has undoubtedly ar
rived for use in peace and war, for
commerce and pleasure, but on the
eve Of its career 1t Is met with sug-
gestion of rivalry which Is of immense
Importance to the British people,
Within the wide expanse of the Brit
ish empire practically everything that
man needs may be found in abundance,
except oil fuel. For this we are large.
ly dependent on foreign countries, and
as the demand increases the price will
rise. Consequently we have not been
able to view with equanimity the
apotheosis of the internal combustion
oil engine ashore and afioat, since 1t
seemed inevitable that It would ron
of some Of its value one of the most
important natural resources of this
country. The Napier Major is. of
course, a gas-ship, but It Is an Gil
gas-ship. Now we are able to an
ticipate with pleasure and profit the
coming OF the coal gas-ship, a de.
velopment which will rank among the
greatest scientific achievements OF our
time
A German engineer, Herr Z. Cap
taine, has devoted many years to he
study of the best means for produc.
Ing gas from coal and utilizing the
product is marine motors. In q lec-
ture at Frankfort recently he was IN
the proud position OF demonstrating
that he had already made considerable
progress. He has built a 25-horsepow-
er launch, in which gas is produced
and used with complete success. 1t has
attained the same speed as steam
boat of four times the size. The
economy in space and fuel Is i'm
mense. The inventor calculates that,
by adopting this new generator and
motor in a steamer of 10000 horse
power, saving OF E10000 in the coal
bill would be effected In single year
II the vessel were under steam $500
hours. The ship of the future may,
therefore, be kind of marine gasome-
ter, economical, cleanly, and. we are
assured. absolutely safe. Admitted
ly, this latest adaptation OF coal to
propulsion is in its infancy. but the
prospect which Is held out IL most
cheerful for a nation whose chief
wealth Is its coal fields.