Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-11-20
CHANGE A RESULT
OF FREQUENT TESTS
With Coal for Ordinary Purposes
and Oil to Work up Great Steam
Ing Capacity When Necessary.
Ships viii Have I'm
mense Speed.

washington, -. t.f NOV. EV.-Ine
new twenty-thousand ten battleships
will make use of American petro-
leum as auxiliary fue.. These ships,
the Delaware and the North Da-
kota, will be the finest figntIng ma
chimes that play the seas, IL the con-
struction department of the navy can
be believed. and u knows all abou.
them. 1t is stated that the new fight-
ing ships will embody every device
of value known to the science OF sea
fighting, and among these will be
the use of oil to stimulate tagging
fires when the exigeneies of battle
demand that every ounce of power
in the tremendous machinery be de-
veloped for the supreme test which
may never come, but for whose brief
agony the great vessels are designed,
and in which everything else is SUI
bordinated to their destiny as fight
ing machines.
Experiments with OIL.
1t may have seemed to those not
aware of the questions involved that
the navy has been slow in making
use of oil fuel, which In merchant
vessels and as fuel under stationary
and locomotive boilers has proved
generally desirable. But the navy
has not been in ignorance of what
'eThe navy department few years
ago." said Secretary Metcalf, "con-
Quoted very exhassive experiments
with oils and oil burners in this city.
AS a result of those experiments 1t
was decided TO fit up at Marie island
the monitor Wyoming to burn oil,
and to install oil burners on the
Delaware and the North Dakota,
which will carry the fuel oil in COM
na f.t Inanfs hafwaen their double bot
toms.
These ships will have a coal ca
pacity of about $500 tons and they
will carry about $50 tons of oil,
which is estimated to be equal to
some 500 tons of the best coal This
fuel will give a steaming radius of
approximately 5000 to 1000 miles,
which means that the ships could go
under moderate speed for twenty
five days or more without recoal-
ing"
Coal Cheaper Than Oil.
1t may be said here that one rea-
son, If not the principal one, why
oil has not been made use of to a
greater extent by the navy is that
coal is much cheaper on the Allan
tic coast than oil. 1t is the reverse
tain that oil will be used to a con-
siderable extent in the future by
war ships stationed in the Pacific.
I'VE must use both coal and oil in
the navy" said Admiral Rae, engi-
neer-in-chief of the navy. 1T is
merely a question of detail how to
use coal and oil both. Most nayies
begin with coal on forced draft, and
when the fires got dirty and 1t Is
difficult to keep up steam, oil can be
sprayed on the incandescent coal and
the fires can be kept up for four or
five hours longer. That will be the
case with the Delaware and the
North Dakota. The oil will be used
chiefly as an emergency fuel"
At the present time the monitor
Wyoming is being fitted at the Mare
Island navy yard to burn oil. She
has not sufficient space between her
double bottoms to permit of storing
her oil supply there, so bunker space
will have to be provided. oil Is a
very searching" iuid and there is
doubt whether the coal bunkers are
heavy enough for oil. Heavier iron
may be used to build new bunkers.
Tn; Wyoming has been undergoing
the changes for a year now, and 1t
is thought that If no more serious
delays are encountered she may be
ready for trials in three or four
months.
Problems in the Wyoming.
one of the problems which may
be solved IN the Wyoming is wheth-
er oil can be carried under pressure;
that Is, whether II will be safe to
place the oil in bunkers above the
fires or whether II Is necessary on
the score of safety to carry the oil
between the double bottoms. There
are other problems also which the
experiments 10 be conducted on the
Wyoming may solve wholly or in
part
Some of the known disadvantages
to be met with In the use of liquid
fuel are: First, the extra weight in
volved; second, the additional COM
plexity due 10 the necessary pipes:
third, the possible danger due to the
presence Of the infiammable fuel.
The use of fuel oil has been un-
der discussion in the navy for the
last six or seven years, and Il has
been found that there are good rea-
sons for going slow in the introduce
ton of it, 1t is a problem OF con-
siderable compleXity. About three
years ago a boiler was rigged up on
the wharf here In Washington and a
liquid fuel" board held exhaustive
tests of California and Texas oil I
Every inventor and owner Of oil
burners was invited to bring on his
eontrivance es and have them tested.
A score or so complied with the in
and the results are told in
a large volume, comprising the OFF,
Il - -. . -