The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1908-08-14
ship WITHOUT
Ss!OhE Or NOISE.
Plans for New War Demon
About Perfected.
No SmOkestackS, and Whole
Deck VIII b. Given Over to
The Guns.

The war vessel of the future will be
a swift, smokeless noiseless craft, ly-
ing low in the water with every vulne
able part below The water line, the
entire deck beng gwen oven 10 ,hc
work of the guns. There will be no
smoke, because there will be no smoke
stacks. In the night time there will
be nothing 10 berray the presence of
This invincible fighting demon to the
enemy.
This prediction mas been made by
Robert Haywood Fernald mechanical
engineer, who has for several years
been connected with the fuel invest
cation of the United States geological
survey.
Mr.. Fernald believes that the gas
engine, or the international combina-
ton motor, as It is called by engi-
neers will be installed in naval YES
sells of the United States within the
next few years.
Il expect 10 see the United States
ahead of any nation in this innova-
tion," said Mr.. Fernald. "The gas en-
CINE, in my opinion is feasible on any
vessel, because of its economy over
the steam engine but it is especially
desirable on the fight ship for the
reason that it makes nosmoke. The
gas is generated in a producer which
has no chimney and needs none. The
coal is turned directly into gas, which
goes straight 10 the engine.
The elimination of the smoke is
sufficient to call for the installation of
the gas engine, yet there are many
other features in is favor. The YES
sci would have a free deck for the
play OF its big guns. There would
be no coverings acks TO puncture or
destroy thus gripping the boat Then
IT would be unnecessary TO carry as
much coal for the same power can be
developed with one-third the amount
of fuel that the steam engine uses.
"Of course, | do not expect to see
the gas engine confined 10 The use of
the navy. The fact that 1t shows
the navy. The fact hat il shows such
econmies will compel It's installation
in all sorts Of vessels.
One OF the steam companies of
the Great Lakes is about to take
the initiative in this movement. Plans
have been made for freighter that
will use a 1000 horsepower gas en-
g1ne."
1t has also shown that the gas en-
CINE can develop more power from
q low grade coal, such as the Ignite
of North Dakota, than the steam en-
CINE can with the same weight of the
bestt bituminous coal.
The purpose of the government mas
not been to develop the gas engine,
but to increase the efficiency in the
utilization of the coal supply of the
country which is now being used at
an enormous rate. Experts declare
that at the present increase in con-
sumption that takes up the better OF
the coal the supply will be gone be-
fore he close of the next century
and that the nation will long before
that feel the effect Of the wanning
supply. The government itself spends
$10,000,00O yearly for coal and it was
primarily to get the best results from
this expenditure that the investiga-
tions of the gas producer and the
gas engine was taken up.
The tests in the gas in the producer
at the government plan have shown
that many fuels of such low grads as
to be practically valueless for steam
furnace purposes, including slack
coal bone coal mad Ignite, may be
economically converted into producer
of high commercial value. In this
way Ignite beds underlying form 10000
900, TO 100000 acres of pub
lie lands heretofore supposed TO have
little or no commercial value, are
shown TO have a large value for pow
er development. This is of import
anoe TO the west, and makes possible