New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-09-04
u4RJyE GAS ENGINES.

Great homes have been and are still enter
tanned regarding the service to be performed at
sea by the gas engine. The strongest recon-
mendation of the device is the economy 1t IN
sures \ ton of coal. converted into gas and
used ayplosiveIv in an internal combustion en-
CINE. will WELD twice as much power as 1t would
if burned under a steam boiler. Besides the re
duction in the cost of developing power which
would result from the adoption Of a satisfactory
motor of that class. other advantages would be
secured by It's use Merchant vessels would
nave more room than now for freight, and war
ships would have an increased radius Of action.
The emission Of smoke would no longer adver-
tise the movements of a hattleship or cruiser
to the enemy and as tunnels would no longer
be necessary a wider freedom could he enjoyed
in the training of guns for heavy fighting.
In a recent issue of the London periodical
Engineering the present outlook is discussed
by Mr. c. \. st George Moore His opinion,
which is in harmony with the views of more
than one other expert is that the gas engine
may ere long come into use on small vessels,
hut that many years will elapse before it viii
satisfactorily propel large ones. He declares
that an easy method of reversing an engine Of
several thousand horsepower has not been
found. He has nisgivings about the explosions
which might follow the leaking Of gas III an en-
CINE room. Finally. he dilateS on the difficult
ties Of adapting to service ship the APP
paratuS now in favor for manufa curing power
gas on land. \ fine quality of producer gas,
as if is called, can be made from anthracite,
but # is asserted that marine plant general
ing large quantities from bituminOus coal is
vet to he perfected. Mechanical means Of
eliminating the tar from the gas. says Mr..
Moore are not thorough, and chemical means
have not been carried beyond the stage of ex-
pertinent.
Mr.. Moore's pessimistic opinions had rather
strong warrant as recently as last April. Much
has been expected from the Capitaine system.
which originated in Germany. and which dealt
mainly with the manufacture of gas. \ prom
inent British firm (the BcardmOres) purchased
the right to work under the Capitaine patents.
Three or four months ago one of the partners
told an American consul that he was not yet
quite ready 10 recommend the 2OO0-horsepower
engine which his house had built Since that time
il is possible that marked improvements have
been made. 1t is reported that a small engine
made by the Beardmores has now been tried on
discarded war vessel and has acted salts
factorily. Should the rumor prove TO he we'll
founded il would not follow, however that a big
engine of the same class would work equally
well. though the difficulties to be overcome re-
lated mainly TO the gas producer In the mean
time 1t is worthy of note that in France a shop
engine of 750-horsepower which uses petroleum
vapor works admirably, and that the designer
of II has plans for one of ten times the capacity
which he intends for torpedo boat destroyer.
when this large oil engine has actually been
built and tested the world will know more than
it does DOW about that type of engine That
the subject has also received attention in Amer
lea was indicated a few weeks ago by a dis
patch from Washington to The Tribune
manufacturer in this country has a contract to
supply gas engine for vessel Cd the Great
Lakes. Perhaps the prediction that battle
ship viii some day be propelled by gas power