The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-08-05
A sMoKELEss SHIP.
A Few Years Will See CompIete
Revolution of Ship Construction
According to Expert.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Aug. a.
The war vessel of the future will be
swift, smokeless, noiseless craft,
lying low in the water, with every
vulnerable part below the water lin ),
the entire deck being given over to
the work of the guns There will be
no smoke, because there will be no
smokestacks. In the night time
there will be nothing to betray the
presence of this invincible fightin;
demon to the enemy.
This prediction was made today b.
Robert Haywood Fernald mechani-
cal engineer who has for several
years been connected with the fuel
investigations of the United States
geological survey.
Mr.. Fernald believes that the gas
engine, or internal combustion mo-
tor, as it is called by engineers. will
be installed in naval vessels of the
United States within the next few
years.
II expect to see the United States
ahead of every other nation in this
innovation, said Mr.. Fernald. "The
gas engine. in my opinion, is feasible
on any vessel because of it's economy
over the steam engine, but it is espe-
cially desirable on the fighting ship
for the reason that it makes no
smoke. The fas is generated in
producer which has no chimney and
needs none. The coal is turned di-
rectly i1to gas which goes straight to
the engine.
"The smoke nuisance has been
serious problem to tbs navies of the
world for number of years. In the
day time the presence of an enemy's
ship has been discovered miles away
by the smoke from its stacks and in
the night the flames belching from
the tops of the stacks have spoiled
many well laid plan of attack.
"The elimination of the smoke is
sufficient to call for the installation
of the gas engine, yet there are manv
other features in it's favor. The yes
sci would have a free deck for the
play of its big guns. There would be
no towering stacks to puncture or de-
stroy, thus perhaps Gripping the
boat. Then it would be necessary to
carry as much coal, for the same
power can be developed with one
third less than the steam engine uses.
The gas producer and the gas engine
would take up less room and weigh
less than the same power Scotch
boiler and steam engine. If it were
necessary it would be possible 20
carry more coal, which would give
the vessel radius of travel far
greater than at present.
"Of course. I do not expect to see
the gas engine confined to the use OF
the navy. The fact that it shows
such economies will compel it's in
stallation in all sorts of vessels. One
of the big items of expense to a mod
ern ocean liner is it's coal bill. These
vessels will consume 10000 tons of
high grade coal on a round trip. With
the gas engine this could be reduced
to COCO or 1000 tons. saving of
several thousand dollars. Then
what a boon it would be to the citi-
zens of New York, Philadelphia, Bos-
ton and other seaports to have all the
vessels entering equipped with
smokeless engines. In New York
harbor a considerable percentage of
the smoke comes. from the river
craft.
zone of the big steamship COM
panies of the Great Lakes is about 1 :,
take the initiative in this movement.
Plans have been made for a freighter
that will use a 1000 horse power gas
engine. This company is not making
the experiment because of the smoke
from the stacks of its vessels, but in
order TO demonstrate the economy ~
the gas engine over the steam engine.
At present this concern is paying SO
a ton for coal, and Its managers fig
ure considerable saving II the gas