The sun., 1908-08-03
TEE WARSHIP or THB FUTURE.
PREDICTION OF AN ENGINEER or
THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.


In Naval Vessels In the Next Few Years
which Win Mako Them em0keless
Noiseiess Craft and Reduce Ceal Bin
WASHINGTON. Aug 2.-Ths war vessel
NJ the future will be Q swift, smolteless
noiseess craft, lying low In the water, with
eysry vulnerable part below the water line
The entire deck being for the work Of the
guns. There will be no smoke, because
there will be no smokestanks. In the night.
tme there will be nothing to betray the
presence Of this invinGibls fighting demon
10 the enemy.
This prediction was made to-day By
Robert Haywood Fernald, mechanical en-
dneer, who has for several years been con-
nected with the fuel investigations Of the
United States Geological Survey. Mr.
Fernald believes that the gas engine, or
internal combustion motor, e. It is called
by engineers, will be installed In naval
vessels of the United States within the nsus
few years.
Il expect to see the Upited States ahead
Of every other nation In this innovation, >
sald Mr.. Fernald. .The gas engine, in my
opinion, Is feasible on any vessel because
II Is especially desirable on-the fighting chip
for the reason that 1t makesno smoke. The
gas Is generated In q producer which has'no
chimney and needs none. The coal 10
turned directly into gas, whioh,goes straight
to the engine.
'The elimina ion Of the smoke is sufficient
to call for the installation Of the gas engine,
yet there are many other features In its
favor. The vessel would have free deck
for the play Of Its big gums There would
be no towering stacks to be punotured or
destroyed. thus oripphng the boat. Then
it would be unnecessary 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 lees
than the same power Scotch boiler and steam
Of travel far greater than at present
'0f course I do not expect to see tho gas
engine confined to the use of the navy.
The fact that 1t shows such economies win
compel its installation In all sorts Of vessels.
liner s coal b fhSss ss
viii consume 10000 tons Of high grade coal
on o round trip. With the gas engine this
could be reduced to, 5000 or 1000 tons, q
saving Of several thousand dollare.
One Of the big steamship companies of
the Great Lakes Is about to take the initia-
made for freighter that will use q 20o0
horsepower gas engine. This company
Is making the experiment to test the econ
omy y Of the gas engine over the steam en-
!. The United States Geological Survey
has been experimenting with the gas pro-
Queer and gas engine for several years
and has demonstrated that this type Of
engine In a stationary plant Ii capable Of
generating from twice to three times as
much power from a given amount Of coal
that the gas engine can developSmore power
from low grade coal, such as the ignite
Of North Dakota, than the steam engine
can with the same weight Of the best bi-
luminous coal.
not been to develop the gas engine. but to
increase the efficiency Of the coal supply
OF the county. which Is now being depleted.
The Government spends $4,000 900 yearly
for Goal, and 1t was primarily to get the
best results from this expenditure that the
engine was takea up ~ ~.
The tests In the gas producer at tho
Government plant have shown that many
fuels Of suoh low grade as to be practically
vafeless for steam furnace purposes in
cluding slack coal. bone coal and Ignite,
may be economically converted into pro-
ducer gas and may. thus generate sufficient
gas power to render them Of high COM
mercia value. In. this way Ignite beds
underlying from 20.000.0O0 to $1,000 900
acres OF public lands, hereto fore supposed
to have little or no commercial value. are
shown to have a large value for power
dev velopment. This Is of importance to
the West and makes possible q great
Industrial development there.
The Geological Survey recently issued a