Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-25
WILL UNCLE SAM
USE CALIFORNIA
OIL ON VESSELS?
Exclusive Burning of Petroleum,
Doing Away with Coal Is
Urged by Industry
EASTERNERS KNOCK PROJECT
Influential Men at Washington,
Owning Pennsylvania Coal
Mines, BeIittIe New Fuel

A movement having for It's purpose
the urging Of the United states govern
ment to adopt California fuel oil for
the navy has recently been initiated
among the largest producers of petro-
leum in California.
The rapidly accumulating surplus of
oil in this state, the practically mex
haustible supply in the ground, and the
cheapness of oil as compared with
coal are some of the strong points re-
lied upon to convince the goyernment
of the feasibility of substituting Oh
for coal burners In the big ships of the
navy.
In case the government should de-
eide to substitute petroleum for coal
in the entire navy, 1t would require
not more than year to establlsh OIL
stations where coaling stations are
maintained now by the United states
on the Pacifi coast and in the Orient.
A great many stations at which OIL
burning vessels may reStock their
bunkers already exist on the Pacihc
coast of the United States.
That the officials of the navy are
beginning to appreciate the advantages
of oil over coal as a fuel for the navy
is evidenced by a number of recent
developments, the most signlhcant OF
which is the announcement recently
made to the effect that the cruiser
West Virginia soon VIII pc eonVerleu
into an oil burner. Specifications al
ready have been prepared and the
changes will be made under the super
vision of the federal authorities at the
Mare Island navy yard.
DEsTRoYERs TO BURN OIL
Another development tending to in
dicate that the naval authorities even
tually intend to employ oil as fuel for
the entire navy is the conversion OF SIX
a fhn
into oil burners. The installation of
at least a number of oil stations on
the Atlantic coast is therefore assured.
The opening of the Panama canal
undoubtedly will have strong lnIlu-
ence in favor of the adoption of oil for
use In the navy. for the government
could then ship oil at small cost from
California to the Atlantic stations.
The completion of the canal also VIII
open up large market for Calltornla
fuel oil among the merchant marine or
the Atlantic coast.
II Is believed in some quarters that
the government has Disseminated
against California oil just as 1t has
against California stone. This bellef
Is shared by Lewis E. Aubury, state
mineralogist OF California, who has not
hesitated to voice his opinion of the
alleged discrimination in no uncertain
terms
1--WE are confronted with the same
problem on oil as we are on stone
said Aubury "The trouble. is that TOO
MANY of the influential men at WASH
ington are Interested in Pennsylvania
and other coal mines. 1t was the same
way with building stone. All specln-
cations for buildings in this state
called for an eastern marble. Try as
we might we could not get the tederal
officials to permit the use OF our own
and better stone. The real secret Is the
fact that some of the senators are
interested in Vermont marble quarries,
OH. CHEAPER THAN COAL
"Now. with all the facts to show
the economy of oil as fuel, with full
demonstration that 1t is cheaper, better
and more available for the war yes
sells and stations on the Pacific coast,
we find the government shlppng nun
dreds of thousands OF doiiars worm OF
coal to California. l attribute this TO
the fact that some of the influential
persons in Washington have an inter
est of one kind or another in these
eastern coal mines.
"Just recently an order was placed
for the shipment of between $4O0,OoO
and $500. 900 worth of coal to California
for vessels of the navy. Now, for
nrice verv much smaller, oil could be
obtained right here in this state to
do the work, to do it better to do IT
cleaner, more effectively and much
ChpaDer. InlS IIlIlS has OSSi sums VII
in spite of the fact that the govern
ment has made tests out here and has
Yroved absolutely the superiority OF oil.
CATER much work we did finally get
the government to use oil on the Chey-
enne but we have not been able TO
make the headWay that the Value OF
oil deserves"
Aubury has compiled an official re-
mort on the use-of oil as substitute
for coal in steamships. Following are
extracts from this report:
"The loading of steamship with
coal requires days where an equivalent
quantity of oil may be loaded in as
MANY hours and entirely without labor.
Bv modern devices oil may be pumped
into or out of vessels at points where
It would be impossible to dock and dis
charge or take on cargo of coal,
while vessels at sea may transfer sup
plies of oil in weather which would
quite prevent transferring of coal.
OIL TAKES LESS ROOM
"Where supply of fuel must be
stored a second advantage in the use
of LIQUID fuel is shown. If we assume
as a basis that four barrels of oil are
equal in fuel value to one ton (224O
pounds) of good bituminous cooal, the
oil occupies a space less than three
fourths as great as would be required
for coal.
"The increase in steaming capacity
of boilers is considerable. It would
certainly be conservative to claim that
with the proper oil installation. the
boiler may be made to deliver 80 per
cent to so per cent more steam than
could possibly be got from it with
'the use of coal, without the use of
forced draught.
theoretically. the saving realized
from the use of liquid fuel depends
on three factors: First! the less cost
of the fuel per unit of heating value;
second, the greater efficiency of the
fuel, that is, the greater proportion of
the ultimate heating value which may
be actually developed around or about
the object to be heated, or in other
words, the possibility of more perfect
combustion; third, the avoidance of
loss of heat in various ways.
'The first point is by far the most
important, as 1t can be shown that,
theoretical heating values being equal,
oil costs only from one-half to three
fourths as much as coal.
cit has been pretty we'll proved in
j.. ~