The sun., 1910-02-15
OF a. Fue, for British w.r.hlps.

WV ~ Furh iVE DEhUhsu WhEsuhVs'
Whether the report In London that the
Admiralty has decided to substitute oil
for coal as fuel on warships is true
or not. no one who is familiar with the
experiments made by the British au-
thorities and has observed the rapid
construction OF reservoirs at the naval
ports TO hold stores of oil would be
surprised il the Government confirmed
the report. Two years ago il was an
nounced that oil would be burned ex-
clusively on the seagoing torpedo boat
deetroyers The larger war vessels
were to carry supplies of oil and ex-
pertinent with it. Work was begun
at Portsmouth on a system of tanks
equipped with hose connections through
which oil could be pumped into ships
lying at the tetty, thus doing away with
the confusion and dirt of coaling. and
saving time and labor
The advantages OF using oil instead OF
coal for fuel are go great that the nation
that first equips her warships with the
necessary apparatus and establishes a
chain OF supply stations around the
world will steal a long lead in naval
efficiency over her rivals. That this lis
England's intention has been appar-
ent for some time. All parts OF the
empire have been. explored for petrO-
leum, and promoters have gone far
afield in countries such as Persia to find
a sufficient and inexhaustible supply OF
oil for the navy. 1t has been struck in
great quantities in Nigeria. and the same
report comes from Egypt and Australia.
While the quest was going on the Admi-
rally, with great faith in the result, has
been preparing supply stations in all
parts Of the world
A warship taking on oil instead Of
coal for the stokehoSi can at once dis
pense with 75 per cent of the working
force. This liquid fuel can be carried
as ballast in the double bottom of the
ship, and as the oil is consumed water
can be admitted. Coaling on the high
seas has always been a difficult, pro-
tracte9 and tedious operation: but pipes
passed from a tank steamer into the
side of the war vessel will quickly fill
her reservoir. Stoking with oil can be
managed easily under all weather con-
ditions. even when the ship Is steaming
at full speed. Heat il generated so
rapidly with oil that a battleship using
it attains her top speed in very much
less time than when the stokers are put
ting in coal, no matter how fast they
work. Thus the cruiser Duke OF Edin-
burgh in the 1907 maneuvres, with oil as
fuel, made twenty-three knots an hour
against head sea in a critical moment,
and the battleship King Edward ran
away from a coal using enemy. To
bring the comparison home to our own
navy, if SIMPSONS feet had been able
to stoke with oil on July 3, 1898, il
would have made much shorter work
of the Spanish squadron. OIL is said
to be more economical than coal, for the
furnace can be fed automatically with
oil without waste. II is true that coal
in the bunkers furnishes protection 70
the vitals Of the ship, but for this reason
only is it preferred to oil. .....
For two years or more many of the
battleships and cruisers of the British
Navy have been carrying a store of oil
to supplement the coal supply. Ves-
sells Of the King Edward class have been
refitted so that either oil or coal con be
burned exclusively Stoking with oil,
the destroyer Swift maintained for some
hours q speed OF $50 knots, or nearly IS
land miles, and the battleship Dread
nought has done far better work with
oil than with coal Still, in spite of the
demonstrated advantages of liquid fue'
it may be doubted if the British Nav
is prepared to dispense with coal alto
gether. 1t would require not only the
possession of ample sources of supply
in different parts OF the world but a
very nice calculation to keep the fuel
stations replenished and ready for war.
Oil could be more easily destroyed than
coal, and it would be necessary to pro-
tect and guard the tanks. A supple
mentary stock Of coal might be he
means OF saving ship or even deci ,g
a campaign. .....
With its habitual foresight the British
Admiralty II not likely to place it's de-
pendence entirely on oil no matter how
abundant the production Of oil in its
possessions might prove. But all signs
tho refitting and storing Of ships and
the building Of reservoirs Of large ca
pacity at Chatham, Portsmouth, Plym-
outh and on the Mersey-point to a
decided preference for liquid fuel over
coal hv the British Admiralty