Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-15
NAVY NOW BURNS
OIL FOR A FUEL
BattIeshipS Are Equipped with
Appliance Giving Advantage
Over Other Powers
LlGHTENS LABOR OF CREWS
Departure to Petroleum Removes
DiSagreeabIe Coaling Task
and Reduces Expenses
LIGHTENS LABOR OF CREWS

According to a dispatch from WaSH-
ington the American navy has started
to use oil for fuel. Several of the
battleships have already been equipped
with oil burners and others of the fleet
will be equipped in the near future.
This advance on the part of the gov
ernment follows in the natural order
of things, when petroleum is being
mined in such quantity as to make 1t
a cheap fuel, not only when purchased
but when handled in the battleships
BY the adoption of oil the navy VIII
eliminate from the labors of the crews
the unpleasant task of loading or coal
ing.
The dispatch says all the new battle
ships will be equipped with oil tanks
and burners, and will therefore pc
prepared to burn oil under their boil
ers This equipment will be in addi-
tion to the coal burners, so that either
fuel can be used at pleasure. II the
ship be in waters where oil is the fuel
in common use the oil burners will be
used, and when in waters where coal
is the fuel coal will likewise be used.
Fifteen destroyers which have been
contracted for will burn oil exclusively.
Some time ago when the government
experts were on the Pacific coast they
made a report on the oil situation here.
At one place they said 1t would be
necessary for the government to have
in storage at all time on the Pacific
coast 12. O00. 900 barrels in order to ade-
uuately supply the needs of the navy
and have sufficient in reserve for any
emergency.
ENOUGH IN CALIFORNIA
This quantity of oil seemed a pretty
ct1nrlU q hove prOllnd df that time,
and that was only six months ago. But
wonders have been wrought in the oil
fields since then. The Lake view
gusher alone has shown that there is
enough oil not alone for government
use but for all other purposes by just
drilling for it. The transportation prop
lem has in the past several months
caused some to become uneasy as to
the outlook for oil. This apprehension
was due not to the probable reduction
of the demand, but simply because
the oil was above ground, in plain sight
and not moving through the pipes to
market.
It is, however, the settled belief of
the best informed that with the con-
stantly growing demand in all branches
of the industry there cannot Well be
an overproduction, the only fear felt at
present resting wholly in the problem
of transportation. This transportation
problem, it is safe to say, will be solved
to a great degree before the dawn OF
another year. Lines are now bulldihg
and other lines are being planned ana
the market at the other end is recelV-
ing additional strength despite occa-
sional f1uctuation.
The Washington dispatch, while its
contents is not news to oil men, Will
undoubtedly tend to swing business to
the industry and make potent any con-
4SrI,k H,n xr~aT
The dispatch in part follows;
PLACES U. 8. AT ADVANTAGE
"The naval experts of this country
figure that the use of oil will place
the United States at a decided advant-
age over other naval powers. This
government possesses extensive oil
fields. which are well within the in
terror, and which are likely to remain
in the hands of this country, even If
foreign force should effect LANDING
The great advantage which the eX-
perts expect from the use OF oil is that
the fuel reunired for steaming given
distance will weigh much less than
formerly. This means that battle
ship can be given a greatly enlarged
cruising radius, and that some of the
weight which has heretofore been de-
voted to coal can now be given up to
armor and armament 1t is estimated
that the 4OO TONS Oh OIL CdliICu W liz
new Delaware will increase her steam
ing radius not less than 1000 miles.
"Up to this time the thought OF the
naval experts has been to use oil only
as an auxiliary supply. Provisions for
its use in this way have been made
on the Delaware the North Dakota,
the Utah, the Florida, the Wyoming
and the Arkansas. Both the Delaware
and the North Dakota used OIL on
their speed trials, and it is claimed
here that its use accounts for the fine
records made by those ships. Both
of them did better than twenty-one
knots an hour. When the time came
for the ships to speed up the oil was
turned on and the ships We're driven
along at a uniform speed which would
have been impossible With coal as the
only fuel.
The oil which is used for battleship
fuel is neither the crude petroleum nor
kerosene. 1t is the fuel oil remaining
after the illuminating oil has been re-
moved. The Delaware is able to take
on oil at the rate of 240 tons an hour
The 400 tons, which marks the oil ca
pacity Of the Delaware. is equivalent to
nn IIoy1c