The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-05
FUEL Dill BECOMING
GREAT POWER SOURCE
World IS Satisfied There Is
Plenty Of Oil Available
for Use.


II has required but few years 10
industry. This change is due to the
modern emphasis upon oil as source
OF power; more broadly speaking. the
reliance upon oil as fuel During the
five years from 1904 10 1909. according 10
the census returns Of those periods, the
percentage OF fuel oil obtained from the
crude petroleum produced in the United
states increased from l2.S per cent to
So. This proportion seems certain 10
show continued Increases. During the
Same interval the percentage Of tho pro-
duCtiun manufactured into Illuminating
onl decreased from 4S.2 10 &7.9 per cent,
This means that the time Is near at
hand whom illuminanis viii prove Of
smaller significance In the total output
OF final products than tho fuels. The
spread Of electric lighting through the
rural districts is helping To rapidly re
duco the dependence of the human fam
lily upon oil for illumination, on the
other hand. the remarkable growth in
purposes. has been the result both OF
the discovery of enormous supplies Of
petroleum and OF the invention OF en-
gincs for It's utilization. II is difficult
10 say which is the cause and which Is
the effect, The development OF indus
lrialism or the development OF the min =
eral resource
Petroleum is product which has re-
ceived special notice from the conSer-
vationists. and the inference has always
been that tho supplies would easily eY-
haust themselves within n comparativ ely
short period. Nevertheless, the CON
tinuod discoveries both in new and old
fields have been constant source OF
disturbance 10 the markets for the out
put. One emphatic cause OF tho creation
of so-called trust control of the oil IN
dnstry is the apparent need OF stability
in production and prices, 1t may
therefore. be surprising that II has re-
duired so long 10 convince the possible
users of fuel oil that they could rely
il is considered that the history OF the
industry has been one constant COM
plaint Of producers against a Gmtted
market and the uncertainty Of prices
No resource has ever so belicd its APP
parently restricted limits.
The interests which arc most vitality
concerned with the application Of oil 10
power generation arc al last aroused
trolcum is reliable. Railroads consider
1t safe to install oil-burning systems
while oil-usinS engines for marine pur-
poses are being more, confidently,
or power feature Of the use of oil is
now the essential factor governing the
exploration for new fields and the en-
largement Of The old: In the west, the
been concerned with oils which were
suitable mainly for burning, but even
here the improvements in refining have
made these resources capable OF yielding
products OF higher quality. iNotwith-
standing this, the use Of oil for fuel is
the chief Incentive. and will continue to
be the chief Incentive to development
The scarcity OF coal ON the Pacific
coast is, Of course, a very woighty cause
Of the demand for oil In these regions
but the argument is not wholly a local
one. Tho oil engine. especially for ma
rIne work, is making headway through
out the world. 1t is therefore some
thing 10 have an assured supply OF pc
troleum upon which the crectors OF
plants can base their confidence Min
ing Science. go.