New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-08
GAS FOR BLOCK TESTING
IIIuminant Found To Be More
Economical than Gasoline.
REPRESENTS BIG SAVING
Running In" of Motors by This
Method Will Conserve Sup
ply of Regular Fuel.

q. reaction against the high price or
..,ore automobiles manufacturers are
r.cirn,ng 10 employ cheaper fuels for
.,s.,nr purposes. and while this practice
80 NOT vet become general from present
,,d,cations It IS safe 70 predict that II
-.,-osents possible saving Of upward OF
,noooo gallons Of gasolene within the
r,v+ twelve months.
Although this IS aguratively but a drop
O., tho bucket as compared with the total
zoe, ~ rasolene for automobile use Il is
~. no means negligible at n time when
he oil refners are squeezing every pos
chile drop Of the lighter oils out OF
none too plentiful supply OF petroleum.
N the same basis Of calculation the en-
,,ovuent Of cheap fuels for motor testing
will involve a direct saving Of at least
s75nooo
This was one OF the many phases or
tho rqsolene situation considered AZ a
meeting held in New York last week by
the special fuel investigating committee
~ the Society Of Automobile Engineers.
recently appointed TO cooperate with the
rasolene producers and others in seeking
4, solution Of the automobile fuel problem.
The employment Of cheap fuels for test
ing purposes Is a subject more or less
aside from the main purpose OF the In
ves.iCation. but II was deemed Of SUN
oient importance 10 engage the immediate
attention Of the committee Quite mum
he Of the rore prominent manufacturers,
notably IN Detroit and Cleveland. already
are using OF are installing city gas In
their test rooms.
In a number OF instances the gas com
ranies are supplying mixing valves 10
replace the ordinary carburetor during
the test IN others a simple attachment
for connection to one Of the air ports OF
the carburetor itself is employed. sixty
Der cent gas so employed has been found
n he practically equivalent 10 innocent
gasolene and IN general a saving Of one
half the fuel cost for the running IN 81
motors on the testing stands is possible
~. using gas. In cities like Detroit. where
S-cert gas Is available at present and
where Scent gas is soon 70 become avail
able. the saving is proportionately
greater
One maker who is turning out some 1910
cars a wear figures an economy Of 5000
gallons Of gasolene a year by the use or
gas In another case a net saving OF
nearly s5o a day in the operating cost OF
the test room is being realized. while IN
stin another the saving will amount 10
81 4 day. Some concerns that are unable
10 secure Illuminating gas at sufh-
c'sntlv low price are even figuring on IN
stallirlg gas producer plants for the pur-
pose
II would be premature 70 discuss at
this time any OF the details OF the fuel
Investigation" said s. A. Miles, manager
OF the national association, for which the
work Is being carried on by the engineer
ing society The plans Of the committee
as vet are not sufficiently well advanced
70 warrant any disclosures. The problem
% securing an abundance OF good fuel
FOR automobiles at q low price seems 10
ne 70 be so very important that ! might
almost say our whole future as an INDUS
nv depends upon e. The investigation,
10 be OF any value at all to the public
as well as 10 the industry, must be very
exhaustive and carried out in thor
oughly scientific manner. That means
that we must proceed very cautiously al
the start
u do want 70 say. though FOR the
benefit Of manufacturers and inventors
OF kerosene carburetors, substitute fuels
and the Ike. who may already have ar
dressed inquiries 70 the y. A. A. NJ. or
who may contemplate doing so. that we
welcome all information with respect 10
such new factors in the fuel situation.
Ard I may add that the work OF eX-
aiming and tssting appliances and prod
ucts OF such character forms an i'm
portant part OF the plan that is at present
under consideration"