Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-24
SOME GAS ABOUT GASOLINE
Country Facing a Crisis in Price
and Little Relief is Now in
Sight.
TASK OF GETTING SUBSTITUTES

/
Invested in industries ecnterinG about
the internal combustion englno-motor
cars and boats. their accessories farm en-
gines, etc.-has done so little toward
solving tho fuel problem. There has Il
u true. been an occaslonal prize offered
for cheap gasoline substitute, Not lonH
ago Il was reported that the Interna-
tional Association Of Recognized Auto
mobile clubs had announced such a prize
Of $4,000. But Of really intelligent e.
forts TO solve the problem there have
been almost nonc-at leaBt outside OF
Germany And yet these industries are
absolutely dependent on an ample and
relatively cheap supply Of LIQUID fuel
Take the automobile business. Under
present conditions Il would be bankrupt
In month without gasoline with Raso-
line at from % to 90 cents q gallon ita
prosperity would be seriously hampered,
And B-cent gasoline next summer II pre-
dictsd by people who ought 10 know.
In other words this great aggregation
Of capital In practically dependent on .
single product which 10 all iutents and
purposes Ia controlled by one group Of
corporations Furthermore, # has been
frequently stated by men competent TO
express nm Intelligent opinion that the
supply of petroleum from which gasoline
II obtained Is on the wane, and likely
20 be greatly reduced In amount II not
actually exhausted In the near future.
n IN true that the 1918 scare regarding
gasoline exhaustion proved bninstlfled
The opening Of new oil field prevented.
or perhaps better postponed. that result
But even though a similar happy disap-
polntmont Ii IN store for ua now. there II
no reasonable doubt That much dearcf
gasoline has got 70 be faced In the near
future
over 100000 Automobiles,
The Horscless AGE estimates tine mum.
Der Of automobiles IA The world today at
3.i1l.C0, Of which 10000 are IN tho United
States. and they are Increasing by the
hundred thousand every year The 1914
| output of crude petroleum IN The United
| States was igt IN barrels of forty'two
gallons each The gasoline produced from
this amounted 10 23.9Os.2l2 barrels Of flhy
gallons each, Tho estimate " tho United
States geographical survey ~ the crude
petroleum output Tor 1916 IL 2b.763 SO bar
rels This Ia quite likely to prove The
high-water mark. and that II has already
fallen behind The increase Ia motor cars
and other gsgoinc-uslnR machines Is
clearly Indicated by the rapid advance IN
| price OF gasoline.
The so-called improved "erackinR" pro-
cess Of Hittmen which IL now being in.
stalled IN number Of reflnerles may,
| " II proves commercially prSclicaDle,
postpone the gasoline famine but can
hardly be- expected 10 prevent its final
advent " simply lncrehses the amount
Of gasoline obtalnnble from petroleum,
while the real basic trouble is the failure
Of the crude petroleum supply TO keep
up with the demand This IL shown by
tho recent price changes IN tho latter
With the decline IN production Of The
gushing field The price Of Crude be.
gan TO creep up "Mdscontlnent' was
70 cents barrel year ago. now II IA
Ii.S0 per barrel. Pennsylvania grade was
siD and now Il $3.50 per barrel
Gasoline W.. "Crude."
A. first sight The increases in the price
OF crude petroleum may moi seem 10 JUS
tify the doubling Of The price Of gasoline
part Of II. because ~ The relatively small
portion Of each gallon Of crude that can
be obtained ms gasoline. For example, n
each fifty gallons Of petroleum furnishes
but five gallons Of gasoline. an increase
Of 81 In the cost Of the former will in
crease the cost Of each Of the five gallons
OF gasoline 20 cents or would Increase II
by this amount II there were no other
salablo products obtained By the distil.
| lation OF petroleum. There are. OF course,
many others-illumlnatin oils, fuels. lu-
briceting oils, greases, paraffin wax, etc.
II IL were not for these other products.
whose total value In 1914 amounted to
about i26O0O0.C0, gasoline would already
be beyond tho reach Of the motorist In
spite Of them. however, there IN ample
reason 10 believe that II will be beyond
his reach before many years, 50 that tho
motorman's real problem is TO discover
substitute for gasoline or possible
substitutes there are a number, Of prom
lsing substitutes but one. namely. atco-
hoI.
The heavy or fuel oils which abound
in petroleum are now used in internal.
combustion engines such as The Diesel
The latter. however are cumbrous.
heavy more OF less complicated ma
chimes. not suitahlo-ln their present form
NJ any rate-for use IN automobiles and
aeroplanoE. Kerosene, which also occurs
IN considerable amount in petroleum
can be used ~ an explosive IN engines
Ia. IN fact, 30 used 70 some extent al
ready==but II IL not nearly 80 aatlHfae
tory a. gasoline, and has the disadvan.
taEs Of the latter as have also tho
heavy oils. that tho supply Or II Is de-
pendent on the supply N petroleum Hen
rol IL another suitable fuel N moro
nearly resembles gasoline than ans nc
the dlstlllation % coal q by-produet OF
the others II is however, "a product ~
EaA works, and the amount ~ W. AZ a
price making il available aa IA ehean
source Of power IL limited
The rsmainins substitute h alcohol
and il ls certainly ths mast pfomlsine ~
me lot The ordinary aaHailne gustua.
after q few fafhnretet Adjustments Ati
apsrsts with alcohol - fuel and m
faet site mere pnser than when saaat
line IL used ilut Be consumes mHeh
more alcahol AR enElHa hHlit este
riauv ~ aieahpl hHWvgef RWH hi9h
compression Fau BE- made ta Hpfrste ss
economically as the satailHt rraiua
that Il a. much hofHs F8Mff rsh h
sat bat VA ii ga a aali9h at alahal kN|
freH a saselas FptlUe HsiHs Ni'oH
~ gasoline FnhsfWnfs $50 e'Haba.
sastns or ths seine dimsHsinns ~ a
Aasa4Hs tnsinH aNi slts saUtailiHs tae
" nfa rsNi maHa FaM8f tAaH th 0sAta