Evening star., 1916-09-25
VAST STORE OF OIL
REQUIRED FOR NAVY
Officers Join Secretary Dan
iels in Urging Conservation
of Reserve Supply.
MOST OF NEW VESSELS
TO BURN FLUID AS FUEL
Estimated That 100000 Gallons
Will Be Needed in 1917-Govern-
ment Ownership Advocated.

MCAb oWuCASA4p AutVCdtCU.
The conservation OF the naval oil re-
serves, which Is ardently advocated by
Secretary Daniels, is easily understood
TO be necessary, in the opinion of the
engineers of the navy and the coast
guard service, when the huge building
program of oil-burning vessels for the
government is held In mind. The vast
amount of oil that will be required to
operate the vessels already authorized
makes 1t necessary for the government
to own and control it's own oil fields,
they say
Hereafter all of the naval vessels
the coast guard vessels and such ships
as may be constructed for the use of
the army are to be oil burners. In the
naval appropriation law for the fiscal
year provision is made for the con-
struction OF seventy vessels Immediate
ly, all of which will burn OIL
For the first time in the history of
the navy battle cruisers have been au-
thorized with such tremendous horse
power. Each of these warships is to
have 0,000-horsepower. The greatest
PROVIDED In any vessel in the United
states Navy at present is $4,000.
-FOUR OF these battle cruisers are to
be begun Immediately, with a total
horsepower of 10000; four battleships
are authorized with total horsepower
OF 100000; four scout cruisers with a
horsepower of 100000; twenty torpedo
boat destroyers with a total estimated
horsepower of 100000: twenty-eight
suomarines with a total estimated
horsepower of $4,000; three fuel ships
with a total estimated horsepower of
z9,OOO; one repair ship with an esti-
mated horsepower Of 5000; one trans
port ship with an estimated horsepower
OF 5000; one hospital ship with an esti-
tion ships with an estimated horse
power Of $4,000; two gunboats with an
estimated horsepower of 1000. The
total horsepower estimated for these
vessels Is 1,436.000, or in round numbers
100000.
Estimated Oil Consumption.
One pound of oil win create one
horsepower an hour. according to the
estimates of the engineer officer. They
figure that these seventy vessels just
authorized for the navy, If run at speed,
In day will consume $4,000, 900 pounds
OF oil. Estimating 80 pounds to a bar
rel, these vessels will consume 10000
barrels OF oil day. Roughly esti-
mating the price of oil at $3.50 a barrel,
day Il will cost the government $174,00O
In the case of the battle cruisers.
with their 10000 horsepower each,
running at full speed, such a cruiser
1900 barrels. In a day. Each of these new
battle cruisers when completed must be a
veritable oil well. 1t Is planned to
nave sufficient supply aboard for
a tweiveeday cruise at full speed. or
about 10000 barrels. These vessels.
with such a supply of fuel can easily
cross the Atlantic and return and still
have fuel left
The coast guard service this year
was authorized by Congress to build
burn oil or gasoline. While the use
OF fuel oil by the coast guard service
cannot compare in volume to it's use
by the navy. still it will be appreciable.
Announces Total~for 1917,
The bureau of supplies and accounts
Of the Navy Department has completed
estimates of the fuel oil consumption
Of the United States Navy for 1917, and
announced . total Of $4,000, 900 gallons.
1t is expected that the demands of the
government for fuel oil for Its vessels
will increase as the years go on 1t fs
estimated that the United States con-
trolls so per cent of the total supply of
the world. II Mexico were Included in
this estimate it would bring II up to
about IS per cent of the total supply.
The geological survey has figured that
there is at present In sight in the
United States sufficient supply of oil
to meet all the demands for the next
sixty years, allowing for an increase
in the use of oil and gasoline each year
The use Of oil as fuel for vessels is
bringing about great saving of the
governments money, it is stated, and
u10r
speed of the vessels. In the first place
OIL costs less than coal for the power
derived In the second place, it en-
ables the vessels to operate with small
er crews. In the third place. II brings
about great saving In the amount of
paint used. for the coaling of naval
vessels frequently makes new painting
necessary.
Vessels Committed to Use Of Oil
In constructing these oil burners, the
navy and the coast guard service are
committing the vessels to the use of
that fuel during their fife For while it
has been possible to convert coal-burning
vessels into oil burners. It is said that it
would be absolutely impossible to convert
an Oil burner into coal burner
1t is planned to store part of the fuel
oil IN these new vessels in the five or six
skins" which will run in parallel layers
below the water line. and which are de-
signed to protect the new vessels from
torpedoes launched by submarines. The
naval engineers believe that these
skins" which are in reality separate
bottoms. will effectively protect a vessel
from a torpedo.
Pending before Congress is the So called
Pheian oil-land-leasing bill. which the
conseryationists insist will deplete the
naval oil reserves II enacted into law. 1t
Is expected that hard struggle over this
measure will develop in the Senate when
that body meets in December. The demo-
cratic caucus of the Senate has agreed
that the measure shall be taken up then.