Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-05-11
BIG FLEET BRINGS
UP FUEL PROBLEM
Experts Realize 1t VIII Take
Huge Quantities of Oil to
Operate Ships.
WILL USE CHEAPER GRADES
Plan to Take Most From Mex
leo, Texas and Healdton;
Cost VIII be Great.
WILL USE CHEAPER GRADES
(Ry OMER X. BENEDICT
Mnrl snlf Oorrc.ponlonl


lWord staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May lO-The fuel
problem for the one thousand sh'ps
which are 10 hc built 10y the govern
mCnt. still is giving the builders con
siderable concern. Second only 10 lh'
building of the ships ls the grave
problem of supplying the motor power
The plans are TO install cither on
fired steam engines or oil motors, with
the first-named being favored.
These ships will be Of 5000 tons
dead weight, and il is tho belief ol
the board that the oil-fired steam
engines are preferable because theS
are more easily obtained.
Fuel Dcpots Inadequate.
# orchard L.isle, of New York. an
associate member of the institute OF
marine engineers, recently stated that
no had been given to understand that
arrangements for fueling these YES
sells had not been made.
"Certainly the existing Atlantic
coast fuel depots are Inadequate ne
said. mo fueling can be done IN
Europe because the allies must I'M
port all their oil In tankers. so the
wooden ships must carry theIr o""
I'll" 1900,
will consume daily fifteen tons OF fueI
ali and one thousand ships would con
ume 1900 barrels, which Is equiNa-
ent to 500 barrels daily.
Need Huge supply.
A voyage to Europe VIII take AT
least a month and probably longer
This means that every month 5'ouV'
600 barrels Of oil must be transported
10 the Atlantic depots.
For one thousand ships only, ana
,his is only "A beginning, II would re-
lulre $1,000. 00O barrels Of oil year.
This amount is I'm addition 20 the
enormous supplies already needed py
existing naval and merchant vessels
and hv the steel ships now nearing
c0mpletion.
Mexican and Texas crude oils mostly
will be used. but great quantities OF
Oklahoma oil Will also be required.
Healdton oil is Of lower grade
than the usual run Of Oklahoma oil,
and great quantities Of II viii be used
Great quantities OF oil from Gushing
and other fields OF oklahoma also VIII
be required to mix with the low
grades of Mexico and Texas
To Build steel Tankcrs.
According to plans now 6S add
tons capacity will he required In reg
ular operation to the Mexico ana
Texas fields, running on basis OF II
round-trip voyage Of three weeks.
And right here is where the govern
ment is up against II. These TANK
ships are needed now. or VIII be as
soon MS the wooden ships nre com
pletcd and it is hoped according TO
the plans to have at least one thou-
sand OF them completed In year.
Brings Up Problem.
To build 5S tankships would require
three to four years. as they must he
of steel Pipelines, II Is claimed
cannot he relied upon, because thoy
are needed for high grade oil New
pipe lines could be built. but not in
time; and there Is also shortage OF
pipe.
MIR. Lisle sets out that the problem
might be solved with motor freighters.
one thousand four cylinder type Del
sci driven wooden freishters of Law
horse power will require only 10000
barrels OF oil day. or about 7N9,OOo
barrels a month so that eight tankers
of 10000 barrels each capacity ana
one tanker of 5000 could supply the
demand
one thousand hot bulb or semi
DIESEL engine cargo ships would re
uuire about 100000 barrels OF oil
per month and would need fifteen
lO.OO0-ton tankships I'm regular opera
lion. Mr.. lislc believes Il is impera-
tive that the government consider the
peisel- driven motor freighters which
require only one-fourth Of the fuel.
Would Mean Rig saving.
\ further argument is made for the
DIESEL plan. because of the saving OF
expense i'm oil alone. based on Sl5O a
barrel of S42.336.0OO year; and Mr.
I.islc also contends that each OF these
ships would carry 500 tons more than
oil-fired steam engine ships. which
would increase the carrying capacity
Of the fleet OF one thousand ships
800 eco tons a month or 100000 tons
a wear. am increase OF ten per cent In
carrying capacity alone.
Arthur West. chief eurinccr of the
Bethlehem steel corporatun als'
recommends the Deistl ou account OF
It's Glow yistlNty' TO submarines, due
to the absence Of smoke.