Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-07-07
BLACK DIAMONDS
DELIVERING COAL
Guido Gasoline Trucks Two TO One
In Getting Fucl from Cars to
ultimate Consumers.

! (By A. JACKSON MARSHALLD
Even though we are credited with
relatively short memories, the vicls~
| STUDIES of last winter particularly
those resulting from scarcity OF coal,
have been too indelibly stamped on
our minds to be rapidly eradicated
| by n few days OF warm weather. Be
sides there is another winter com
ing and there are no assurances that
II will be free from veSing coal prob
lens. Therefore, having had one
| series of severe lessons, and with
prospects OF other likely TO be en-
! countered, lit behooves us TO take
such steps as may be necessary to
adequately fortify ourselves and one
of the most important phases OF the
coal situation which may be antici-
pated and provided for is that OF
transportation, particularly IN the
delivery OF coal from the railroad
cars to place of consumption.
The horse. heretofore tho most
popular motive power, IN rapidly
being shown to be liability rather
than an asset, and while such means
OF locomotion may be called upon, IN
emergency, the far sighted and pro-
gressive coal dealers are rapidly dis
carding such inefficient motive
power for the tireless. dependable
sturdy and economical motor truck;
and many dealers who have ap-
preached their delivery problems
from n transportation engineering
basis, have selected electric trucks
which have proven most satisfactory
in service.
Electric Has Double Capacity.
An interesting comparison of the
performance of an electric truck
and two gasoline trucks operated In
Boston follows; Three trucks were
employed on contract for coal to
be delivered to the state house on
Beacon hill. The round trip from
the loading platform was 81 miles,
conditions OF loading and unloading
were exactly the same, and the time
constituted n full days performance
for each truck The electric" was
six-ton unit, while the gas trucks
were five-ton, and four and onc-hali
ton. respectively. The five ton gas
truck delivered 40 tons Of coal in
IL trips; the four and one-half ton
gas trucks 40 tons in IS trips, and
the six-ton electric" SO tons In 1s
trips. The actual running time of
the electric trnck was from 7;12 in
the morning until 4:40 In the after
noon, with one-half hour out for
lunch. It will be noticed from these
figures that the "electric' was con-
slstently overloaded and that both
gas trucks were underloaded, The
battery OF the electric truck was
gsAaAatAIt Attrfp.- tl,fu VArinA
II is interesting to note that the
two gas trucks hauled practically
the same amount of coal during the
day that was hauled by ono electric
truck That this was not n freak
performance of the electric" Is evi.
dcnced by the fact that the next day
the electric" carried i2 loads OF 7s
tons. and the following day 2 loads
OF rs tons, making total of 24O
tons in three nine-hour days. This
same electric" n few days later on
shorter hauls. delivered 1873 Ia tons
OF coal In 10 loads. leaving with the
first load at 1872 n. m. and finishing
at the garage at 5:05 p, m with !
about three-quarters Of an hour rest
at noon. The loading time was siS
minutes per load and tho actual |
i 3
operating these trucks esti- !
mates that their per diem cost on |
the gasoline trucks is from so to 10 |
per cent greater than It is on an
electric"
While economy and efficiency both |
favor the "eloctric" as the above |
show, there is still an. |
other factor which we have not con- |
sidercd and that Is the humane ole- |
Rfent. AnyohS who has evsr watched |
a struggling team OF horses haul. |
Ing a or 5-ton load Of coal over |
wet pavement, or an icy road. OF !
who has seen them strain every |
with heads bent nearly 70 |
the ground In the effort to haul this |
load up Il steep hill has probably /,
been impressed with the thought |
that the requirements NJ modern |
haulage demands something more |
powerful than the "animal motor" |
While buildings have continued to |
increase In size and TIE demand for |
fuel has grown in proportion, many |
dealers have continued to use the |
same delivery, methods that were /
Ised a decade ago when tho horse |
was quito capable of performing the |
necessary labor But today, when .
a commodity such as coal must he |
supplied in such great hulk, II is not .
only uneconnmical TO use horse
equipment, but inhNnane and lllogi-
cal.
The simplicity Of operation Is also
an argument for the electric" as nj