Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-29
MANUFACTURERS
HERE LOOK TO USE
OF OIL BORROWER
Costs Little to Alter Method
From Coal System, Manager
for Big Concern Says.


are manfesting interest in the use
| of oil-burning boilers to supply power
for their plants. especially in view OF
| the threatened coal famine. has been
the observation of local representa-
| tiVeS of the big oil companies.
! One of these Oil men told a repre-
| sentative of The Star today that there
! is hardly day goes by that num-
Der of Washington manufacturers do
| not come to his office to inquire
about the desirability of using oil in
! place of coal, and the expense at
| tendant upon the change.
! Some manufacturers who have in
vestigated the expense say the cost
would be too great to alter the method
of obtaining power for the local man
ufacturing establishments. This OBJ
| lection. however. was overruled by
the manager "f :he Washington bu-
rean of =. ei..sast oil concerns in
tao .ountr-.
Ems. to Make Change.
There is absolutely nothing to the
business of changing the systems he
said why. / myself if I had forge
and the tools, could make an oil burn
er for about $3.50 All you need Is
some three-inch pipe; an elbow and
expense would be in erecting tanks
to store oil. OF course. you can build
them of concrete if you want, but
steel tanks are the best, and they
come high.
IAN our oil comes from Mexico. We
figure that about three and one-hair
barrels of oil is equivalent to one ton
of coal.
THE big cities in the east are waking
up to the fact that oil burning IS
money and labor saver Only the oth-
er day New York decided to grant per-
mission for the installation of oil burn
ing boilers, and after December l you
will find that nearly all the buildings
in that city will be heated and cleo
tricalIy lighted by oil power.
philadelphia councils have passed an
ordinance permitting the use OF OIL
burners. and Boston. Providence and
Fall River have been using oil exclu-
sively for long time"
Four Favored Glasses.
1t is said that four classes of plants
can use fuel oil to unusual advantage.
They are classified as follows:
coal is high.
9 Plants that have high f1reroom
cost.
8. Plants that have limited boiler
capacity.
4. Plants located where smoke ordi-
nanceS are strict.
In the first class. it is pointed out,
the high cost of handling coal may be
due to the fact that the plant is located
some distance from railroad or tide
water, thus making it necessary to haul
the coal with teams or trucks.
Although oil may have to be deliv-
cred by truck, its higher thermal value
per pound. as compared with coal, to-
gether with the higher efficiency gen.
orally obtainable by it's use, makes
seven tons of it replace eleven tons
of coal.
Cites Item OF Economy.
An example of the economy in labor
cost as the result of using oil furnaces
was cited. A New England plant oper-
ates fifteen boilers. When burning coal,
running three eight-hour shifts, it en-
ployed sixty-three men for twenty-four
hours, including ffremen, ash handlers
and coal passers Now tina tfuel oil is
used it operates with seven men.
Some plants, although not limited
by the boiler capacity. it was pointed
out. are limited by the stack area
The stack area required with oil is
only so per cent of that with coal.
In localities where smoke ordinances
are strict. any plant burning fuel oil
can be operated with only slight
haze appearing above the stack.
Concerning the safety of the fuel
oil, it was pointed out that of all
the ocean cargoes of coal of 1000
tons or more, 9 per cent catch fire
from spontaneous combustion. Fuel
oil, it is said. is not subject to spon-
taneous combustion. 1t can be carried
on ships either as fuel or cargo in any
quantity with perfect safety. No dan
gerous gases arise when it is stored.
When used by railroads the absence
of sparks in combustion removes all
danger of setting fire to forests, grain
fields and barns. Low temperature in
boiler rooms and freedom from the
strenuous work required in coal burn
ing, keeps labor conditions satisfac-
oil is burned with automatic appa-
ratus.
Navy Favors Use Of OIL.
The Navy Department is gradually
employing more oil-burning vessels.
1t is claimed that oil-burning ships
will do 20 per cent more mileage than
those fred with coal. On the large
ocean liners one oil fireman may re-
place as many as eight firemen and
coal passers.
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt Of the
Navy Department recently wrote that
"oil for the Navy meant increased
speed and cruising radius, control of
smoke screens, reduced nreroom FORCES
by So per cent. Increased the efnciency
Of refueling at sea 25 per cent. meant
ability to sustain maximum speed Tor
long periods of time without clogging
furnaces, flexibility in speed. and,
finally, greater safety from subma-
rines as in modern American ships
the fuel oil is disposed along the
bottom to cushion the blow of ex-
ploding torepdoes."