The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-24
FUEL OIL
SOON TO COMPETE
WITH KING COAL
Standard oil Co., Plans to
Supply Memphis With
Cheaper Fuel and to Erect
Storage Tanks.

The reign of king coal as the chief
fuel commodity OF the manufacturing
and industrial plants and other large
consumers of fuel in Memphis and sur
rounding territory, is to be challenged
Fuel oil, shipped direct in pipe lines
irom the oil fields OF louisiana and then
via the river, in great steel tank barges
Of from 1900 TO 80, 900 barrels capacity,
to Memphis, whore mammoth storage
tanks are TO be erected on the river
bank, now threatens the supremacy OF
coal In the local field.
The Standard on company has closed
lease with the Frisco railroad for
tract of ground on the river front
at the foot of Wisconsin avenue where
II viii Immediately begin the erection
Of giant receiving and storage tanks
into which the fuel oil will be pumped
direct from the barges. The site has
trac0ge facilities for loading large
number Of railway tank cars direct from
the storage ,tank, so that the handling
and distribution OF the oil is almost
automatic at every point The site
leased has a frontage OF 440 feet on
the river and is 800 feet deep
John T Massey, special agent for the
standard oil company in Memphis, an
nuunCeS that the closing of this lease
marks the first step In the develop
mont OF the fuel oil business on a large
scale in this territory The amount OF
significant, only few manufacturing
plants being equipped to burn Oil
Oil Is Cheaper Fuel.
The constantly increasing cost OF
coal has developed an lnsistcnt demand
on the part of large users Of coal for
n cheaper fuel, and is to supply this
demand that the Standard oil COM
pany Is preparing to extend Its fuel
oil business to this territory, Mr., Mas
NGy said
Robert. T. Buchanan. division freight
agent for the Frisco, and G. O. Schol-
der, Of New Orleans, district manager
for the Standard Oh company closed
the deal for the landing site early this
week and the papers have just ar
rived
Mr. Scholder for many years was the
Memphis representative OF the Stand,
urd on company, and 1t was largely
TO his knowledge of the great possibll,
ties Of the Memphis territory that the
fuel oil business Is to be established
| here,
A very large Investment will be re
| quired 10 prepare for handling the fuel
oil here, At present there Is practically
no market for the oil, but many large
plants are anxious 20 try out the new
fuel as soon MS possible, Very little
change In equipment IL required to
change from coal to fuel oil
~ DItStHt 1IlttS II II bcueNeu lnhl
fuel oil can be delivered In large guam
titles at about Sli0 per barrel II Is
estimated that four barrels OF oil have
the same heating value as one ton OF
coHl Not only win the oil be cheaper
than coal but there will be great say
ing In labor required in its use,
To Equip Steamboats,.
Arrangements have already been
made to supply the steamboat lines
operating on the Mississippi river with
fuel OIL and the boats VIII install oil
burners as sDon as the oil depot S
established here
The standard on company will own
It's own fleet sf tank barges and tow
boats II has Il large number of tank
bargce ready to put in the service as
soon rs the storage tanks here can he
erected
with the, cheap transportation made
possible by'river shipments in the com
panys own harges. Memphis win be-
come the distributing point for fuel oil
IN all surrounding territory, which is
expected to hpild Up an immense vol.
Ume of buSin6Ss. The new distributing
system should be ready to begin opera.
tion within 30 days, Mr. Massey says