The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-08-24
Big ECONOMY Is HAD
BY USE OF FUEL OIL

New York City-criterion Of Ameri.
can progress-is furnishing some very
interesting data relative to the ad-
vancement of the petroleum industry
which is greeted with big satisfaction
by the oil producers. 1t deals chiefly
with the installation of fuel oil burn.
ing apparatus in many OF the leading
buildings IN the Gotham metropolis, ana
the engineers under whose supervision
1t is being used show that there is con
siderable savings by the use os the oil
as compared with coal and further
state that only in a case of emergency
would they revert back to the coal
burning methods. An interesting ar
ticle on the subject recently appeared
in the Wall Street Journal, which dealt
chiefly with the use of Mexican fuel
oil in the buildings. The only portion OF
the article which might stand correc-
tion Is paragraph which states that
engineers of large oil companies in
charge of popularizing fuel oil in man
featuring plants and office buildings
frankly say they do not expect to see
oil eliminate coal. They do not see suf-
ficient Of low grade. Mexican fuel oil
available to supply s6ch needs" 1t may
be true, and at least American opera.
tors hope Ii Is true, that the supply of
Mexican fuel oil will soon run out, but
plenty of the product can be obtained
from production in this country which
will be brought to the surface in suffi.
cent quantity when railroad rates are
at a proper figure and when the Mex
lean imports exhaust themselves.
The article in the Wall Street Journs
reads, in part, as follows:
Prospects of continued high coal
prices and difficulty of obtaining suff'
c!ent supplies, is accelerating substi.
tuition of fuel oil for generation of
steam, particularly in New York City.
-Four large coal users here are in.
stalling oil burners-Metropoli,a Life
Insurance building, Macys Store, New
York Laundry and Linen Supply com
pany, and Wanamaker's A number of
big apartment houses are planning to
| convert to oil.
singer building was first to use oil
about two years ago, and many others
are among its large users.
"Sufliciont time has elapsed for
those using oil to have arrived at def
ln,v conclusions of relative worth and
cost of two fuels and engineers in
charge of oil burning equipment state
fhaN NUnilll think of auain noipU
coal except in emergency when oil is
rot available. Converting equipment
back to coal burners is simple pro.
oedure.
Owners of one of the big buildings
using fuel oil find considerable saving
in cost of fuel and labor compared with
coal. This building uses 1.640 gallons
daily of l6 Beaume Mexican fuel oil
at Az cents a gallon. a total fuel oil
cost of $3.50 n day. When oil burners
were first installed 2,4O0 gallons daily
were used but increased efficiency has
reduced consumption.
Big Saving
Formerly this building used 10 tons
of coal daily costing, at present quoted
~ ANf VI 9lJ u lOil, Ss-O ~ udNs ~ u
normal average OF 81 a ton, fuel bill
would be sos day. In addition It has
reduced its fire room force from II to
| 10. a saving OF 800 a week in labor
On top of this Is elimination of ash re.
moval costs which differ TO the extent
Of ash content In coal used. Experience
OF management of sthis building was
that its coal contained II per cent ashes
costing $3.50 a month to remove. Re.
placing old cans cost 800 a year. so
that by eliminating items OF ash re
moval and new cans annual saving Of
about $4,000 has been effected. Labor
eliminated represents another 200 IA
year and difference In cost OF oil and
coal, figuring latter at 81 a ton, Is
about $1,000 annually. These four
items approximate $4,000 year saving
In fuel for one office building.
"Othcr buildings and plants which
used more coal have effected greater
savings. Elimination OF ash removal
item alone, in case OF one OF the biggest
ing OF $4,000 annually.
conversion OOsts
"ln New York City progress of con-
yersion to oil IL retarded chiefly by high
cost of Installing tahkage TO meet fire
regulations, tunkage representing over
80 per cent OF conversion costs. Most
OF conversion from coal to oil Is now
taking place In residences In New
Yorks suburban districts where costs
are not so high.
Roughly engineers figure about
three barrels OF oil are required TO one
ton OF anthracite and Sis barrels OF oil
TO "A ton OF bituminous coal, In both
cases using hand fired coal burners; In
case OF plants equipped with automatic
stokers. where coal Is more evenly dis
tributed and better heating results
obtained. about IA barrels OF oil to q
ton Of coal.
Estimates OF boiler efficiency differ
but one engineer states his hand fired
boilers formerly averaged 50 per cent
efficiency burning coal and about "a
per cent heat efficiency at present with
oil. Mexican fuel oil averages about Is,
OO0 heat units while ceal runs between
500 and $4,000 heat units to the