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76 OIL VS. COAL AS A MARINE FUEL. BY G. P. BLACKISTON. The use of oil as a fuel for ships 'is rapidly increasing in popularity. This is due, to a great degree, to its noticeable economy, not only in the PE ss OLE actual cost of the fuel itself but in labor for handling and storage space. -From three 'to three and one-half bar- 'rels of oil do the work of one ton of best quality coal, and from this can be quickly figured the saving in favor . of oil. As three and one-half. barrels of oil weigh about 1,000, 1b, at can readily be seen that oil fuel for a trip weighs only half as much as would 'coal. The water ballast bottoms may ' be used fon storing the oil (sea water being pumped into each compartment where the oil has been taken out), so that the space ordinarily required for coal may be used for cargo, increasing the carrying capacity of the ship. As the oil is fed mechanically by pumps to the 'boiler, about one-third of the number of stokers are required, mak- . ing a large saving in wages, board and accommodations. Due to the fact that the oil can be loaded in about one- third the time required for the coal, «more trips can be made. The speed is also increased about 20 per cent by oil fuel. Combined with these pro- nounced advantages a perfect control of the fire is had at ail times. Ac- cordingly the fire can be changed al- most instantly from a low to a most intense theat. The fire is steady and regular, the steam pressure therefore being always constant; while the tem- perature of the stoke hole is percept- BURNING . TAE MaRINE REVIEW ibly lower, owing to the fact that the furnace doors are never opened and hot cinders and ashes are entirely ab- sent. A very interesting comparison of tthe advantages between oil and coal 'can readily. be seen by the following 'DREDGE. GALVESTON. data taken from the log of steamship Venus, plying between New Orleans and Simon,. Costa 'Rica, C. A.: Goal: used, 245 Hours 224.3). Save 30 tons. Oil susede 24 hours re coe 4 96 bbl. Distance traveled in round trip.. 2,600 miles, Knots .per hour-with coal........ 9 Knots per hour .with oil....:.... 11% Oil pressure at. burners. Joc 0.. 33 1b: Lotaleoil used Om -tripy ee. 1,000 bbl. TUS MEL Ey steve cos cree ies 950 Looking closen into the subject we find that crude petroleum or fuel oil ' is a mixture of a number of hydro- carbons, all having the same compo- nent parts and their differences being entirely due to the varying proportions of these constituents. Each of them makes a very good fuel under certain conditions, but to a misunderstanding of these conditions is due much of the adverse criticism of the use of oil as a fuel that has happened of recent years; and to an appreciation of these conditions and the use of proper' heat- ing and 'burning appliances will be -due the success that this class of fuel -will achieve. 1. The oil used must be of suffi- ciently high fire test. If this condi- tion is observed it will dispose entire- ly of the objection on the score of safety frequently urged against this tuel- In fact, oil with a fire test of say 180° or 200° Fahr. is as safe as coal, which has been known to ignite from spontaneous combustion. Oil with a fire test of 250° or 300° Fahr. may be stirred with a red hot poker without being ignited, or a shovelful of hot coals thrown into it will sink and be extinguished. 2. The oil must be supplied to the burners under a sufficient and uniform pressure; this is best accomplished by means of small pumps and pressure chambers. 3. The oil' should be pre-heated to facilitate atomization. 4.. The burner should feed the oil in a finely 'atomized condition; a properly constructed burner will show no dark stream of oil entering the fur- nace from its tip; ifistead the oil will BOILER ROOM OF THE OIL BURNING DREDGE GALVESTON.