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1 ° Yy y y FATT SSS Ol WU An Important Development in Vessel Propulsion is Under 2 SSSSS SSS is In portance as Sh y WY KI Way --What The Government did to Standardize Oil Burning on Merchant Ships UEL oil, as a maritime problem, k is peculiarly America's own. The English navy first adopted oil as a fuel and for that reason the supply was of grave importance dur- ing the war: But until the United States became involved, and the ship- ping board began its shipbuilding program, fuel oil was of little conse- quence in the merchant marine field. The great change that has come about is disclosed by the statement of the shipping board that the estimated consumption of fuel oil by American merchant ships during the current year will exceed 20,000,000 barrels. This is approximately one-tenth of the total domestic production. According to the testimony of many shipping experts, private vessel own- ers were not induced to adopt oil as a fuel in the past because of their inability to obtain long-time contracts with oil companies. An_ elaborate system of coaling stations had been built up throughout the world and that, undoubtedly, had great influence on..the: situation... In' addition, Eng- land owned most of these coaling stations and many of the vessels in which Americans were _ interested were built in British yards. Just prior to the armistice, the ship- ping board set to work to make an estimate of the fuel oil needs of the merchant fleet. Based upon the de- liveries of new vessels, and the ex- pected deliveries. during 1919, the board calculated that at least 28,000,- 000 barrels of fuel oil would be re- quired. Contracts for a great part of this have been let. The bulk of the fuel oil contracted for by the shipping board during 1919 will be purchased at prices varying from 98 cents to $1.25 per barrel. The bids submitted by the Atlantic coast com- panies varied greatly, but indicated an anxiety on the part of the com- panies to obtain the business. The bids submitted on the Gulf coast were lower because of the heavy holdings of Pine island crude when the armis- tice was signed. The Pacific coast quotations were higher because the fuel oil demand there has been con- sistently steady, while the close of hostilities did not cause the banking up of supplies in any such degree as was the case on the eastern and southern seaboards. The eastern and southern bidders also had the ad- vantage of the backing up of the Mexican oil supply. How Data Was Compiled In arriving at the estimated needs of: the merchant «ships for': fuel "oil, the experts employed by the shipping board calculated that, assuming the highest efficiency for the ships and good installations, a ship will burn 1.1 pounds of oil per horsepower hour. It was assumed, under war conditions, that a. ship will be at sea 60 per cent of her time, and that while in port she will Burn but 21 per cent of the oil burned at sea. Upon this basis a ship would be burning approximately 68 per cent of her maximum capacity > By V. G. Iden during the entire year. The produc- tion of fuel oil during 1918 has been estimated at 200,000,000 barrels, in round figures, the greater proportion having been consumed by the navy. Should this much fuel oil be drawn from our oil deposits consistently each year, oil men figure that the supply will be depleted: within 30 years. A good ship will last from 20 to 25 years, and while the supply of oil would hold out that long, the price would certainly mount so high as to make oil-burning merchantmen unprofitable. It is believed by oil men that the radical industrial adjustment is certain to come about within the next. 20 years, and that in the future fuel: oil will be largely, although probably not exclusively, used as a marine fuel, For instance oil has been used in some brick kilns until the price mounted so high as to make it un- profitable. Despite the uncertain factors in the future use <of oil' as-a fuel the matter must be measured in dollars and cents. The relative cost of oil and coal is today approximately equal. It has been estimated by fuel engineers that | one ton of oil will produce one-half again as much "héat as sone ton or coal. The price of oil, therefore, might advance considerably or the price of coal drop before the economy of fuel oil on a ship is wiped out. But, in addition to this, by the use of oil-burners, a vessel can reduce her fireroom crew by approximately NORFOLK TERMINAL OF THE TEXAS CO. FROM VIRGINIA RAILROAD BRIDGE--STEAMER IN STEEL TANKER 321 THE FOREGOUND IS THE NEW YORK, A MODERN