OIL FUEL ON LAND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 56, 27 July 1914, Page 6

OIL FUEL ON LAND.

CANADIAN* ItATLWAYiS' Bin DEMAND. London, M«v The World's- International t'lil Inhibition, recently opened at llari'Court. provided a timely opportunity for the study of tlu> methods ie -x employed in bringing to the service of mankind a mineral which promise; to rival coal in its utility. Karl's C-oiirt, however, could not show, so thai he |\vlio runs may read, the actual significance of the oil industry to the empire at the present moment.

That oil fuel is occupying t.lu- sorion= attention of the Admiralty U obvious from the Parliamentary debates and by the recent contract connected with (ho Persian oilfields. There is ju>t the possibility that prevalence u'l now; regarding the application of oil to naval purposes is apt to obscure public altention to the progress that i.- luinj.' readc in other directions. It is not generally realised, for instance. Ihal <>ni of tlie mo-t important of British railvays is ivlvir.<. to-day upon oil fuel for the ope:-af : on of its-; Roods and pasrngor services over 500 miles of i{s n-ain line. This railway is the Canadian Pacific railway.

Oil. by reason of its complete combustion, cause- no sparks to be emitted from the smoke stack of engines in which it is employed. This fact was amongst those which influenced the Canadian Pacific railway in 1012 to adopt oil fuel for that section of it.-. line westward of tilie Rocky Mountains. The railway passes through a densely timbered country, and it is necessary that every p-i<aution .should be taken for the preseiration of the timber. PIU3CAn:i(")A T 8 FROST.

To-day, between Vancouver and Calgary, there an no fewer than eleven oiling stations. The principal station is Vancouver, and it is here that, the CalifoTnian oil is received. From tihis store, the oil is distributed by sp( daily constructed tank-waggons and in b»rrels. The capacities of the inland stoics vary between 000 barrels anil 22.090 barrels.

Owing to the severe winters in British Columbia, it has been found necessary to equip all the oil stores and carrying waggons with means for making the oil flow readily. The tank-cars are furnished with steam coils, which are supplied with steam from the local pump-house, whilst the bottom of the tanks in the, vicinity of the end of the suction-pipe i- also fitted with steam ceils. As a precaution against fire, steam lines are also laid from the pump h'-n S e s to positions under lihe roofs of the tanks'. „o that in the event of a f:ie 'breaking out within a tank, this fire can be immediately smothered, 'the oil standpoints at the slopping places are so arranged that locomotives can take in oil and water at the same tin.e.