Liquid Fuel for the Navy.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 254, 11 September 1902, Page 1

Liquid Fuel for the Navy.

Whether the men-of-war and ocean liners of the future will use steam or oil, is the question which Mr J. D. Henry, editor of the Petroleum, who has just returned from the Texas Oil Fields, <lisc;issus in iin article in the Daily ft x press. He is confident that prefcioleum will soon be largely used as a supiementary fuel, but the great obstacle to an exclusive use is the uncertainty whether all the known deposits of pretroleum in the world, supposing they were ncurely worked, could produce a large enough supply. On this point Mr Henry gives no definite opinion, but evidently he is unwilling to ' think they could not. The recent development of the oil fields of south-eastern Texas, according to him, has done much to dissipate the doubt. Every week additions are being made to the great expanse of pretroleum territory, and it is impossible to say how far deposits still unknown may not extend, both in Texas and other States. Petroleum also exists in the West Indies, Alaska, Algeria, and other places, while the rich oil fields of the Dutch I Indies, Eoumania and Galicia have not been half exploited yet. The British Admiralty are already making experiments with the new fuel, and are said to be much impressed by its successful employment in several Russian warships, which it has enabled to steam at full speed without making any black smoke, while doubling the radius of action of each vessel, and halving the " black element " in the stoke-hold. In America, RearAdmiral Melville, who two years ago was strongly opposed to liquid fuel, has announced in his last report, issued after a series of important tests, that it will be used throughout his country's fleet before his term of office expires. The United States Government, as if following out this prophecy, recently countermanded an order for the foimation of coaling stations on the Pacific coast, on the pretext of important development in the fuel oil indnstry. For torpedo destroyers and other vessels of war liquid fuel would be especially convenient, as it takes up less space and is much lighter than coal. There [is nothing to prevent hard fuel or pretroleum being burned according to convenience on the same vessel, for the change of fuel can be made in half an hour, without impeding the ship's progress. Already there are on the Aaaericau and Australian coasts, and at Suez, Colombo, Calcutta, Singapore, and several other ports, while there is a strong tendency to increase their number.