OIL FUEL FOR THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 52, 25 November 1907, Page 9

OIL FUEL FOR THE NAVY.

» A rumour, is .current, that the Admiralty. .'■ ;jjitfeiids; to a^iicjpii./c.oal'altogether-ill favour 'oiipil^fuel,^' Tliis' is,.correct, so- far as do- . V ■ strpxor's...aiiJ ,yic]}. ,lilie : craft ;arc concerned, _;' but ■iiaf-aij accurate \s. .regards !■ larger v'es<,. ':[ r s|i.;^ : 0-'-' ■■■■■.'.- ■;;,■ |vpQir , *fub'f ! 'possesseS-' certain distinct ■tages. For instance, when it .is .sprayed: on':/■'-;" ■to ian ordinary,-.coal fire - ( the heat is greatlj" > increased', and," with tho heat, tho horse-';;. • ■p r oivdtV-arid; : tho ..speed. Bu{ ' "itliis'is'of' the nature,of' a spurt only, fl« jfbllows-tlW'Uso-of- oxygenrcin: tho motop faft car races, on-tire .'.Brooklands course; and tot': ~ much-.'of it.;is:. likely .to lead to-trouble, and . -„-, 'hasV-indced,- produced it now and again.. Tof v ■■.liiucli-• "oiling"-' has -generally, entailed, big.-...... 'hqiler-rcpairs.; :Froin-this it is argued that .. aUoil,fupl would bo expensive in.other ways •. than,that,of theJirst.cost, .and that this es. :.; 'peiisel,.)):puid,outwqigji for.large sliips tho pb ....' ..; ( ; \. , .'" " I.t.mustj'W I'pnipmbored that coal, being ' disposed-'behind"the water lino belt .and, V 'about'" ih> protective; deck, forms an a'ddi- "■:■• ' tlohal "arritour 'not likely .to- be •discarded.."-'.-,;; Fui'tbei','coal bag .defence is tan important •••:• .item; sand could, of .coijrse, : be substituted; ,~: exdept'that, ..whereasairthe.coal sp. used, is ~;.;. fuel ) ""sdiid would-be inerely- so much ■.otl;ervfise' useless dead weight. ' \'et another. , . bbjetron ; tb' oil- fuel, not'; fully recognised- in :. T tho' British Navy, lies in ,tho practico of car- ..-,• rying; it; in tho double.bottoms,. This, in. the yiolv of nianj' competent' , authorities, is little short ot insanity; . To begin with, it ronders •'-" tlie 'double; bottom .protection against- tor-v,,; pedoes^vQithjossp.sincp..a blo\y.on tho .outer ~/ skiii.,js4ransiujtted by the, oil to the lnnei f; , •skiii with 'almost as .much force as if it were .'- givpn'"diroct. Tlib' air cushion is,' in fact;. « 'ajiolislfiill' , by -it. ■■' In , udditidiv, should-tht i:.V ,sliip. ( strikc » rocky there is -verj' great danger •,-.., of tho;oil boinj;.driven- into. thq. boiler r.00ni.3/ : : ,-.... witiricrrible: con'seqiionces. A."few..years \' r :, a,., German "battk-sbi|)' was nearly "destroyed^'' 1 ;'- froin this causey and tho "first really bad dis-- ■■.;. aster, from-it is likely to lend to a general:; H" "paiiipfl against, the practico. Tillthen more .-„;•:,. ..'iind mor.c oi) is likoly tp.be carried in the doiiblo bottoms': Onco'the panic occurs, spe-. , 'cial tanks' for'if will ■'ho' substituted; /but■ :;"• then tho loss of , protection problem will come in, iand very strong views ard hold upon this .p0ii1ji.;;,,.,., ,;1 , ... .... . ... : . •'-.. --V 1 'Tho Reserve Question. ■■" ' ' •■> ''"' it" is wortliy 'ot notice that the United '';.' ■State's Navy, wliiclf is as go : ahead as any m : ' ; ' existence , ;- Avill not have'oil-fuel at all, tlio'->o ai'sumeiit being 'that- its dangers outweigh. its ; ,■,.■•.. advantages,, This is contrary tp the view in.,..-,,,, 'every othqr 'navy, tho general opinion being. " fliat'il is 'an invaluable auxiliary which wo;—._ ' are forced 'td : employ despito the fact thatwo-.-■.' cannot-prbduco-it'in our own islands. Ibis ;- : • 'facttrenders.an immense reserve imperative.; Sl sinco ;there is uo.tollips how long a. war niay ;..". last AVcre these oil fields here, very prpb;.. ■ably'-cßal f <voiild ;: be largely discarded. ■As ■'**'■ tTiings 'arej-' tho policy appears"to bo to. use'■':,-. c.oul -and. 6il in about equal proportions for ' ;i ;. the fuel, parried., , ■..,,•„..■■; ■ ■••:.,' ■:,.{' '.'Wero,the qiitire British l'leot,-to use, oil,; ' : pnhv.a ffcsb'm? q| oboiit two million tons ofj't'/" •'would 'bb'none too larßc. ■ The' -Turnehapcl'vV'ta'nliS/ hold-'bnly. a fraction of that am.ount,%. ;.• (ind tiioro deal of anxiety. : as to how ..... t,heso.ar,Q..,tp..bo.kcpt i full in war-time.. Henco > ', : tlie Nigeria' concessions. ■' : ' ' " "*■■:' I '"■ A 'fuftlief point is-thai, the entire world 'iRiipply'of'suitable oil would-, at tho best, only ;l just .suffice:, to supply tho British Fleet—sup- ■ ; iposing 'all tho ships to use oil., At presbnt ] 'the required!flash point is 250deg..; were this. : '' slightly , ldwortd—a lower one is used in Ger- "-• supply would , go further, but "'•. ■ tbcrb--wpuld-still-be the risk of shortage •;• i-'p'ending the •',. discovery, of., new oilfields. ;. A'nieVican .oilfields are at present giving out ;'."' as faSt^'as'new , oiies are beinc discovered. "■■ Tcxa'S bit is the only one snitablo iii its crudp ■' state."- R-iissiaiV'-oils'.yield only a-small per- .-. 'cbiitafte of..suitable, oil..after distillation.- Bri- ,-,-, 'tisli 'Borneo-.is, a promising .source, and Sir . 'il.ohn Fisher is understood to have great '• ''lippes : of-utilisinß this" supply. There is also V ;iS possibility of an oil derived from Scottish ; C s)ialo being found satisfactory, as some ox--1 Ijei'iments with it have given- promising re'ViilUi. . •.... . .. . ;,;!'AtPortsihouth.a large oil reservoir is also .. .cjprittsjliplacxl, , a; site .at Gosport having been , V ; scle'ctfld'; and two largo tanks are'to be built nndor'tho'clilf about a milo to'the east'of . ■ Dover oh a portion of the land which has ' ..been recla ; imc<l by the Admiralty in cpnnec- '■■'■ .tibn with flic Naval Harbour. . '-