When the Stormy Sea is Oiled.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 52

When the Stormy Sea is Oiled.

One of the most curious sights ab sea is that of an oil-bound ship. t Every up-to-date ship carr'ei oil tanks, the quantity varying with the s'izi of the vessel. For inhtance, a Bbearaer of 150 tons burden carries on an average GO^al of oil. This "oil U the refuse discarded by the oil-refiaiag factories, aud often consists of a mixture of whale o''l, petroleum, and vegetable oil. It costs about 2d a gallon, and a large-sized vessel can be well supplied for £1. The oil is stowed in spacious zinc tanks, arranged in the hold of the ship to act as b&l last. Eich tank contains 50gal of oil, and an ingenious mechanical t«p arr&ngeinenb connects the tank with the outside of tho veasel. If a dangerouß gale arses and the ship becomes unmanageable and likely to founder, the sluicss'are opened and 20gal or more of the oil is allowed to escape into the sea. , - The effect is instantaneous. However sbormy the sen may be, tha\cs el lie* in a genfyheaving mi'lpjnd. There is- no further dauger of fouuderitig, and the oil movoß along wibh the vessel ftu^some time, ofceu half an hour, after which n breaks up aud disperses. The snip must Blacken speed a little, end more oil ia j let out from ths ti&k*. Euo'inous waves may ■bear down on the ship, bub on approaching the magic oilsd cirola they seem to molt away acd paia harmlessly beneath ihe vessel. Sailing vessels are uot so of fu nibbed with oil-banks ai sieamew. It is eßbimatea", however, that over 200 vesseb havo beeu saved from ehipwreck.by means of tae oit-tanks bince they were introduced a few years ago. It is only in cases of absolute peril that tho tanks are resorced to.