OIL FUEL FOR UNION SHIPS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143766, 15 April 1912, Page 3

OIL FUEL FOR UNION SHIPS.

STATEMENT BY AMERICAN PAPER.

According to the San Francisco Call, of March 7, on that date Mr. \V. Smart, superintending engineer for the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, was on an important mission in San Francisco. He was investigating ‘’the fuel oil situation'’ and the latest oil-burning apparatus, in view of the fact that the new ships building for the' Union Company in Britain 1 ‘are to be oil burners.”

Moreover, “in addition to getting data to be used in their construction Mr. Smart will take up ,the matter of converting the present .ships of the line so that they, too, can use the modern’fuel. Mr. Smart said yesterday that he is particularly interested in the new mechanical oil burning system that has been installed by the Union Ironworks on a number of steamers.” It is further stated that Mr. Smart was to go to the Union Ironworks to see the system in operation on the steamer Bear.

“It is understood,” adds the Call, “that prior to converting the older ships, the Union Steamship Company will establish an oiling station at Tahiti. Tile Union ships at present burn Australian coal. The fuel for the homeward voyage is brought over os freight and here transferred from hold to hunkers. This is an .expensive operation and a dirty one, and it is believed that the change from coal to oil, despite the cheapness of coal in Australia, will affect a material saving, in addition to adding to the efficiency of the ships.”

Mr. Smart, according to tho paper, was on his way to Britain to inspect the steamers building there for bis company, and stopped at San Francisco especially to look into the oil fuel question.