26o THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The most notable feature of all these steamers is, that they are 

 worked entirely with oil-fuel. Newcastle coal will soon cease to find 

 a market on the Black Sea or the Mediterranean — it may even be 

 driven out of the Red Sea, as the use of petroleum refuse in engines 

 becomes better understood. Already it is the only fuel in use on 

 the Caspian, either in the mercantile mai'ine, in the Russian gun- 

 boat flotilla, or on the railways. Even in domestic stoves it is 

 in favor throughout the Caucasus — all government offices in the 

 neighborhood are thus heated — and the people are greatly encour- 

 aged in its use, with a view to saving the fast-decreasing forests of 

 the Caucasus. 



At present much oil refuse is poured into the sea as the only way 

 to dispose of it, and yet its value as fuel is fully established ; for 

 whereas ordinary coal-burning steamers require to devote nearly half 

 their carrying capacity to stowing fuel, those burning oil-refuse find 

 that petroleum gives out twice as much heat as an equal weight of 

 coal, so that they only require to carry half the quantity. The petro- 

 leum also requires far less constant attention from stokers than ordi- 

 nary fuel. No stoking is required, no banking of fires — the whole 

 thing is simple as a gas-stove, and one man can easily manage the 

 simple apparatus composed of two tubes, through one of which trickles 

 the petroleum, while through the other passes a jet of steam, which 

 converts the oil into a spray so inflammable that it ignites, forming a 

 great sheet of flame, which can be regulated at will — and thus steam 

 is always ready at the exact pressure required, and labor and expense 

 are reduced to the minimum. The advocates of coal declare that this 

 fuel produces much heavy smoke and a tarry deposit, and also that it 

 is liable to explosion. All this, however, depends on the refining, 

 which will become more and more perfect as the value of each sepa- 

 rate ingredient is more fully realized. 



For instance, it is found that the dark waste fluid left after dis- 

 tillation contains four times as much gas as common coal. This has 

 therefore been turned to account, and Messrs. Nobel, having obtained 

 a government monopoly in the lighting of the town for forty-nine 

 years, have already established two thousand gas-lamps. They have also 

 devised a new process for making candles of kerosene and solid oil for 

 exportation. Soon they purpose turning their attention to the beauti- 

 ful dyes to be obtained from the refuse tars, which they hope to turn 

 to such good account that Baku shall be known throughout the world 

 for the excellence and cheapness of its colors. Nobel prophesies that 

 it will become the world's emporium for cheap and beautiful paint in 

 addition to all its other products. 



