THE HIGHWAY OF THE WATERS 



liquid fuel in place of coal for making steam. For 

 years the advantages of this form of fuel have been 

 recognized, the Russians having brought its use to a 

 high state of perfection, both in boats and locomotives. 

 Practically all the steamers on the Black and Caspian 

 seas, as well as on such rivers as the Volga, bum oil 

 exclusively. And early in 1910 the British Navy de- 

 cided to substitute oil for coal on all its vessels. 



The advantages claimed for oil over coal as fuel are 

 many. It is smokeless, produces more heat than coal, 

 occupies less space for storage, can be loaded more 

 quickly and easily, is cleaner, and reduces the engine- 

 room force to one-fourth or one-third the number of 

 men required when coal is used. Incidentally it re- 

 duces the difficult physical task of stoking to one rela- 

 tively pleasant and easy. It gives a steadier fire, does 

 not foul the boilers, and does away with cumbersome 

 ashes and clinkers. 



Its disadvantage lies in the danger from fire. An in- 

 flammable liquid carried in a ship's hold is obviously 

 more dangerous than a corresponding quantity of rela- 

 tively incombustible coal. Yet the obvious advantages 

 of this form of fuel have been so compelling that it is 

 now coming into use on all classes of war vessels, and 

 seems likely to supplant coal entirely on some types of 

 boats, such as the torpedo destroyers. Moreover, the 

 experience of the Russian boats on the Black and Cas- 

 pian seas seems to indicate that the dangers from the 

 use of oil as a fuel when properly handled have been 

 greatly exaggerated, and passenger and freight steamers 

 all over the world are gradually adopting it. 



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