154 RECENT ADVANCE IN OIL BURNING. 
withstanding the fact that the number of oil-burning ships has been enormously 
increased and our imagination has been stirred by the fitting up for oil fuel of some 
of the largest transatlantic liners. 
I am indebted to the American Bureau of Shipping for permission to use the 
following estimate of the number of oil-burning vessels as compared to those burning 
coal. Under date of September 15 they state:— 
“1, For the coal and oil-burning data of vessels now operating, the following 
has been compiled from various sources, none of which gives tonnage figures. It 
is to be assumed, however, that authentic tables, being used in comparison with 
those that are incomplete, will give a good knowledge of the information desired. 
“2, United States Shipping Board vessels, which make up the bulk of American 
vessels, are daily changed from coal burners to oil. 
“3. On August 1, 1920, there were documented in the United States the follow- 
ing number of steel and wooden vessels, of 500 gross tons and up: 2,622 vessels 
of 10,535,922 gross tons. Of these the U.S. S. B. owned 1,662 vessels of 7,074,971 
gross tons, thus leaving to private owners 960 vessels of 3,460,951 gross tons. 
“a. No comprehensive data being available as to the fuel of these ships we 
will make a comparison with those facts available, as of January 1, 1920, pertinent 
to U.S. S. B. vessels only, 7. e.:— 
Vessels. Per ce t. 
Coaltourmensiin eos fie oe ere eye 841 56.75 
Oil po umnerseey een a edsiae lel aeyete 635 42.5 
INon=propelledin tii diel erase 7 -75 
1,483 
“Applying this ratio to the present Shipping Board holdings of 1,662 vessels, 
we find :— 
Vessels. 
Coal burners, approximately................ 945 
Oil burnerssapproximately seen ee 705 
Non-propelled, approximately............... 12 
1,662 
“Of the 960 privately owned ships, the same method must be applied. The 
American Bureau of Shipping report of September I, 1920, on steel vessels building 
in the United States to private account, having authentic figures relative to the 
fuel of these vessels, will be of value. It follows:— 
Vessels. Gross tons. 
Carcorcoal vat Lee ee Green: 20 Boul 
Carco NOU eee eee ene IOI 400,455 
@arcoy coalvandioiaac. was ae: 13 74,507 
Cargo, non-propelled.......... 109 82,350 
243 595543 
