DISTRIBUTION AND STORAGE Oil refineries are built at points strategically located with re spect to production and markets. From the refineries fuel oil is delivered to a station located in the center of the industrial dis trict to be served and it is delivered from the refineries to these central stations by water or by rail. Many companies supply fuel oil to countries lying overseas. To these countries fuel oil is transported by ocean-going tankers and oil barges. There were in May, 1920, 93 steam tankers aggregating more than one mil lion deadweight tonnage building in American shipyards for pri vate companies. All but two of these ships burn fuel oil under their boilers for power and these two are equipped with Diesel engines.
Many of the tankers now in use carry fuel oil on outward voyages, but return to the United States laden with some other bulk liquid. The Philippine Vegetable Oil Company, for example, now has in operation two such tankers operating between San Francisco and Manila.a The two vessels now in operation are the "Nuuanu" and the "Katherine." They are specially equipped for carrying petroleum products, either bulk or case oil, for the Standard Oil Company from the Richmond refinery to Hong kong and returning via Manila, where a cargo of cocoanut oil is taken for delivery at the storage tanks of the Philippine Vegetable Oil Company at San Francisco. The "Nuuanu" was the first tanker to be placed in operation in this special service and has recently made her third round trip, each time carrying petroleum oil to Hongkong and returning via Manila, where a cargo of cocoanut oil was taken on. The auxiliary motor ship "Nuuanu" (See fig. 17) was before her conversion to an oil tanker the iron sailing vessel "Highland Glen" of the following dimensions: Length over all, 211 feet; breadth, 34 feet, and depth, 19 feet 6 inches. The power plant consists of a 320-b. horsepower model "M-11" Bolinder engine, the machinery being placed in an unused part of the ship and not interfering with the existing bulkheads.
This vessel has been able to make a speed of over seven knots. loaded, in ordinary weather without the assistance of sails. On her first trip from San Francisco to Manila via Hongkong the time occupied in making the voyage to Manila was 45 days. She arrived in San Francisco with a cargo of about 1,100 tons of bulk cocoanut oil, making the trip from Manila in days. So well satisfied with the work of the "Nuuanu," the Philippine Vegetable Oil Company purchased the former ship "County of • Linlithgow," renamed her the "Katherine" and converted her into a tanker for the same service. The "Katherine" Was equipped
with many features not included on the "Nuuanu," but these new features are now being installed on the "Nuuanu." ine" can carry about 2,600 tons. Both vessel's carry sufficient fuel to make the round trip. Fuel is carried in two tanks, one tank being located in the engine room and the other in the cofferdam separating the cargo tanks from the engine room. The oil is de livered from these tanks to the engine by duplex pumps operated by steam. The "Nuuanu" carries a of 30, including the chief engineer, first and second engineers; two wipers, captain, first and second mate and the usual number of sailors.
For delivering fuel oil to vessels either in the stream or at the dock a very extensive fleet of oil barges is operated on San Francisco Bay by the Standard Oil Company, Shell Oil Com pany, Union Oil Company, and the Associated Oil Company. In Oil News, September 20, 1919, page 11, the following account of the operation of these barges is given by 'C. W. Geiger : "A large fleet of barges is maintained by the Standard Oil Company. Its units are principally barges with the steam tug Standard No. 1 in constant attendance, and working with the'in are the power barges Benecia and Contra Costa. The power barges are manned by both day and night crews, and are ready,to make fuel oil deliveries around the harbor at any time during the entire twenty-four hours. The convenience of this service to steamship operators can readily be imagined, and the company has materially added to its fuel oil business because of it. The barge Contra Costa is propelled by a gasoline engine and has a capacity for carrying 7,500 barrels of oil in her tanks. The Benecia, which is also propelled by a gasoline engine, has a capacity for carrying 2,200 barrels. The carrying capacity of the remaining barges is as follows: Barge No. 1, 4,500 barrels; barge No. 2, 800 barrels; barge No. 3, 2,000 barrels; barge No. 4, 5,509 barrels; barge No. 5, which operates on the river, 2,000 barrels (See fig. 18) ; barge No. 6, 650 barrels ; barge No. 7, 5,000 bar rels ; barge No. 8, 2,200 barrels. The following barges operate on the rivers : San Jose, stern wheel steamer, 500 barrels ; Petro leum No. 3, stern wheel steamer, 1,500 barrels. The river trade demands a boat drawing not more than five feet of water, and here the stern paddle-wheel type of boat is necessary for carrying cargo and towing light-draft barges. Owing to the shallow water and many snags in the river, a propeller is out of the question.