Oil
Oil was first tested
in the U.S. Navy on small ships. USS Palos, a tug in Boston Navy Yard,
was apparently the first U.S. Navy ship to test this type of fuel. As a coal
burner, Palos did eight knots. However, when converted to oil she did
over 14. It was this highly successful test that led to the testing of oil on
larger ships and in January 1909 the USS Cheyenne (formally USS Wyoming)
was the first large ship to use oil. Her tests along the California coast were
also successful. In 1912 the Navy's first two oil-burning capital ships USS
Nevada (BB-36) and Oklahoma (BB-37) were laid down, and were commissioned
in 1916.
As oil became the primary fuel in use in the Navy the rating of Coal Passer
was no longer needed and it was changed to Fireman in 1917.
Information Courtesy of Naval Historical Center
