University Changes Its Oil To Avoid Winter Shortage

University students will be able to dry their clothes out on hot radiators and enjoy the comforts of a warm room as usual this winter. William G. Morse '39. University purchasing agent, revealed yesterday that fires would continue to burn in the furnaces as long as Old Man Winter walked the streets of Cambridge.

Asked if students should make minimum use of their radiators and put a little more cold water in their baths, Morse replied, "I see no reason why they should."

In order to save the precious war fuel the University is undertaking a mass conversion from oil furnaces to coal consuming burners. Although the change is not yet complete practically all of the heating units will be made over by November 1.

When the change is made, Harvard will be saving oil at a rate of 87,000 barrels (3,654,000 gallous) a year for the war effort. Very little of this saving will be made in the College proper, since the Medical School and the surrounding hospitals are along using 75,000 barrels.

Among the other University institutions making the conversion are the Stuart Building and the now Deposit Library, each of which will make a saving of 1000 barrels. The Observatory and the Gray Herbarium will continue to operate their oil heating plants.

The Houses, the Yard, and the Business School will have little cause to worry over the heating problem, since that entire area is heated by exhaust steam from the Cambridge Electric Light Company. The steam is carried by several miles of underground pipe extending from the Business School, through the Yard, to the laboratories beyond Memorial Hall. Because the Electric Company burns coal, no shortage is predicted for the user future.