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Telescope 129 A. MoDOUGALL. boat fob mnMinis railroad oari. Mo. 488,880. Patented Maj 30, 1803. No Model 2 Sheets---Sheet 1 A. McDOUGALL. BOAT FOR TRANSPORTING RAILROAD CARS. No. 498,680 c Patented May 30, 1893. By means of the improvement.. .a great many railroad cars can be transported at one time, in much heavier weather and in higher seas than would be possible with the vessels which are used at present for the same purpose. In the present vessel the false bottom is located about midway of the boat instead of being near the lower portion thereof, as in my other boats. In this way several large tanks are formed beneath the said false bottom, which can be filled more or less with water, so as to partially submerge the vessel in order to reduce rolling and pitching to a minimum in heavy weather. The tracks for receiving the cars are placed on this false bottom. In loading the vessel with cars, it is backed up into a slip in the usual manner, and the cars are run onto the overhang of the stern into the hold. ...The tracks on the stern can be brought down or up to a level with the tracks on the dock by pumping water into or out of the water-tank beneath the false bottom. ...The opening of the stern is now se- curely closed and the vessel is prepared to proceed. Should field ice be met, the vessel may steam backward through the same so that the propellors will crush and break up the ice. With ordinary drift ice there will be no necessity of this precaution, since the particular form of bow which I have adopted will force such ice down and under the boat or to one side thereof. My present invention relates particularly to those vessels here- _ tofore invented by me. It has been found that by reason of the high load line of the boat it is difficult to pass with safety over the curved top, from one end to the other, in heavy weather, since waves are liable to flow entirely over the vessel. The principal features of my present invention are the smaller turrets, a, a, a, which extend up from the top of the vessel and which are the same height as the larger turrets. These small turrets are arranged at suitable distances apart...to support a suitable passageway. .. .These small turrets may be used primarily to support suitable masts. On these masts sails can be mounted. In view of the rigid support which the said small turrets give to the masts, the use of. ..shrouds and stays becomes less necessary. These small turrets...also serve a very useful purpose in the transportation of grain and other similar bulk cargoes which settle materially under the movements of the boat. The small turrets are No Model./ 3 Sheets--Sheet 2 a. McDougall. VESSEL. No. 498,681 Patented May 30, 1893.