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22 i ee RU UN E, BUFFALO LAUNCH CLUB The Buffalo Launch Club is the first power launch club to be organized in the United States and is the outgrowth of an agitation which has lasted a little over a year. The club was organized last October and has now over 100 members and over sixty power launches. Its officers are Augustus C. Hager, commodore; Dr. H. B. Hubbard, vice-com- modore; Roger Wil- liams, secretary; F. 8. Argus. treasurer. . Ihe first regatta of the club was held last month on the magnificent Niagara tiver, which is about as fine a stretch of water as is to be found anywhere for power launches. A feature of the regatta was the presentation of a silver cup to 'the wins ning launch by Mr. O. ?. Letchworth of Buffalo. The course taken for the contest was a double tri- angle, the launches start- ing from the Bedell house and making a tri- angle up the river, re- turning past the starting boat for first. half, then a triangle down the 'river, and finishing at the starting point. The Etta, which won. the race, is. a Buffalo boat and was run by Albert Bi Setntiz and. i.) FH. Dietzer.. Mr. Schultz is the owner and was much delighted with the work of the boat. At the con- clusion of the race sup- per was served at ihe Bedell house and at its close' Wire ©. P. Letchi- worth made an appro- priate speech in which he presented the silver cup to the winner. Cheers were given for the Buffalo Launch Club and also for Mr. Letchworth. Following is the summary of the race: Time allowance. Elapsed time. Min, DEG. Min. ec: ei a 8 OI 27 38 CO sD ee 6 00 20 9 7 ede ee 9 56 30 39 BO VIPet a ee scratch 20 53 Oe NOTH fied se. IS 13 39 It Ay ee 37 02 It 00 30 iG; eatriee 4,..2-0...... 10 oo 58 mL Benet ye 22 O1 49 33 Be Seen ee ad, 20 14 48 12 ae Terence. 14s. 4s es, 24 14 52 22 Pe ener i 15 22 44 05 SO Ne ee 10 00 41 44 ao Mamie AL... 2s. i). 30 28 59 40 MOR ey i us ie sk 20 02 49 28 @ teonbles |, ba ai 25 20 56 30 MN rec thas 20 40 52 22 O Say, Vite ee 21 20 53 21 12 NO io ees 13 56 49 54 MGS OO an LETCHWORTH. Re Eb Mo a Ee We FIRE DRILL ON BOARD SHIP In the report on the Slocum investigation we find that "nearly all the necessary precautions in regard to fire drill and exercises safeguarding the passengers had been neglected." Be that as it may, the . question: « next arises as to how many passenger carrying ships at the present day have an efficient system of fire drill: Ghere: canbe fire drills. and: fire = drills. Take our large liners for instance, the person not an actual participator could be excused for thinking. that= the. fire drill in this,class of ship would be perfect, but in a great many cases it 1s fy from if OF "what use is a fire drill to a ship's crew notified about half a day ahead of time, that time being partly occupied finding out where their posts are, and what they are sup- posed to dor In summer 1 had* oc- casion to. cross: the At- lantic and witnessed a fire drill which, I sup- pose, 1s av type. ot the smal drilla at Sea. One afternoon . tie passengers on deck leant along the rail, watching with lazy interest some of the deckhands uncoil- ing hose and dragging them along the decks to the hydrants, where they coupled; them. on. The bo'swain or some other petty officer stood by giving directions, and as he had a long shining nozzle under each arm, a few enquiries elicited the news that we were going to have fire drill in an hour or so, when all hands not on active duty would muster at their posts. At the appointed time the fire drill suddenly pealed forth an alarm, and at the first stroke of the hammer the crew, a strange medley of firemen, stewards. sailors and cooks, came swarming out of various doors to the deck. The hose were seized and the nozzles pointed over the side, as the streams of water burst forth; men manned the hand- pumps on deck, while others took up their positions with fire axes and buckets. What a magnificent display--everybody in full uniform--the coal-passers all nicely shaved and dressed, and the stewards with an even higher collar than usual, as they solemnly stood in line with buckets in their hands. No doubt, to the person arriving on deck when the bell rang, this was a very impressive sight, but could anything be more absurd in the eyes of the passenger idly watching the prepa-: rations an hour previously. Now, if a parade like this is for the benefit of the passen- gers surely it would give them a greater sense of security to see - eo turnout, the men taking up their posts as quickly as possible in their everyda hes 3 +j "un- ning out and coupling of the Gee os ae aeey et aaa