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68 ticularly when the ship is under way at sea, subject to heavy rolling and pitching, in addition to the conditions above mentioned. The principal ad- vantages with this device are that lifeboats can under all circumstances be under efficient control, even a sud- den list of the ship not appreciably retarding the manipulation of the same. Two men can always manipu- late and launch a lifeboat whether it be empty or loaded with its full complement of passengers and crew, the mechanism being of the simplest possible nature and manner of manip- previous train- ulation such that no Tae Marine REVIEW in their contracts. Consequently, these davits, so far as the building of ocean-going ships are concerned, now appear to be as much a' part of the construction as the plating or decks. Some of our architects and_ build- ers have hesitated somewhat to adopt this gear on account of their fear that the ordinary light decks and scantling would not be sufficiently strong to carry the same on harbor and *tiver 'boats. That this tear 1s altogether groundless can best be proven by the many types of boats already fitted, such as the steamboat iThe Lowell, shown in the »act+ weight and in appearance are more trim and shipshape than anything else of their kind in the market. In conclusion we wish to mention an incident, both apropos and amus- ing, recently related by the captain of a trans-Atlantic liner -- equipped with this gear. On this vessel the Welin quadrant davits are installed on the boat deck proper, two boats situated aft on skids being equipped with ordinary round-bar davits. The relates the following: "On from New York I had my passengers a_ typical captain one trip amongst farmer from one of the fat inland BOAT DECK ON §&. S. COLON, SHOWING BOATS CHOCKED HALF OUTBOARD, WHEREBY 330 SO, PT) OF. DECK SPACE IS SAVED.ON EACH "SIDE ing on the part of the crew is neces- sary. - That this device has been recog- nized as the best of its kind through- out the maritime world can best be proven by the fact that during the past two years--or since this davit was placed on the- market--more than 200 ships of all nationalities and classes have been equipped with the davit, and. we are informed that out of 28 ships. contracted for abroad during the last few months 24 have the Welin quadrant davit specified von. the companying photograph. The deck of "The Lowell" is of only seven-eighths of an inch pine, tongued and grooved, with light ordinary carlines, supported outboard side by 234-inch turned wooden stanchions. The weight of these davits is con- siderably less than that of the old solid round-bar davit, the reason be- ing that the principal parts are made of best open-hearth cast steel, with the running. parts of Tobin bronze. They are shaped to combine the max- imum strength with the minimum states. 7 This seemed -to take great interest in everything: per- taining to ship handling and equip- ment and asked me innumerable ques- tions. One day I came on him stand-' ing att at the. lifeboats on the skids and he immediately asked me how managed to get. those boats over the side. I explained how this could' be done and in turn asked my farmer friend why he. did :not wish to have the manipulation of the davits on the boat deck explained. His reply. was. brief and to. the. point. gentleman looking we