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ae October, 1909 for that purpose, for which, in most ships, space can be made available. As arranged, the sections surround the combustion chamber, which is omitted in practically all water tube boilers, but is as necessary to proper economy in a boiler of this type as in a Scotch boiler, since it promotes combustion before the gases pass be- tween the generating tubes; otherwise sooting and clogging is inevitable. This combustion chamber being com- mon to both furnaces, has the addi- tional advantage of preventing cold ain from entering between the gener- ating tubes while firing, as such air, flowing in through the furnace doors, must meet the flame from the op- posite furnace. The Ballin boiler possesses the fol- lowing features which the designer believes will recommend it to en- gineers: Simplicity of design; ac- cessibility of all parts, particularly the inside and outside of all generat- ing tubes, headers, drums, etc.; inter- changeability of all parts subject to renewal; elimination of all ordinary steam pipes and castings of any sort from the generating portion of the boiler; horizontal flow of gases and by proper baffling, the efficient util- ization of heat. Any tube or section may be removed without disturbing any adjacent section; the feed water heaters utilize waste gases only, do not interfere with the draft and may be quickly removed or by-passed; the casing is properly insulated against radiation; the boiler is light in weight, durable and sufficiently flexible in de- sign to be adapted to the available Space in the ship. Two of these boilers have 'been' in- stalled in the steamer H.. B. Kennedy (See THe Marrtne Review, April, 1909), and have now been in commission a suf- ficient length of time to prove their success. These boilers each have 4,000 sq. ft. of heating surface and are fitted for oil fuel, one burner being placed in each end of the furnace. They work with natural draft, furnishing dry S'eam for a 4-cylinder triple expan- sion engine, developing up to 2,400 Ho Pp The available space in this steamer was limited, as the owners desired - all possible deck room for passengers. Smoking 'rooms were placed on each side of the boiler. hatch, the boilers themselves being left exposed. As the gases in the uptake by test showed only about 500° Fahr., very _ little heat radiates into these rooms. Each boiler occupies a floor space of 10 ft. by 10 ft. and is about 14 ft. in height "TAE MarRINE REVIEW to the top of the casing. They weigh complete 48,000 lb. or 12 Ib. per sq. ft. of heating surface. All the small tubes are seamless drawn, 1% in. outside diameter. They are expanded into the top headers and can be inspected, cleaned and withdrawn through corresponding holes in the top of the headers, which holes are closed by double-taper plugs. The riser pipes, as may be seen, are also easily accessible; they are expanded into the lower headers. These latter can be inspected and cleaned through plugs projecting through the outside of the casing. The top and bottom headers are rolled to their respective shapes from heavy seamless drawn tubing. Each section is tested to 800 lb. hydrostatic pressure. In .order. to withdraw a complete section it is only necessary to cut the two lower pipes and the nipple connecting the section to the steam drum. These pipes and nipples, if kept on hand, can be easily replaced. Several spare sections are carried on board, and as "particular pains (are taken to make every section inter- changeable, new sections may be quickly installed. ae To facilitate cleaning and repairs the doors and shu'ters of the -casing are provided with quick opening dogs and latches, and wherever repairs might have to 'be made the casing is provided with removable sections. The Willamette Iron & Steel Wiorks, Portland, are the 'builders of these 'boilers on the Pacific coast. The designer and patentee of the boiler is Fred A. Ballin, 4314 Second street, Portland, Oregon. CAPE COD CANAL. Fine progress is being made upon the ship canal which is to be built across Cape Cod, Mass. to connect Buzzards Bay with Barnstable Bay, which was begun with appropriate pub- lic ceremonies on June 22. Excavation for the canal will be al- most ent'rely through sandy soil con- taining gravel and some boulders; al- though it is anticipated that there will be but few of the latter. which will require blasting. The cut will have a depth throughout of 290 4t., at. mean low water, and a bottom width of 100 ft., with side slopes of 1 on 2 up to 'bermes 6 ft. wide, above which the same slope extends to the surface of the ground. There will be three nearly equi-distant turning basin where, for a length of 800 ft., the bottom width will be increased to 200 ft. 381 Electric lights are to be provided throughout the length of the canal and the illumination is to be carried out about six miles beyond the west- ern shore end by lighted 'buoys an- chored on both sides of the approach channel. This channel will be dredged to a depth of 26 ft. and will have a bottom width of 250 ft. with side slopes of 1 on 3. The length of the canal will be ap- proximately 8 miles between shore lines and it will effect a saving of 66 miles of the 326 miles on the present route through Vineyard Bay, or of 142 miles of the 402-mile present outside route, between New York and Bos- ton. Corresponding reductions will be effected in the routes from. Bal- timore and other southerly ports to Boston and Portland. Not the least of the advantages of the canal will be the added safety gained by avoid- ing the numerous and _ dangerous shoals and the prevailing fogs in Vineyard Sound. The canal will not only effect a great saving in time and distance as well as permit of increased speeds, but it will also reduce costly insurance by a goodly percentage. It is est'mated that 6,000 steam ves- sels and 24,000 sailing vessels with average tonnage registers of 1,500 and 600 tons respectively, making a total of over 23,000,000 tons register, annually pass the Handkerchief Shoals light, going around Cape Cod, for much of which the canal will become available. This traffic is constantly increasing and a very large percen- tage of it cons'sts of bulky freight in tows which pass almost exclusively through Vineyard Sound where the fogs often make it necessary for them to stop and wait for periods one or more days in, length. When the canal is completed and a deep water channel 'buoyed and lighted through the shoals it is believed that the traffic can be maintained almost continuously there through very foggy weather. : A navigable canal across Cape Cod has been under projection for at least 250 years and records concerning the undertaking, such as surveys, reports and investigations, extend back to 1670. This canal is therefore one of the oldest enterprises of this nature . in the country. In fact several com- panies have been organized at various times to construct such a cut as 1s now under way, but only one of them actually commenced operations, later abandoning the project. The present enterprise is conducted under a charter granted to the Bos- ton, Cape Cod & New York Canal Co., August Belmont, president.