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22 Pilot Boats for Panama Canal The 35-foot launch: designed and built by the Gas Engine & Power Co. and Charles L. Seabury & Co., Cons., of Morris Heights, for service as a pilot boat at Panama, possesses .so many features which would render her a particularly serviceable off-shore run- about and fishing boat. The craft is 35 feet in length overall and has an extreme beam of 7 feet 6 inches. She draws 34 inches of water at the skeg, and her motor is 4-cylin- der, 6 x 6 Speedway, of 32-40 horse- power, giving her a speed of something over 10% miles per hour. The boat has a slightly curving bow and a whaleboat stern. There is 5 feet freeboard at the bow, 234 feet amidship and 4 feet at the stern. This, in combination with her rather full deckline, should make her a dry and easy riding boat in. a short chop. The. fact that the forward deck is THE MARINE REVIEW that in the stern, makes the boat un- sinkable unless she is actually stove in. The centralization of the weights amid- ship and the shape of both the bows and sterns obviate any tendency toward plunging or running under in heavy weather. na With the heavy rubbing strokes re- moved and:'a space for a refrigerator added, this boat would make an ideal type of craft for blue-fishing trips and visits to the nearby fishing banks which lie along our coasts. The cockpit space is ample to accom- modate a moderate-sized party, and the entire protection. of the engine by the hood in rainy or rough weather to- gether with the boat's ability to give a good account of herself in all reason- able and considerably unreasonable weather, should recommend her to those sportsmen who enjoy deep-water fish- ing. Her speed is sufficient to allow her to make a run of 30 miles and back and PILOT LAUNCH FOR PANAMA CANAL 13% feet long adds considerably to her dryness and makes her pretty nearly an ideal rough-water open boat. The cock- pit, 11 feet length, has a locker 'seat along each side, with a steersman's plat- form at the forward end, at which are centered steering wheel, reverse lever, starting crank and throttle and spark controls. Forward of the cockpit is the motor space 5% feet in length and covered with a hinge hood and ven- tilated with two good-sized cowls. The gasoline tank, which has a capacity of 125 gallons, runs across the full width of the boat directly in front of the en- gine space and is separated from the forward portion of the boat by a water- tight bulkhead. This bulkhead, in con- nection with another one located in: the extreme bow, renders most of the space under the, forward deck 'an air-tight compartment which, in connection with yet leave ample timé for fishing the best part of the tide. Such a boat, plainly finished and with- out ornate trimmings, carried on the deck of our larger cruising steam yachts, would provide a good means for fur- nishing splendid sport in waters where the average power tender would be entirely out of place. With the Samson post aft and wind- lass bitts forward, there is something extremely business-looking about. these little ships... The tremendous amount of stowage space under the forward deck is readily accessible through a_ good- sized water-tight deck plate. There is plenty of room all around the engine to allow tinkering with the power plant. The photograph of the boat in actual service gives a good idea of her gen- eral appearance and shows the simply- arranged and_ easily-adjusted type of _porarily November, 191+ sprayhood, which serves admirably both for use in stormy weather or for a cockpit cover. The general layout shows how the advantages of a long forward deck, engine accessibility and one-man control, as acquired in experience with the fast runabout type of craft, have been adapted to the sturdy, semi-work- ing boat. There are now in service at the canal, six of these boats, designed and built by this company. The new steel car ferry Henry M. Flagler, building at Cramps, Phila- delphia, was launched recently. This car ferry was designed to transfer the loaded freight cars of the Florida East Coast railway from Key West to Havana. She is 350 feet over all, 57 feet beam molded, 22 feet deep and has a speed of 12 knots when loaded 2,300 tons deadweight. "Her machinery consists of two _ triple-ex- pansion, reciprocating engines, having cylinders 20, 3214 and 54 inches by 36- inch stroke. Her construction was su- pervised by R. W. Parsons, assistant to the president of the Florida East Coast Railway. . This new ferry will enable passengers to reach Havana without changing cars. Captain Roald Amundsen, discov- erer of the South Pole" andthe' Norwest Passace, and..-Lieut,... 1. Gran, a member of. Lieut. Scott's ill- fated south pole expedition and one of those who found the bodies of Scott and his comrades, have enlisted as officers in the Norwegian aviation corps, Capt. Amundsen having. tem- abandoned. his.* proposed north pole expedition via Behring Straits. -- Lieitenant Gran) is . an. ex- perienced aviator ard recently creat- ed a world's record for continuous flying over water whén: he made the passage across the North Sea: from Scotland to Norway, a distance of 320 miles, in about four hours and 20 minutes. The--old: bark Balboa, which «was Pitehased at a nominal sum by @ ship wrecker who dismantled her, has been reconstructed into a commodious houseboat. at Oakland, Cal. From her rigging alone 20 tons of scrap iron were secured, the after part of the vessel cut to the water line, and all the materials of worth sold for junk. The Seattle Construction & Dry Dock Co., Seattle, Wash., has received contract from the Pacific-Alaska Navi- gation Co. for the reconstruction of the steamer Admiral Watson. The proposed alterations will give the ves- sel accommodations for 138 first-class and 150 steerage passengers and will cost approximately $150,000.