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Designs Modern Inland Architects After Study of Problems Met in This Field: Have " Evolved a Number of New Types of Barges and Towboats ~ | | HE increased interest aroused I during the past two years in inland waterways has brought about a deeper study of the types of vessels best adapted for such service. Attention has been given not only to barge building materials, including steel, wood and _ concrete, but to economical sizes, lines and propelling arrangements. A fleet of 124 towboats and barges is now under construction for the railroad administration. These include various designs developed as a result of recent studies of waterway and commercial problems in different dis- tricts of the country. The vessels were designed by Cox & Stevens, New York. . The list follows: Fifty-one canal. barges, 150 feet long, Z0.. feet beam, with a (12-foot depth for the New York barge canal are now under construction in four shipyards. The Dravo Contracting Co, Pittsburgh, is building -127 the Ferguson Iron & Steel Co.,. Buffalo, 16; .Terry & Tench, New York, 20, and the Downing Marine Construction Co.; Glen Cove; N.Y 3, Six tunnel-stern river towboats, 200 feet long, 40 feet beam with a 10- foot depth for the Mississippi river are being built in two yards. The Marietta Mfg. Co., Point Pleasant, W. Va., is constructing four of these vessels while two are on the ways at the yard of the Charles Ward En- gineering Co., Charlestown, W. Va. Forty canal and harbor steel barges, 230 feet long, 45 feet beam with a ll-foot depth for use on the lower -- Mississippi are now under construc- tion in two yards. The American Bridge Co., Pittsburgh, is building 25 while the remaining 15 are taking shape at the yard of the Dravo Con- tracting Co., Pittsburgh. Three tunnel stern river towboats, 140 feet long, 24 feet beam with an 834-foot depth for use on the Warrior river are under construction by the Howard Shipyard & Dry Dock. Co., Jeffersonville, Ind. Four self-propelled barges, 280 feet long, 49 feet beam with a 10-foot depth for use on the Tombigbee, Alabama and Black Warrior rivers, are being built by the St. Louis Boat & Engineering Co;; St Louis: wenty self-propelled cargo barges, 149 feet 6 inches long, 20 feet beam With a 12-foot depth, for use on the New York state barge canal are under construction in three yards. Terry & Tench, New York, are build- ing 12, the Dravo Contracting Co., Pittsburgh, four, and Starr & Bennett, Newbern, N. C., four. The type of towboat for use on the Mississippi is shown in Fig. 1. These vessels are 200 feet long, 40 feet molded beam, 10 feet molded depth and will draw 6 feet of water. The design shows an all steel single deck vessel with a continuous deck To Revive Rivee Peake ras the early development days of the country, the waterways were the only means of transportation and even after the advent of rail- roads, the Mississippi continued to be the main north and south com- mercial artery. In those days of romance, when Mark Twain was a river pilot and races between boats of rival lines were everyday occur- rences, the old timers boasted that it amounted to something to bea steamboat man, River traffic after lying dormant for nearly 60 years is coming into its own again. While the old romance of the river, as described by Mark Twain in "Life on the Mississippi,' has gone forever, the commercial value of the giant stream and other inland *waterways has at last been recognized, steps have been taken to rehabilitate these natural commerce routes and a fleet of 124 barges and tugs is now under construction. house about 150 feet.Jong, upper deck house about 30 feet long and pilot house about 20 feet long. The main deck house is arranged to accommodate the crew, oilers and firemen, steward's department, gal-. ley, mess room, laundry, lavatories, fuel tanks and machinery space while the upper house accommodates the pilot, wireless operator and equipment, engineers, spare rooms, lavatories, officers saloon and deck lockers. The pilot house is designed to give the helmsman an unobstructed view in all directions. It also con- tains the captain's stateroom with en- closed stairs to the lower house. Two masts to carry wireless antenna and two small derrick masts are pro- vided. The vessels will carry crews consisting of 30 men, -all told. 461 ges ' j | | To facilitate the ready handling if the craft in all situations, capstans an substantial bitts are located both fore and aft. The main towing arrange- ment consists of a steel bridle and traveling hook fitted on the upper deck and supported from the after engine room bulkhead by I-beams. Double bottoms are fitted under the engine and boiler rooms to carry fresh water. The fresh water capacity is approximately 100 tons. Oil fuel is carried in tank compartments which are located one between the engine and boiler room, extending to the upper deck, and one forward of the boiler room extending to the main deck. The total fuel capacity is ap- proximately 335 tons. Attention has been given to the arrangement of watertight bulkheads in order to' pro- tect the vessel from sinking in case 'it strikes snags, a common occurrence in the Mississippi, or other obstruc- tions. To facilitate ready handling, four rudders are provided. The lines-on which the vessels are designed have been developed from long study of the type of craft neces- sary to meet the peculiar conditions -encountered in this 'class: of service. They show a flat section with slightly rounded bilges which run into an easy forebody, and tunnel section 'aft. The. sheer is flat except at the' efids. Special fenders are located at the bow to give a flat bearing for pushing light or loaded barges without danger of 'fouling due to overhanging ends. The practice of pushing barges on 'the Mississippi is almost universal: Power is provided by two, triple- expansion inverted-type upright -én- gines with cylinders 151%4-x 25 x 44- inch bore with 26-inch stroke. Each engine develops 900 indicated horse- power. One surface condenser is pro- vided which has a cooling surface of 2400 square feet. Steam is supplied by two watertube boilers, oil fired, having a total of about 8000 square feet heating sur- face. Steam is delivered to the en- gines at 250 pounds pressure to the square inch. The usual auxiliaries, feed pimp, bilge pumps, air pumps, etc., are independent units. : The vessels are electrically lighted throughout while the wireless set has a radius of 600 miles. Electric cur- rent for wireless and lighting pur- poses is provided by two generating © sets of 5 and 10 kilowatts respectively. These are direct connected, steam