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otor-D After July | Next Steam Vessels Carrying Passengers 200 Miles Off Life! Shore Will Have to Carry One Motor-Propelled Lifeboat Under Davits There is a wide field opening for the small gasolene or kerosene engine in lifeboats. After July 1 next all oceam steam ves- sels exceeding certain tonnage and carrying passengers will have to carry one power propelled lifeboat as part of the lifeboat equipment. The “Steamboat Inspection Service has re- cently issued the following circular on the subject: “On and after July 1, 1915, all ocean steam vessels of 2,500 gross tons carry- ing passengers, and whose course carries them 200 miles or more off shore, shall be required to be equipped with not less than one motor-propelled lifeboat as part of their lifeboat equipment; provided, however, that any vessel under the jurisdiction of this service may be al- lowed to carry one motor-propelled life- boat as a part of the lifeboat equipment required on such steamer, except that on steamers carrying more than six life- boats, under davits, two of such life- boats may be equipped with motors.” _ A-number of the steamship lines are now purchasing lifeboats with power equipment installed or are installing en- gines in existing lifeboats. The. latter is, of course, the more econo:nical prac- tice as there are scores of satisfactory engines on the market for this pur-. pose. Certain steamship lines are be- ginning to regard it as an economical practice to have a small power-propelled boat aboard for running errands. while in port. There is a wide field on the lakes for this kind of boat. There will undoubtedly be in the near future a re; FIG. 5—PILOT .SERVICE IN PANAMA CANAL markable development. in the line of power boat installation in small boats that are carried under the davits of large steamers: Life Power Boats The Gas Engine & Power Co. and Charles L. Seabury & Co., Consolidated, Morris Heights, New York, have re- cently developed a class of life power boats which have met the approval of the board of supervising inspectors of steamboats. and are being generally adopted aboard ship, especially by the navy department. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 represent the whale boats of the United States battleship Connecticut. These boats have a 3-cylinder, 12-horsepower Speedway motor installed in them amid- ships. This installation has been in every way successful. Fig. 3 represents a dory type of lifeboat in which a single cylinder engine of 5-horsepower is installed. These boats are only 21 feet in length and are specially designed to be carried on the davits of torpedo boats. Figs. 4 and 5 represent’ a type of boat which has been adopted on the Panama canal for pilot service and are unusually heavy and seaworthy. In fact, these boats have been able to go out in the roughest kind of weather while other craft have been forced to remain FIG, 1—-WHALEBOAT OF BATTLESHIP ’ CONNECTICUT under shelter. The swells from the Atlantic ocean in Limon Bay are very heavy and it requires a boat of more than usual. seaworthiness to navigate them. These boats are 35 feet in length and are fitted with a 40-50-horsepower, FIG, 4—-TWO PILOT BOATS FOR SERVICE IN THE PANAMA CANA]. BUILT BY THE GAS ENGINE & POWER CO. ‘ : “4 on a y Pr. 5