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252 time it was not necessary to start the auxiliary air compressor. In the harbor of New York an in- spection trial trip was held early in May. A number of marine men were on board during this successful trial. Diesel Electric Ferry On May 14 the Falls City’s Ferry & Transportation Co. operating be- MARINE REVIEW der the name of William S. Mc- Chesney and the steel hull was built by the Howard Ship Building Co., Jeffersonville, Ind., in 19138. The di- mensions are: length, 172 feet; beam, 45 feet; depth, 7 feet; draft, 30 inches; tonnage 490 net. It was the high cost of operation with steam equip- ment which decided the owners to con- vert the vessel to diesel electric drive. FIRST DIESEL ELECTRIC SIDE WHEEL FERRY BOAT—NOW OPERATING BETWEEN LOUISVILLE AND JEFFERSONVILLE, IND. tween Louisville and Jeffersonville, Ind., christened a _ diesel _ electric driven ferryboat, the Froman M. Coots. The engineering work in con- nection with this radical departure from usual river practice was carried out by William A. Ingram, engineer of the Ferry company, in conjunction with engineers of Fairbanks, Morse & Co., who supplied the two diesel en- gines and some of the _ auxiliary equipment, and the General Electric Co. who supplied the electrical propul- sion and control equipment. This converted ferry was formerly operated with steam equipment - un- Two diesel engines of Fairbanks, Morse manufacture each rated at 240 brake horsepower, 257 revolutions per minute, were installed. Each en- gine is directly connected to a General Electric Co., 175 kilowatt, 257 revo- lutions per minute, 280 volt, 760 am- peres, compound wound, direct cur- rent generator. These generators in turn furnish current for the main motors, all the electric auxiliaries and lighting. A choice of two units was made so that one could operate the ferry for ordinary schedule conditions and for ordinary stages of the river, while July, 1925 the second unit serves as an addi- tional factor of safety which more than offsets the additional cost of the two-unit drive. Each one of the two side wheels which are 24 feet in diameter by 10 feet wide, with 24-inch paddles, is driven by a 175 horsepower, 425 revolutions per min- ute, 230 volt, shunt wound direct cur- rent motor of General Electric make. The motors are geared to the side wheels as shown in one of the accom- panying illustrations. Complete control of the electrical equipment is centered in the engine room. A duplicate control is located in the pilot house so that the pilot may have complete control of the ferry from that location. If desired, however, it is easy to transfer con- trol to the engine room. When the control rests with the engineer, the pilot signals to the engine room in the usual way. All of the auxiliaries are electrically operated with the exception of a small engine-driven air compressor. Some of the auxiliaries are, a fire pump, air blower for blowing air on the commutators of the main motor, sani- tary pump, steering motor, motor gen- erator set for 110-volt lighting, bilge pump and electric air compressor for supplying’ starting air for the diesel engines. Latest engineering practice has been applied as indicated by the fact that pyrometers are used for determining the temperature of the exhaust. A thermo-couple is located in each ex- haust pipe. It is, therefore, pos- sible for the engineer to keep an ac- curate check on the operating con- dition of the engines. The engines are also equipped with speed regu- lators so that it is possible to slow (LEFT)—ARRANGEMENT USED IN GEARING ELECTRIC DRIVING MOTORS TO SIDE PADDLE WHEELS—(RIGHT)—VIEW OF ENGINE ROOM OF THE DIESEL ELECTRIC FERRY FROMAN M. COOTS LOOKING FROM THE GENERATOR END ; 2