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= 'TAE MaRINE. REVIEW 15 ever, generally been carried on a single hydraulic cylin- der. It was felt that a single cylinder would not be suffi- cient for the long tanks of the canal proposed, 310 feet in the clear. The Board expressed the belief that the synchronous movement of the opposite ends of the lock tanks carried on several cylinders could be secured satisfactorily by the method suggested by Mr. Brown in general accord with the model which he submitted. In addition to the fact that the hydraulic type of lock has been successfully tried, it is cheaper to install than the pneumatic lock on account of the far less volume of excavation and masonry involved in its construction and is probably cheaper than-any other kind of mechanical lift lock. It was considered that in relative merit the different types of mechanical lift locks stood as follows: 1, the hydraulic lock; 2, the chain balance lock; 3, the pneumatic lock. : Consideration was also given by the Board to the ap- plicability of a double flight of four masonry locks of the ordinary type to overcome the fall, each lock having a lift of 28 ft. \ After carefully studying the matter and giving due weight to questions of first cost, and cost of operation and maintenance, to time of passage by the fleets of boats which will probably use the 'canal, the water stipply and usage of water, and liability to serious accidents and de- lays, the Board recommended that masonry locks of the ordinary type be adopted. This recommendation was largely based on the fact that the water supply is ample for the ordinary locks and the state has, the first right to it for purposes of navigation, and bédabse the mechanical lift lock is a metallic machine subject to the wear, depreciation and necessary renewals which always make a large annual charge against every such machine. Its successful operation involves a great number of appliances all requiring power and attendance. In the masonry locks these features are confined to the gates and valves with the appliances for moving them. There can be no doubt that the masonry locks would be more cheaply maintained and operated and suffer less de- preciation, and that they would afford greater immunity from serious accidents than any lock of the mechanical ~ type in which an accident may prove a disaster, possibly a disaster which would prevent the use of the canal for an entire season of navigation. Since the report of the Board a new route has been found and decided upon for the chain of masonry locks which gives a basin at the head of each lock ample in size to permit the lockage water to be used without materially lowering the water in the basin, thus permitting the use of single locks instead of a double flight of locks, costing much more. The Board having exhaustively considered the subject of lift locks at Cohoes where there is the greatest change of level, stated that at no other points were there as good reasons for adopting mechanical lift locks as at Cohoes and that masonry locks should be adopted throughout the entire canal system. -The economy of masonry locks as compared with mechanical ones of any type increases as the height of the lift to be overcome decreases for the rea- son that a large part of the cost of locks of the latter type is for structures, apparatus and machinery that must _be the same whatever the amplitude of their lift may be. In accordance with the report of the Board, masonry locks have been adopted exclusively for the new Erie, Oswego and Champlain canals under improvement by New York. ; A rather remarkable lock has been proposed for the Etie Canal at Lockport which is receiving consideration. At this place under the adopted plans for the new canal there will be a fall of 50 ft. and the original plans called for a double tier of two locks each with 25'ft. lift. The new proposition is to use instead a_ single masonery lock of 50 ft. lift with the regular horizontal dimensions of all other locks. The upper gates for this lock would be the same as for ordinary locks, but the lower gates would be entirely different. The head room under the fixed bridges of the canals will be 16 ft.; therefore the movable part of the lower gate need only be in height -- 16 ft. plus the depth of the canal, 12 ft., or 28 ft. in all. The upper 34 ft. at the lower end of the lock chamber may be fixed in position of steel of masonry. The gate proposed is a vertical lift gate which can be operated from the top of the fixed wall at the lower end of the lock chamber. When in position the gate would be very near- _ly square and supported on top and bottom and both sides. This lock will cost much less to install than the four locks originally proposed, but it has certain objections in the additional amount of water required for the passage of boats, the time required for lockage, and the difficulty of providng middle gates which render its adopton un- certain. 2 : BOOK REVIEWS. "Practical Planer Kinks," by Carroll Ashley, New York. Hill Publishine Co. 80 pages. 32 illustrations. 5x7% in. Cloth. Supplied by the, Marine Review at $1.00. This book is intended for the use of planer hands, and starts out by describing the machine. A full page illus- tration of the machine is given, the various parts being clearly shown together with their names. A short chap- ter is devoted to the planer hand or operator, and then the equipment of the planer is taken up. The various tools which are used on the machine are illustrated and described together with a number of special tools which come in useful. Devices for fastening the work to the table and methods of holding down intricate pieces are well illustrated. The various adjustments that can be made on the machine are discussed and the methods of planing various classes of work are also discussed. This includes planing cored work, planing all over, grinding on the planer and other operations. Attachments for cir- cular planing, for slotting, for the nvlaning of tool block fixtures and for cutting spiral grooves on the machine are also illustrated. The, book is a valuable one and should be in the possession of every machine shop foreman and planer hand. The first meeting of the executive board of the recently organized Motor Boat Club of America was held recently at the office of the commodore, A. D. Proctor Smith, Broadway and 56th St., New York. The first thing that the club will do will be to select a site for a club building. Following are the officers: A. D. Proctor Smith, commo- . dore; Frederick Sterry, vice commodore; George Gillig, rear commodore; Hugh S. Gambel, secretary; Charles Francis, treasurer; Edward R. Thomas, Howard Gould, Jacob Sigel, H. H. Behse, John J. Amory, and George J. Vestner, board of governors. Mr. W. S. Howard, Yonkers, N. Y., who recently had charge of the motor department of the Gas Engine & Power Co., and Charles L. Seabury & Co., Cons., Morris Heights, N. Y., will enter the marine field with a line of high grade four cycle motors. The contract for the steam yacht designed by Wm. Gardner for Andrew M. Rose of the New York Yacht Club, has been let to the Pusey & Jones Co., Wilmington, Del. The new vessel will be built of steel 160 ft. over all, 130. ft. on the water line, 21 ft. breadth and 9 ft. draught.