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occasion in the navy in service, where the steamer was obliged to burn wood after the coal was exhausted, and under conditions where if it had been a gasoline boat it would have been impossible to get the gasoline. This 'is a= point in' favor of the steamer and an objection to the gaso- line boat. occurs ashore, and it was only the other day that I was cruising in an automobile, when it was found that the gasoline supply was exhausted, and we were 25 miles from a gasoline tank--probably bad management--but it illustrates the point that I make. With the experience in having gaso- line aboard submarine boats, I believe that the service would feel that the risk is very small with gasoline car- ried as suggested by che author and without interfering with the uses of trimming tanks. The almost universal adoption . of gasoline engines in boats from the capes. of Virginia to Nova. Scotia would indicate that this power is ac- cepted as a means of saving time and labor, and anything that will accom- _ plish this end in the fleet will directly, or indirectly, add to the efficiency of the fleet where a battleship isa su- perb example "of. mechanical power and calls for the application of time and labor saving devices. It will be acknowledged that almost unaccountable and serious accidents have occurred with the use of gaso- line and, like many high explosives, conditions arise in the most uwunac- countable way 'that produce explo- sions, so that I think it is perfectly natural that naval officers, who cruise in vessels and have the responsibility for the safety of those vessels, should require that they be well convinced of the element of safety. : With the necessity of reducing the number of boats carried by a fighting ship to the minimum for service con- ditions, gasoline presents the great ad- vantage of decreasing the weight in boats thereby increasing the carrying capacity. The absence the of flame from smoke pipe of a gasoline boat is a strong argument for its use in picket boats, if naval constructors can pre- sent a design that will compare favor- ably with the present service steamer in seagoing qualities. should possess high speed, be noise- less and invisible, and should be able . to start and back instantly. The picket boat must have good sea or weather qualities, and if a design can be pre- sented to meet these conditions with a gasoline motor, it would be ideal. This condition frequently - The picket boat. 'TRAE Marine. REVIEW The author says: "The develop- ment of the explosive gasoline engine has not reached the stage when it is evident that this engine is applicable to the ghee: powers. necessary for -larger vessels," so "that. "We-gane con- fined, as. far.was the peaks ig con- cerned, to the » small ; i aboard. ship. i If we adopt the "gatotines aboard the man-o'-war, .it will 'engine be necessary to have aboard -each ship one steamer for: the: reasons «that I have mentioned -above, for It amay be - necessary to use a boat witere Jit is impossible to get gasoline. we I am 'familiar with the designs of gasoline boats that have been furnished . the navy, and these designs are not sat- isfactory; they. are too. light, and with boat is racked ee pieces. "and" "they do not possess.the seagoing qualities to meet the conditions of "our service. The*-sea "tests «given 'these' boats in Hampton Roads (I was present-during these tests) amount to but very little compared with the tests in actual ser- vice that our present steam launches have successfully passed through.' Re- 'cently in the Rio De La Plata, dur- ing. a pampero and on the north coast of Santo Domingo, during a norther, I was obliged to cruise with a service steamer under. sea condi- tions that compelled several. for- eign men-o'-war that were present to keep their boats at the davits, and. un- der such conditions it is not. speed that is necessary, but the design. Very frequently are stéamers called upon to meet such conditions, and. "will: be in a fleet of battleships, : patticularly in time of war'on the 20 fathom 'curve. _ With the. present developmént of the gasoline engine it could be' applied to great advantage to life boats that will probably always be' carried on a'man- o'-war, For instance, I think the two- cycle motof installed in a life' boat would add tremendously to_its effici- ency, .-Im -tiiis case. the noise of the exhaust would be of great benefit in encouraging the man overboard, as he would _know that relief was coming, -and the boat could be more easily located at night and in thick weather froma ship; it' would also obviate the frequent. long delays in getting the Oars out and getting. away from the ship, and, would: expose fewer men to the danger of being lost in-service. Again, a speedy motor boat, such as the Dart for instance, should be at- tached to each vessel to perform the divisional guard boat duty. This guard boat service is very important in fleet, and in my opinion, deplora- 31 bly inefficient, but this could be reme- died by the use of a boat similar to the. Dart. . To conclude, I am of the opinion that Naval Constructor Adams is cor- rect in his ideas of the advantages to be gained by the use of gasoline motor boats,. and. I believe that as soon as the naval:-constructors will: present a design of motor. boat that will meet service conditions it will have the hearty: support of eras naval of- oe. * Capt: John. Hubbard, Liited: States navy: Mr. Adams has so fully covered the subject of his paper as to leave few, if any, new points to be brought out. I agree substantially with all that he says, .and, disclaiming any expert knowledge of the.subject of motors, shall confine my remarks to the ques- tion. of the desirability or the neces- sity of changing from the present type of power boats supplied to the vessels. of the navy. There is no doubt in my mind as to the necessity of equipping our battle- ships with powen boats that shall com- bine in the highest degree practicable the following qualities: (a) Largest dimensions stowage Jimits, | (by, The. 'greatest carrying | 'capacity consistent" 'vith the limits of dimen- sions, . "(C) The. maximum towing efficiency consistent. with, carrying corey and efficient speed.~- (d) Proper. Siahility. ane Sec els undet® all conditions of load, and such dryness as 'possible. -- (e) Good structural anda fair de- gree at 'local » strength--sufficient to stand the, rough usage incident to: un- trained and clumsy handling. It is my belief that these qualities can be combined to a much higher degree | in a gasoline motor boat than with-a steam- installation. There can 'be no objection. to .carrying gasoline during time of peace, and in time of war there would probably be with the fleet, on the only occasion when a power boat of any kind could be required, one or more fleet auxiliaries which could furnish gasoline as needed, if not considered advisable to carry a. small amount in each ship in the forward trimming tanks, as the writer suggests, or, better I think, in the double bot- toms outside of engine spaces. The only possible objection that I can see that can be fairly raised against' the gasoline motor boat is that of difficulty in operating, and within 'this I believe to be 'largely a question of good material in the first place, sup- plemented by proper care and intelli-