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New Passenger Service to Mexican Ports The Gulf Mail Steamship Co., which was recently awarded a 10-year mail contract between New Orleans and Progreso, Mexico, will establish pas- senger service between these two points. The mail contract was awarded on April 8 and service will begin on June 1. The Munson line was the only other competitive bid- der. The contract was based on $1.18 per nautical mile per trip for the 10-knot ships and $3.73. per mile per trip for the 11-knot ships. The company plans to place two oil-burning, 3000-ton ships in service between the two ports in June, with a speed of 11 knots, and in three years will place 13-knot ships in op- eration. American ships will be used exclusively. This will mean building new vessels specially designed to be suitable for this particular service. First class passenger service will be maintained and the company ex- pects to develop a substantial tourist business because of the interest re- cently created in the ruins of the ancient Maya Indian civilization. Deputy Inspector General for Steamboat Service John Dudley, Clarendon, Va., was recently appointed deputy supervising inspector general of the steamboat inspection service. Mr. Dudley is a graduate of North Columbia, Colum- bian and Georgetown Universities, is a member of the bar of Virginia and the District of Columbia, and is well known in legal and governmental cir- cles in Washington. He was formerly associated with the United States food administration and Grain Corp. Order Fireboat for City of New York NEW fire boat, capable of A throwing 16,000 gallons of water per minute and constructed en- tirely of non-inflammable materials, will be built for New York city as a result of a grant by the board of estimate and apportionment recently authorizing Fire Commissioner John J. Dorman to advertise for bids from shipbuilders. The craft, to be con- structed at a cost of approximately $320,000, will be the first boat built for the city in which no wood is to be used in the superstructure or hull. Designs of the new boat as _ sub- mitted by Henry J. Gielow, Inc., naval architect specify that the craft shall be 130 feet long with a beam of 26 feet and a draft of 7% feet. The water, to be pumped through two intakes on either side of the ves- sel, can be forced at a pressure of 150 pounds, through one nozzle on the main deck forward, two hose mani- folds amidships, twelve 3%-inch hose outlets, two deck nozzles atop the wheel house and three more in the fighting-top astern. In addition, the boat will carry 4000 pounds of fire foam, a chemical preparation for com- bating oil and gasoline fires, and, it will carry 4000 feet of rubber hose on three reels. Power will be supplied by five main gasoline engines of 548 horsepower each driving generators which will develop a total of 2740 horsepower. The electric current so generated is used to drive two electric motors of 1165 horsepower each. These electric motors will drive the twin screws pro- pelling the craft at a speed of 18 miles an hour. It is specified that the engines shall be quickly reversible and that they shall have dual control for operation from either the engine room or the pilot house. Non-Explosive Gasoline Tanks Specifications of the engines are flexible enough so that competition will be permitted among Sterling, Winton or motor manufacturers of equal qualifications, according to Fire Commissioner Dorman. Gasoline consumption of the mo- tors is estimated at 50 gallons per hour per engine or a total of 250 gallons for the battery of five power units. The fuel will be in two tanks, one forward and one aft, the pair having a capacity of 6050 gallons. The tanks will be of a non-explosive type, protected by an aqua system with no air space above the gasoline level. In addition the tanks will have baffle plates to resist or check the swashing of the fuel and the containers will be guarded by encasements, which, in turn will be protected by a carbon dioxide fire fighting system. A special arrangement of reversible fans aboard the craft will enable suction of fresh air into the crew’s quarters or forcing of air out of the interior so that fire and smoke will not be drawn into the boat. Other features will be steam heat aboard generated by fuel oil burning boilers, lighting supplied by connections at the docks, and magnetic clutches between the engines and pumps so that the same power units can be used for propelling the craft and forcing the water through the nozzles. The boat will also be equipped with wireless telephone and telegraph and a receiving and sending set to keep in constant communication with the municipal broadcasting station WNYC. DRAWING OF FIREBOAT TO BE BUILT FOR NEW YORK CITY. AFTER DESIGNS BY HENRY J. GIELOW INC. MARINE REVIEW—May, 1929 81