The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-08-06
Trial Trip OF the Life Preserving Raft
NOnparcil. F

the trial trip Of the Nonpare life preserving raft took
place yesterday. At eleven O'Clock IN the morning q
small but select party embarked oD the steamer Relief,
belonging to the Now York Coast wreckng Company at
the foot Of Surrey street. Jersey City and proceeded
down the bay to Long Branch, n j., off which place at
quarter past o'clock in the afternoon, she hove 70
for the purpose Of experimenting on the merits Of the
ram, which was Immediately inflated with air and
launched upon h>water Some sixteen or twenty then
got on board WI headed for the beach, distant
about half mile from the stopping place. No sooner
had showed from the Relief than the guests stopping
Long Branch thronged the beach in hundreds TO wit.
ness the approach Of such odd looking apparatus
Gracefully and gently she ncared the shore, riding the
and surf ske thing Of iife." SO plIabIe and
easy the unduisons OF the raft upon the water that
VIC nken Il 10 nothing for and pleasure which
we have experepced In boating The raft having
been safely beached and the passengers landed we were
flooded with questions as To-" What II mcsu :" "what
&c As soon Is informed OF the nature cf de raft a.
life saving apparatus each and every OF those who
bad Witnessed our easy and rapid approach TO shore
highly complimentary 70 the inventor. After short
stay shore again showed off, and in equal and
safety reached the Relief h0sted the noble little raft
board and getting under weigh reached the city Ave
M we'll satisfied that the invention In par excellence
life preserving raft and highly deserving Of the patron
Admiral Gregory former trial Of this ra't declared
that vessel should leave port before being pre-
vded with this Of safety Mr. Edward l. Perry,
Of New York, is the inventor Of the Eonparel
The following is description Of the TIT is COM
posed Of three alright cylinders made Of India rubber
eutta pcrcha These cylinders each oncased IN an
other OF heavy duck connected by duck anchers
On the raft Ave auts running crosswise which act
for the double purpose Of seat and as siretcher to
keep the cylinders apart The lashed either
end, which keeps tAew in place. Each cylinder con
tans when filed sixty nine cubic feet OF air or two hun
dred and In the three entire, which Is capable Of
sustaining eieht thousand pounds weight Eighty per-
sons have been carried at one time on this raft
This admirable invention can be inflated by means OF
three bellows, with India rubber hose which are At
tachcd In the short space OF ten minutes weighs but
six hundred pounds when full. When aaoat II draws
only three inches OF water and is propelled by means oi
six oars Sails also can be used. Should one
cylinder fail there two others OF sufficient buoysncy
to support the weight placed upon IT, This invention
admirably adapted TO ponoonng also, ow ms TO s lgh
weight One mule can carry two Of these RATS with
ease whereas requires two 10 draw one ordinary pom
toon boat For whaling purposes 10 also admirable, 81
II cannot be stove in and TO sink Is an impcss biIity
without outing the cylinder The cylinders are laced
outside; case Of shrinking they can be made tau'
In the pockets between the cylinders elk oars are KEEP
|. for the purpose Of propeing the raft
Among the gentlemen present we're the General soper
ntenAent OF the New York Wrecking Company Captain
Merret OF the Board Of Underwriters; Lieutenant Com
mander Cy United States Navy; Warren Lazcli son
Messrs J. r. T. Dean Compton; also Mt Young an
John Lome, OF Brooklyn.