The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-05-05
ALCO-v APOR BOAT
New Brand of Launch
Here From New York.
Clarence MacfarIane Has a Trial
Trip With the Julie"-Has
Many Good Points.

Through the kindness Of Mr.. Clar-
ence Macfarlane, a party consisting of
members of the local press and others
was given a run out around the bell
buoy and back in the new alco-vapOr
launch of the gentleman mentioned,
yesterday afternoon. 1t was a thor
oughly enjoyable trip. The Julie" full
filled all that the owner claimed for
her, namely: comfort, speed, free
dom from noise and general neatness
of arrangement. 1t was the first time
the launch had been taken out so far.
Very soon, Macfarlane will take her
to his home at Pearl City. She will
be placed in a safe position near the
residence and whenever a good time
is desired, she will be used about the
lagoon. No doubt other people viii
follow the lead taken by Mr.. Macfar-
lane and purchase boats of the kind
in the near future. Pearl City and
vicinity is just the place for such craft
Mr. Macfarlane has been given the sole
agency for the Islands for the launch.
AS has already been stated in this
paper, the launch was brought here
direct from New York on the ship A.
J. Fuller. Mr. Macfarlane purchased
her himself while he was in New
York and upon one occasion, took
run out into the bay with a party.
He flew the Hawaiian flag but was
soon made to lower this by one of the
officers who patrol the bay, as such a
thing is not allowed.
The Julie has a five horse power
engine and develops a speed of eight
and One-half knots. Ten gallons of
alcohol slowed in tank in the stern
is used expansively for power. 1t has
the advantage over naphtha of expand
ing a greater number of times and at
lower temperature. There is abso-
IuteIy no danger in the use of alcohol
for, unlike naphtha, it combines with
water in all proportions and, should
any be allowed to escape, the fact that
there is always a small quantity OF
water in the bilge, eliminates any like
lihoOd of fire. The fuel used is kerO-
sene, this being slowed in a one hum
dred and fifty gallon tank forward.
This amount of oil will last for AS con-
SecutiYe hours with the launch going
all the while. At the highest, it costs
fifty cents an hour to run the launch.
The fact that both kerosene and al
cohol are used might lead one to be-
lieve that the system is necessarily
complicated but this is not a fact.
The use of alcohol requires but little
attention. When the engine is running,
it flows as alcohol from the retOrt,
the engine as vapOr, through
the cOndensing tubes back to the tank
as alcohol, only to start on it's mis-
sion again and again, thousands of
times, without any perceptible loss.
The blue flame produced in the retOrt
by the aid of kerosene or headlight oil,
Obviates the heretofore Objectionable
OdOr and, at the same time, retains the
valuable feature of using a fuel that
cannot be ignited at the temperature
of the atmosphere. A close fitting cap
just in front of where the vapOr is
generated, does away with the greater
part of the noise and a bulkhead just
forward of the machinery does away
with the remainder.
Here are some of the things claimed
for the alco-vapor launch: 1t is light
er than any other known launch Of
the same horse power; greater speed
per pound weight of engine than any
other known launch; weight of motive
power so small that the launch will
not sink, even though filled with water
to the level of the combing; engine
perfectly automatic in all it's func-
tiOns, thereby requiring no attention
and can be started in from two to five
minutes; when the gauge shows 20
pounds pressure the pressing of the
lever to ahead or astern insures the
starting of the motor without further
aid from the operator; with the in
reversing motion the
launch can be stopped when running
at full speed, within it's length; the
fact Of the engine being in the stern
admits of all space forward being used
for the comfort of passengers. Mr..
Macfarlanes launch will hold about 90
people comfortably. She is all fitted
up with electric lights the power for
which is obtained from a storage bat
terry. The whole thing is as simple as
can be and with a few lessons anyone
can run an alco-vapOr launch