The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-11

George F. Walsh in Harper's Weekly.
 HE modern motorboat has with
 (V in six years become factor of
 first importance in our pleasures on the water and while in France the designers have been more interested in racing types, the builders of motorboats in this country have taken the lead in developing the practical and commercial side of the industry. In Italy and Eng land special activity has been shown in utilizing the internal combustion engine, for developing speedy types of torpedo boats. The motor torpedo boat built by Yarrows in 1906 reached speed of 25.5 knots, but benzine, rather than gasoline was used as the fuel. Prior to that, however, in 1905, American designers built for the Russian navy ten motor torpedo boats larger than the Narrow model, but Iii ht enough to ship by train and steam CT. Their speed was approximately 20 knots, but they were very seaworthy, one of them making the voyage under it's own power rom New York to the Black Sea.
 The development of the motorboat has influenced the naval budget of every first class power in recent years, and its evo- lution is watched with keen interest by naval officers of both continents. The Daimler company has built a number Of petrol and benzne motor torpedo boats for the German navy and torpedo armed auxiliary boats have figured extensively in the Italian naval plans. All of these different types have for their ultimate object great speed, and their evolution marks almost as great a change in naval affairs as the advent of the submarine
 But the Ynited States leads all the countries in the number of firms en- gagged in building motorboats for pleas ure and business purposes. The total output has increased so rapidly in the last few years that a large export trade is being built up, and specially designed models are made for service in foreign waters. The racing type of motorboat figures as a very insignificant factor in the industry in this country, and with one accord the manufacturers seem to be devoting their attention to the develop ment of safe pleasure boats and commer- cial craft for general use. The thousands of small boats ranging from 16 to S5 feet in length, anG costing from s100 to 5000 each, are found in commission in our northern and southern rivers the year round, and the pleasures on the water are enhanced a hundredfold thereby.
 But the adaptation of the motorboat to various novel lines of business is one of the features of the trade which is not so we. known. On our New England coast seaworthy motorbo&ts of the dory type are engaged in fishing, clustering and deep sea trswling. In Florida. along the lakes and rivers of the coast, scores of these craft are engaged in carrying fruits and vegetables from the orchard and farms to the winter hotels and settle ments On the Pacific coast they have added greatly to the value of the salmon fisheries, and on the Great Lakes and in- land water routes the motorboats are ear l.ying on brisk trading with the isolated settlers Farmers along the Mississippi Missour. and Ohio rivers have taken to motorboatng for transporting their pro- ducts to river towns. In the oyster and clamming industry several hundred mo- torhoats are making good profits for ihtAi VNi'i
 In the same manner as the automobile on land has crowded out the horse drawn vehicle in many commercial lines. the mo- torboat has forced the saiIboat and small CT size steam craft from their former oc- cupation. Larger size motorboats for rowing in our rivers and harbors have also appeared along our coast, and the putting steam tugs which have so long been picturesque objects of our busy ports have found their field limited by the appearance of the new chugging craft. From Maine to California. and from Alas ka to Florida. the rapid fire of the chug- ging motor is heard, and there is scarce ly navigable river. canal, oi lake that has not had it's traffic greatly affected by this now born craft. Tn the waters of Alaska the government employs more than dozen incterboats to carry the mails. and in Florida there isJ an equal
 N