The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-27
Moron Bo4rs oNs4RTAIN,
Ioephoies In q saIution OF the dead fsAdl
Problem Down In the Islands.

~ - w nN ~
Problem Down IN the Islands.
Mighty pretty things. for sure, wasths
judgmatio remark OF a man on the visE
tors deck Of a Gravesend Bay clubhouse.
Go some. too.
listen to those boats purring away
out yonder and you might think all Ake
problems Of navigation had been solved.
But just you wait. ] say. Maybe you
won't have to wait very long at that,
When your cat stops purrfng you know
generally what TO expect. The detaile
are different every time, but you know
that something's going to happen. Like
wise it does. Motor boats too.
The fnt 60 i had with that system at
propulsion is so long g that you might
think l sailed in feet formation With
Admiral Noah. Come TO think Of ftcir
detail and to reckon up the Calendar Is
was only fifteen pears ago. =
Il had a cutter down in the islands.
handy sort OF little tub. but she went
nowhere when the wind didn't .haRpcr
to he blowing. and in the trade wind
regions that happened along just sbout
shutdown most every night. In soue
paper or other ! read an advertisemc6t
Of a kerosene engine just then put on the
market for the solution Of the dead tat
calm problem. Fine. says I. l bulk
headed of an engine room in the holder
the cutter, bored q hole for the shaft.5eef
thrust block and tail block accordingtto
diagram and keyed the screw o She
certainly was a beautiful little steamhoat
all right while l had her up on the beach,
aCl- .-AA ,,..k ~. -NNl xBhAAAI ~ AMk
down in/the sad sea way es. j unscrewed
the dingus markedA inserted the donicker
marked X. and ! gave her her first drink
OF Pratt's Astral: Then / hunted around
until / found the hole C marked Ignite
here Well. / ignited. Then / turned her
over. sSf
1T was fine. She picked up headvxy
all right and before you could ssy Jecx
Robinson she was just soooting. 1swtfig
around to the wharf and tool aboard III
our most representative citizens, Will
that deckload We measured up ak knots
In harbor and a good Eve when I took her
outside through the reef. II there bad
been any money on the beach I could hsvo
taken orders for six kerosene engines iuet
like her, but I held out for cash with
orders and that stopped dead. .-.,e-s5st
But when / had lone the showing OF
stunt. when 1t was time fer this kerosene
thing TO buckle down to the white mana
burden OF cruising for trade In those seae,
well, just about that time the trouble
began. What that engine didn't do TO mo
is omitted from all the standard tent
books on trouble. igz az
sH I was bowling along under canyea
add she'd behave like a llt,le saint In 4
painted glass window. But u. IL vssoa
head wind to buck Il was o different soyt-
OF story. She'd cough, shed groan, she
wouldn't spin that propellor fast enough
tn make q splash In the water. 70 any
nothing Of laying ont q wake. And1ynn
never knew at any given momenf Whet&Aer
she was going 10 turn over.
Her best trick was 70 take me along
into tho middle Of some narrow paS3
through the reefs. In q dead calm andpA
heavy sea, and then she'd die on me and
wait for me to sac down on some snskc-
fair. She wouldn't develop any horse
power when 1t was In the line Of business,
but no matter how much she'd been out
ting up ehe was always ready to do. an
exhibition stunt for fun md to astont1h
tho natives, running like q clook.eAal m
to sell her. An old shellback on the beach
wanted to cruise down to another group
and he thought shed be just the craft
for him. 30 I sold him the craft asishe
stood and all apparel. got my money
back and O little more. ~ ~
But I told him I couldn't guarantee
the motive power. He didn't wants
guarantee, he'd seen her run and, fhat
was enough for him. ut
About three months later he onr1e
bnck by steamer and / stood by for sgnAlls,
all the more because he hadn't brouxht
back thai kerosene cruiser. rsscI95A
did any OF those angry squalls larlfe
when we metz Nary sqnali. He was
the most contented mariner You evee
sag, Down In the other group he'd sod
out Tor double what he'd paid me.
Finest type OF motor he'd ever, seen,
When he got ready to start he Just ienlted
her and she went. Positively that 1aa
all he knew about the engine. WHARF
do you light. the darned thingf' was bis
only question to me and never aiblessod
thing more. 14sl5
.She begun to 60 all right and shs kBpt
going, she went for the whole voyare
OF seventeen days, she went twentyl1o1r
hours a day-mhvbee the differencptof
longitude look a few minutes or eycry
day..and she didn't cut up any didoea
at all. e N1AN1
After that experience In ieps ycusosn't
chanrQ nv onintnus rvofor hoafn u<>n Er.s&