The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-11-08
NEWTYPE OF L|FEBOAT
Power Craft That Refuses to
Stay Upside Down.
RIGHTS AND Balls ITSELF.

Engine Stops When the Vessel 10 Up
set-shuttered Holes In Bottom Let
h Water Out, but Permit None to
Come In.
Those who saw the tests of o. II.
Ingersolrs self righting and self bail
ing power boat at Governors island,
New York, the other afternoon almost
were persuaded to believe being ship
wrecked would be a pleasure. Though
the craft is large enough to carry fifty
persons, after it was turned keel up by
means of a derrick on board the steam
boat General Johnston, 1t righted itself
In five seconds inc bailed itself in
twenty-seven econds Moreover, its
gasoline engine stopped automatically
when the boat was keel up. The test
was made after the boat made a trip
against the tide from Bayonne. Then
1t was sent darling around the island.
displaying speed and ability to turn
quickly.
An army officer who saw the test
said being In such a boat when 1t up
set would De no more dangerous than
taking n path. There is no danger of
the provisions and water casks being
lost verboar when the boat turns
over. for they are In water tight com
partments. The twenty-five horsepow-
er motor is In a water tight Enclosure
I'm the stern. The gasoline tank for the
motor is I'm the bow. 1t will hold
twenty-five gallons and a larger tank
in the bottom of the boat seventy-ive,
the total being sufficient to keep the
boat going for twenty-five hours.
The craft is of steel. SO there is no
danger from fire. Between the deck
and keel Is IA series of horizontal air
tight tubes in four water tight com
partments. SD that the boa might be
rammed and broken at any point with
out seriously affecting it's ability to
keep afoat. There are eight holes
through the bottom, each with a pecul-
iarly constructed shutter, which per
mits water which may be taken aboard
to run out. but one TO run in.
One of the features which make 1t
available for life saving pos Is
Its weight. The builders of other boats
who attempted to accomplish the same
thing made them So heavy they could
not be taken on board a ship. Inger-
soils boat is 30 feet I inches long, Z
feet q inches wide and 8 feet 8 inches
deep. 1t weighs only $500 pounds.
Small boats launched from a vessel In
a storm are often smashed or sunk by
overcrowding. 1t makes no difference
how the Ingersoll o Is launched. be
cause Ii rights itself anyway. 1t will
sustain three times the weight of all
the persons who could crowd into IL
and hang on the g~unwaIes.
IngersolI's boats, built on the same
model. have been used by the quarter
masters department of the army sew
eral years. The new feature recently
demonstrated was equipping one with
power. There was no difficulty about
putting a motor In this style Of boat.
nor was 1t difficult to store the gaso-
line where il could not become ignited
and explode. The problem was To have
the engine stop automatically when
the boat was overturned. If it did not
stop and the passengers were thrown
into the water the craft would leave
them in its wake after 1t had righted
itself. Moreover. the rapidly revolving
propeller might cut persons struggling
In the water to get on board after the
upset. The easiest way to overcome
the difficulty was to let the water on to
the engine. but that would put 1t out of
commission until Ii could he cleaned
and repaired. In the type tested the
other day Ingersoll solved the problem.
The test was conducted under the
supervision of Major Richard Soho
field of the quartermaster's depart
ment. aided by Captain William ii.
Williams, marine expert. With him
were Lieutenant Colonel A. Cronkhit.
an expert I'm the artillery corps. and
Colonel L. w. Littell and Captain +. a.
Grant OF the quartermaster's depart
ment. They were pleased with the
work Of the boat and congratulated
the inventor. who ives in Wilmington.
- York Press.