Evening journal., 1915-04-12
NEW Tech, JR.. MAY
RUN Mile A minute
Trial TO be Made on Dela-
ware River Course This
Week
ONLY BOAT
IN HER CLASS

Atlantic City lays claim to having
produced the first mile-a-minute boat.
Whether this fact has been accom-
plished remains for an official trial or
the new Tech, Jr..s which is expected
TO be made this week over the official
mile course on the Delaware river.
The speedster is finished and ready
to be shipped to Wilmington, the home
of her owner, General I. Coleman du-
Pont.
Atlantic City has always been the
centre of hydroplane building in this
territory and has always been in the
lead in this section for attaining real
speed. The advancement in hydroplane
construction this year is not alone
confined to the DUPONT boat. There
are several other boats in course of
construction or being repowered
which are likely to prove surprise
parties during the coming season.
Fred Nathan. the theatrical man. is
having one built which bears the ear
marks of doing speed out of the ordi-
nary. There is to be a new edition Of
the Chelsea family OF hydroplanes
that seeks a mark upward of the sos.
The Sand Burr III may again be
heard from, since II leaked out that
plans TO make her a staple boat and
capable of a near 60-miler were under
consideration.
The new Tech. Jr., is one of the well
known APPEL models and is now await
ing shipment from the APPEL boat shops
at Ventnor. where she was built The
contract under which she was built is
one of the briefest documents ever
written for such an important under
taking The specifications call for
a first-class racing boat of a certain
type, with a guaranteed speed of So
miles an hour. That is about all there
is to IT. A preliminary trial was made
on the thoroughfare. in which the
conditions for running at such a speed
were adverse, but the Doat proved
herself capable to the builder and
! entirely satisfactory to the owner.
who accepted her on tho spot. Not
withstanding this. an official trial is
! to be made over an authorized course
under strict admiralty rules.
Ordinarily the boat may be describ-
/ ed as being 2l feet long, and powered
with two high-speed Sterling motors
Of 240 horsepower. each having eight
| cylinders of 1-2 bore and 6 "a
stroke. Under A. p. b. A. rules. the
engines will rate at 115-horsepower.
Tn general appearance the boat is not
unlike the Jay Dec Ess, owned by
! Commodore J. d. SwOyer. of Chelsea.
! Her remarkable features are In the
] construction OF her underbody To
, give a detailed description of this
would be purely technical, and prac-
tically meaningless TO the average
1 reader. In II are embodied several
new and ingenious features, so con-
structed as TO give great lifting pow
ers, the boat drawing practically no
/ water but as II were lifted. so as to
merely skim on top. The boat weighs
1000 pounds. being 500 pounds heav-
ier than the old Tech, Jr
The frames Of the boat are of white
ash. reinforced with steel plates and
angles. This is done 10 check what
ever vibration there may be and give
the boat strength and durability. The
planking is of mahogany. and the
decking Of venesta. an imported wood
capable Of withstanding the effects OF
heat. dampness and other water and
weather elements. She has a special
" designed propeller having three
blades 90 inch and ~ pitch turning
az 1000 revolutions per minute. Her
engines turn about 100 revolutions.
but the transmission gearing is OF
such as to increase the propeller rev.
olutions by about one-third