New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-30
WAL DE MER
HAS NO CHANCE
TN MOTOR BOAT
Show at Grand Central
Palace Puts SeaSiCk-
ness in Its Place.
BY FRED HAWTHORNE.


OHcially It was the opening Of the
twelfth annual motor boat show. held
under the auspices Of the National As
ISOLATION OF Engine and Boat Mann
'ac,urers. on the main and mezzaninc
floors Of the Grand Central Palace. but
the feature that held most interest for
us was the new cure Of sonsickness.
Those who have writhcd IN the pangs
81 thgt illness that comes upon one
when tossing upon an angry and heart
Iess ocean, far from land. will also De
chiefly interested IN tins proposition.
SO it is worth mentioning right at tho
start. Some persons like % disguise
scasickness by using fancy names for
It. Ike NAL de mer, but it's just as bao
that way and doesn't help any.
Dee new cure for the dread disease
IS not a pill nor liquid: neither is
70 taken internally or externally. It's
just turned on"-it's ryroscopic. if
You know what that means.
Wandering IN through the main en-
trance 20 tho Palace, with boats bls
and small all around. 1t was quite by
accident taat We came upon the cure.
Above the heads of the crowd was a
tai steel mast. with n red light stuck
on its top. The mast was swaying
about in most alarming manner.
threatening 20 tip over at any moment.
hut all Of sudden il ceased its
drunken antics and only trembied
slightly.
4 young man was explaining TO those
who TANNED their way abou, the booth
chat the Soqpry eyroscopic stabilizer.
ttted 90 any boat, would prevent that
horrible pitching and tossing that is at
the bottom o. all seasickness.
"Do YOU know the reason you get
sCpsickt' asked the demonstrator.
smiling in pitying sort Of manner at
his audience. Some one was about 20
reply that any Ounce knew i was be-
cause man was turned upside down,
while his liver was doing the loop-the-
loop around his other internal organs,
but before he could get his answer out
tle yOurc man interrupted
"It's because your stomach Is ont Of
synchror he said. and then started
u demon tra-e why the Sperry ma
crime does away with all that. In the
booth was the model Of the m'd-section
o q boat. port holes, brass deck railing,
mas, and all. 4 machine attached 20
tha floor Of the building caused this
part of The b0atS anatomy 90 rock NiO-
.ontly in sicAcuingly realistic man
ncr.
We suppose il was the unfortunate
crafts stomach that had been used Tor
The demonstration; az any rate. after
watching 10 Tor several minutes some OF
those gathered about the booth began
20 hang on 10 the brass railing and get
pale ~ the face.
Just when IL looked as Il something
was going TO happen 90 the audience
- n a Il
three absUrdly small horoscopes began
Go buzz and whirl on the boats deck.
Almost instantly the terrific rocking
motion subsidized. and was succeeded Dy
gentle, harmless vibration, as II the
beat had been suddenly transported
from the raging Atlantic 70 the Hudson
River off 143d Street.
1t was all accomplished by the little
Sperry gyroscopic stablllzer. The audi
ence heaved a sigh OF relief and every
body's stomach seemed to have been
synchronized and at peace. i don't
know who this guy Sperry IS" said
man to his friend, but any man VINO
can stop seasicknoss IS my idea OF the
kind of fellow 20 vote Tor as freSi-
dent"
Feeling prepared, after this, to travel
on the most biilOwy of seas, we wan
dered over 10 where a big black 6O-foot
cruiser was on the ways. She loomed
up like the Mauretau.a, and steady
crowd Of motor boat fans walked up
the side ladder 20 her deck and exam
ined her inside and out. II did not
matter TO nine out of ten that the sell
ing price OF the cruiser was $4,000.
Every man cooked his eye over her
graceful lines as though he were going
to put his hand in his pocket and buy
her then and there.
Every luxury imaginable goes with
This IS auch craft. oven to d Telephone.
and she is seaworthy enough to travel
,hc -evcn -e.s- fitted with e. fo-
soopic stabilizer. -.
Then there is "jitney" boat-a. 1T
tie, fiat bottomed craft drawing only
few inches Of water and selling for a
ji.ney price. The speed maniac gloet,-
ed over Z hydro put out by the l. Il.
Harris Company, Of this city, that skips
over the waves at forty miles an hour
An eight-cylinder motor is the driving
power. and fho whole thing looks Ike
a freak automobile.