Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-25
NEW ELECTRIC BOAT
STARTS FOR FLORIDA
Novel Craft, Which the Inventor
Believes Will Revolutionizc
Marine Propulsion.

TIE onlv two electrically propelled
boats in existence which were moored to
the Wilmington Municipal wharf on Fri
day night and on Saturday morning,
noecd their way through the waters OF the
Christiaun river and into Delaware bay
en- route to Miami, Florida, later in the
day. They are the property Of William
= T.Donnelly Of IL Battery Place, New YORK
City. inventor of this type of marine trans
por,ation, who expects that power propui-
sion will soon be extensively used Tor
commercial purposes on inland waterways.
The boats which visited Wilmington
are equipped for yachting purposes, but at
the same time demonstrate the CONNER
cinl possibilities of the idea. One OF them,
the New Era, is primarily built Tor
home afioat, and has galley with an zoe
chest, a water supply under air pressure
and cooking facilities by electricity or
alcohol. The after cabin is very comfort
able with davenport, which can be made
into bed at night, and other conve-
nienoes The Dawn is constructed similarly
but contains a 80 horsepower gasoline
engine. driving 40-kilowatt generator,
which supplies the power for both boats,
the electricity for the New Era being sup
the Dawn was built first, the object
being to study all the functions of electric
power rs applied to marine propulsion.
Later il was used as an S. p. boat during
the war The New Era is constructed
purely for yachting and demonstrating
uses, with the power plant entirely elimi-
mated. 1t hss, however, an electric motor
for propulsion, of 20 horsepower, placed
below the floor of the forward cabin. This
leaves the New Era free of all machinery,
noise or grease, and passengers riding in 1t
are conscious of only the slightest vibra-
ton IN its action.
Perhaps the most remarkable feature
about the New Era is that it is Of the
non-sinkable type. This was accomplished
by placing the floor of the cabin SIX inches
above the waterline, and then hihnE
m all vacant space below with Balsa wood
The Dawn carries a wireless receiving
station, capable of taking messages from
grest distances, and t power TO transmit
radio messages $50 miles, and comoinaI
,ion telephone system, which will carry
100 miles.
The type Of cargo barge to which 1t is
the design of Nh. Donnelly to apply electric
propulsion will carry about 200 tons OF
cargo and Is Of such dimensions "a to he
driven AZ approximately five miles an
hour by IS horsepower, the amount
which will be available from tho power
boat Dawn. The only question which
seems to be open regarding this method
of marine transportation Is the one of
feuble electric conductor, connecting the
vessels. In this connection, with more than
one boat In tow, all the power must be
transmitted by stress between the tow
boat and the FIRST vessel of the tow, then
the full stress for the remaining part OF the
tow through the next connecting line,
and so on to the end Of the tow.
The Dawn and the New Era proceed in
tandem formation, with the latter in the
lssd On his present pleasure cruise,
Mr.. Donnelly is accompanied by his wife,
bis son, Norman. and his daughter, Miss
Helen Donnelly. The party left New York
over week ago and visited New Bruno
w1ak, Kingston, Trenton, Philadelphia
and Chester on the way down. They viii
stop at various points on the way TO Flori-
days, arriving there about Christmas
time, and do not szpec; to be back in New
York until next May