THE Committee of Management of the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION have now for many years had the problem before their mind of the suc- cessful employment of a motor in a Life-boat, so as to assist by mechanical means, and thus relieve some of the tremendous work entailed by getting a Life-boat to a wreck against wind and sea; and, with this idea before them, they have carefully watched the gradual development of the modern motor until, from a more or less unreliable and often capricious machine, it has developed into the present form as we know it, with nearly all its previous faults eliminated, and ready for use either ashore or afloat.

Thinking that the time for actual experiment in this direction had now come, they consulted with the Institution's Consulting Naval Archi- tect (Mr. G. L. WATSON) last autumn as to the best and most suitable form in which such experiments should be conducted, and it was decided that an old Life-boat should be selected and fitted up with some form of motor, so that various experiments in all sorts of weathers could be conducted, and there- by valuable experience—obtainable in no other way—gained.

The general scheme on which the motor should be installed in this Life- boat, together with its necessary details, were entrusted to Captain E. DO BOULAY, of Messrs. Thellusson & Co., who has had a good deal of experience in fitting up motors as auxiliary power to sailing-boats and yachts, and the preliminaries having been settled, the actual work was commenced at Mr.

Guy's yard at Cowes, Isle of Wight, early in the spring of the current year.

The problem of the successful use of a motor in a Life-boat presents certain difficulties which are not met with in other boats, as the whole of the uses and customs of Life-boat work always have differed, and always will differ, materially from those obtaining under other conditions. Thus, to begin with, the motor must be so boxed up inside a' perfectly water-tight case that its working will be quite unaffected by the water breaking on board in bad weather.

This case cannot be actually air-tight, because motors require a certain amount VOL. XIX.—No. 213.—LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL.

248 THE LIFE-BOAT.

[IsT AUGUST, 1904.

of air each minute for breathing, so to speak, just as in the case of living creatures, so that the pipe leading this air into the case must be guarded against any influx of water, and more- over, the air must be dried and heated before it is fit for the motor to use.

The motor itself must be as completely automatic as possible, because, when once started, the engineer would not be able to give any minute or'careful attention to it, especially on a cold, dark night with a heavy sea running. For the same reason the lubrication must be entirely automatic, the usual sight drip- feeds employed being quite useless.

In all machinery there are always parts that will, from time to time, require a certain amount of manipu- lation, and for Life-boat work these must be so lengthened and extended, where necessary, that they can be handled by the engineer from outside the case, and moreover, the handles must be made of different shapes, so as to be easily distinguishable from each other in the dark. That portion of the machinery where the necessary mixture of vapour and air is made, generally called the carburetter, must be of such design that the engine will not fail to work when the boat is standing more or less on end, or when heavily listed over by a sea or the pressure of the sails. Again, should the Life-boat be capsized, if a self-righting boat, she must not lose her self-righting qualities owing to the weight and position of the machinery; but it is imperative that some arrangement should be added whereby the motor should be automatic- ally stopped, otherwise the boat, when righted again, would go away from the crew, who would be in the water and might be damaged by the revolving propeller.

Another point that must not be over- looked is that should the motor fail to work either from damage or any other cause, the rowing and sailing qualities of the Life-boat must be interfered with as little as possible, and the motor selected must be of the simplest con- struction and working, so that it may be handled by persons who may not be skilled mechanics, and especially must it be always ready to start at any time, either winter or summer, even after long periods of rest and idleness.

The foregoing and many other problems were among those that had to be solved, and a perusal of the actual tests that the experimental Life- boat has recently gone through will show that both the selection of the motor and the system of its installation have been happy ones.

The Life-boat selected for experiment was an old one formerly stationed at Folkestone, measuring 38 ft. long by 8 ft. beam, pulling 12 oars double- banked, and of the usual self-righting type, rigged with jib, fore-lug and mizzen. After she had been hauled up in Mr. Guy's yard, where some of the air-cases under the deck amidships were taken out, a strong mahogany case measuring 4 ft. long by 3 ft. wide, and as high as the gunwales, lined with sheet copper so as to be watertight, with a closely-fitting lid which could be easily removed on shore, was fitted in place, and the whole of the vital parts of the machinery, comprising a 2-cylinder | motor of 10 HP., together with all the necessary pumps, carburetter, electric equipment, &c., were fitted inside this case. The engine drives a three-bladed propeller through a long shaft with a disconnecting clutch between, so that for starting the engine or stopping temporarily the screw can be dis- connected from the engine.

The petrol which serves as fuel for the engine is carried in a metal tank stored away inside the forward " end " box, where it is beyond any possibility of accidental damage. Sufficient fuel for a continuous run of over ten hours is carried. The engine is started by a handle fitted on the fore side of the case, which can be worked by two men.

IST AUGUST, 1904.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

249 The position and size of the engine case is such that only two oars are interfered with, but it does not follow that the propelling power of the two displaced men is entirely lost, because they can double-bank some of the other oars when necessary.

Fitted thus, the Life-boat was tested in all sorts of weafcher during the month of April, and it was found that she could be driven fairly well against a sea by means of the motor alone ; but when it was used to assist the sails, the true use of the motor as an auxiliary became apparent, and the boat would work to windward in a way previously unobtainable. Neither the heeling effect of the sails, nor the pitching or rolling in a seaway, in any weather then obtain- able, interfered at all with the proper working or starting of the motor, which worked steadily and well throughout.

Having been through these preliminary tests, Commander ST. VINCENT NEPKAN, R.N., the Chief Inspector of Life-boats, together with Mr. Barnett, representing Mr. G. L. Watson, who was unfortu- nately prevented from attending owing to ill-health, and several members of the Committee of Management then visited the Solent, and put the Life-boat through the following severe tests and trials :— (1.) Running on the measured mile, with full crew and all stores on board, she developed a speed of just over six knots. Her mean draft in these conditions was practically the same as when she was an ordinary Life-boat, with her ere wand gear in her and her water-ballast tanks filled.

(2.) With the equivalent weights of thirteen men lashed on the thwarts, and with all the equip- ment on board, she was cap- sized by a crane no less than four times, but never failed to self-right, even with her sails set and sheets made fast.

(3.) During the capsizing, the motor, which had been previously started, was automatically stopped directly the boat reached a position just beyond that of " on her beam ends." (4.) After the capsizing the motor started again at the second turn of the starting handle and worked well.

The above tests, which are probably the most severe that a motor has ever been subjected to, would seem to show clearly, that by the addition of compa- ratively very little weight (probably about a ton) to a Life-boat, a combina- tion can be obtained which seems likely to prove of the greatest value in assist- ing either oars or sails in reaching a wreck, especially should the casualty be dead to windward. It is also in- teresting to note that, in the case of self-righting boats, the motor can be introduced without interfering with the self-righting qualities.

For Life-boats kept afloat or 011 slip- ways, there is good reason, to hope that the introduction of the motor will be of the greatest benefit. With regard to boats launched from carriages from open beaches, lighter motors will be required ; but such Life-boats are ex- ceedingly liable to be thrown back when attempting to launch, and get heavily pounded on the beach; this and the additional risk of having the propeller damaged, would indicate that in the matter of motors, as in most other things, the Life-boat Institution must learn to walk before it can run.

Encouraged by the success of these tests, the Committee decided to further test the Life-boat by placing her ready for service at Newhaven, Sussex, during the coming autumn and winter, where it is earnestly hoped that she will con- tinue to do as well as she has hitherto done. At any rate, very valuable information will be gained by these further tests, which cannot fail to be of use in deciding on the future position the motor is to occupy in the splendid fleet of Life-boats round our coast.

2SO THE LIFE-BOAT.

[IST AUGUST, 1904.

LIFE-BOAT SATURDAY FUND.

THE " better times " which everybody [ has been looking and longing for, still, it would seem, delay their coming, with the result that workers for charitable and philanthropic objects have been and are experiencing untold difficulties in " raising the wind," and in securing an adequate return for the unstinted labour and push which they have been, and are still, putting into their generous and self-denying efforts. The army of Life-boat Saturday workers throughout the country have not fared better than other labourers for the public good, but they are certainly to be congratulated on their pertinacity of purpose and their steady determination to overcome diffi- culty and to secure their object even in the face of discouragement, and, at times, comparative failure. It is very gratifying to find however that in many directions, notwithstanding ad- verse circumstances, the appeals of the Life-boat Saturday Committees and Ladies' Auxiliaries for help for the great life-saving work carried on by the ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION are not being made in vain ; and there are signs that at the end of the year a jubilant key may yet be struck at the final outcome of the year's work. Our advice to our Life-boat Saturday friends, therefore, is to look forward and not back, and not by any means to be dis- couraged by apparent failure. The cause is excellent—none better—and well - organised effort, directed and impelled by a contagious enthusiasm well-leavened with zeal, is sure to succeed, even if the results are not quite as good as desired.

. The Ladies' Auxiliaries are never daunted. They are ever on the alert, seeking for new methods for obtaining financial support, which when adopted generally produce a good response.

With this end in view, a second repre- sentative Conference of Ladies—the first being held at Stafford House last year—was convened in London, on the 7th June, at the mansion of Lady ESTHER SMITH, whose husband, the Hon. W. F. D.

SMITH, M.P., has for several years been a member of the Committee of Manage- ment of the Life-boat Institution. The Conference was attended by the Presi- dents and other leading officials of the Ladies' Auxiliaries throughout the United Kingdom, and there is no doubt whatever that the meeting was very encouraging and helpful. The keynote seemed to suggest perseverance and continued activity, summed up in the following historic lines :— "Go on, go on, go on, go on, Go en, go on, go on; Go on, go on, go on, go on, Go on, go on, go on." It will be remembered that some years back the West End of London Ladies' Auxiliary of the Saturday Fund promoted and carried out an entertain- ment at Stafford House which has probably never been equalled in success by any charitable movement. This year they turned their efforts in another direction, and arranged, thanks to the invaluable help of Lady MAUD WAEEENDER, for a great Life-boat Concert at the Queen's Hall, which was held on the 8th June, the day following the Conference. The concert was under the immediate patronage of their Majesties the KING and QUEEN, as well as that of the PRINCE and PRINCESS OF WALES, who very graciously honoured the performance by their august presence, being accompanied by T.R.H. the DUKE and DUCHESS OP CONNAUGHT, Prince ARTHUR OP CON- IST AUGUST, 1904.] THE LIFE-BOAT.

251 NAUGHT, the Princesses MARGARET and j home and abroad. The concert could PATRICIA OF CONNAUGHT, and Prince not fail to be most successful, graced CHRISTIAN. The programme was a as it was by the attendance of all the magnificent one, being provided by leaders of London society and fashion, the gratuitous services of the leading The advertisement alone was a splendid musical artistes of the day from at i one for the object..