138 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



2. Structure of the Floats. 



Reference to Plates XVI and XVII will give an idea of the manner 

 in which a float is constructed. In brief, it is a skeleton raft with 

 two alleyways running the length of the float, one on either side, for 

 the supporting barrels. Occupying the center is a row of open pools, 

 12 feet 6 inches square, in which the rearing bags are placed. Run- 

 ning the length of the float, and crossing the center of each pool, is a 

 beam which furnishes support for the shafting and gears. At each 

 corner of the pool and projecting into the water is a 4 x 4 post, 5 

 feet long, extending 4 feet below the surface of the water. Each of 

 these has a hole gouged out in the lower end, through which a rope is 

 passed and spliced, so that one end hangs free. The bottom frame 

 of the lobster bag is fastened to these free ends, and thus the bag 

 may be lowered and raised by the ropes. Two of these floats are 

 employed, one on each side of the houseboat. 



3. Engine and Gearing. 



The engine used for transmitting power to the paddles of the 

 rearing bags is located on the houseboat. By means of shafts and 

 gears the power is transmitted from the houseboat to the five paddles 

 on each of the two floats and to the three paddles in the well of the 

 houseboat. The gasohne engine is a Fairbanks-Morse of the vertical 

 type, two and one-half horse power. That this engine is fully 

 capable of doing the work required of it, or even more, is shown by 

 the fact that, though it has been in use for three years, yet, during 

 the past season, it ran day and night for seventy days without a 

 breakdown. It is further to be remembered that the constant 

 bending of the floats by the motion of the water makes necessary 

 the transmission of more power than is necessary for the mere turning 

 of the paddles. In addition to this, the gears are protected in no 

 way from the weather. Under all these conditions, however, there 

 was ample power in the engine to provide for all emergencies. 



