After the first World War liquor smuggling became 

 very active on the coasts of the United States and 

 many fast motorboats were built for this illegal busi- 

 ness. These boats were often 50 to 125 feet long; 

 long, low straight-sheered boats capable of high speed 

 and fitted with high-speed gasoline engines of great 

 power. Some large boats were double-enders and 

 of moderate speed; these brought cargoes to offshore 

 rendezvous where they were met by fast "runners" 

 which attempted to land the cargoes clandestinely. 

 Liquor smuggling became highly organized during 

 the 1920's and in this respect resembled the organized 

 smuggling in Britain at the end of the 18th century. 



Engineering and Design 



In the period directly after the Civil War the mari- 

 time interests of the United States had reached a low 

 ebb, yet a great deal of ingenuity was being shown in 

 marine engineering and shipbuilding. In the 1870's 

 Americans were experimenting with cycloidal pro- 

 pulsion and geared propeller shafting; quick-steaming 

 and "flash" boilers and high-speed reciprocating 

 engines were produced. Many patents were granted 

 to American inventors for improvements in marine 

 engineering and for deck equipment. 



The introduction of gasoline engines into marine 

 propulsion occurred in the last quarter of the 19th 

 century. There is evidence that the earliest applica- 

 tion of the gasoline engine in the marine field was at 

 San Francisco, California, where Daniel Regan and 

 Mora Barrett began to build and sell marine gasoline 



engines sometime in the 1 880's. These were small 

 engines. In the 1890"s a large number of experi- 

 menters were at work developing gasoline and kerosene 

 engines and by 1906 a large number of practical 

 engines were on the market. 



During the first two decades of the 20th century 

 gasoline and kerosene engines gradually replaced 

 steam in small commercial craft. These motors 

 were particularly suited for auxiliary power in 

 schooners, fishing and coasting. As increased power 

 became available, these engines were employed in 

 other small craft. 



The use of oil engines in American commercial 

 craft developed most lapidly after the introduction 

 of the diesel engine. At the present time practically 

 all small commercial craft, ferries, tugs, small coastal 

 tankers, excursion boats, and small freighters, as 

 well as most fishing craft above launch size, are now 

 diesel powered. However, large diesel-powered ships 

 are less popular in the American merchant marine 

 than abroad and relatively few such vessels have 

 been built in this country. 



The development of the geared-turbine propeller 

 drive and the introduction of oil-burning boilers 

 early in the 20th century were perhaps the most im- 

 portant improvements before the first World War. 

 The American merchant marine was not in a state 

 to play much part in the development of these until 

 during the first World War, when the American 

 merchant marine was quickly expanded. Since that 

 time the use of reciprocating engines has almost 

 ceased in large American vessels, though in the 



ifti 



Rigged Model (U.SNM 203712) 

 made in the National Museum 

 about 1900, to represent the popu- 

 lar concept of the appearance ol 

 the first steamboat Fitch tried out 

 on the Delaware River, in July 

 1786. [Smithsonian photo 2Syj6-k.) 



120 



