TWO MARINE INSTAI^LATIONS OF PRODUCER GAS. 



By Charles B. Page, Esq., Member. 



[Read at the eighteenth general meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, held in 



New York, November 17 and 18, 1910.] 



I/ast year the members of the Society had the pleasure of Hstening 

 to an article on "The Producer Gas Boat Marenging," by Mr. H. L. Aldrich. 

 The profession as well as vessel owners are deeply indebted to Mr. Aldrich 

 for taking the first step toward what must shortly be a very extended use 

 of producer gas power on shipboard. 



While the Marenging was but forty feet in length and powered with a 

 twenty -five horse-power plant, the practicability of marine producer gas power 

 was amply demonstrated at least for small powers. The next boat to be 

 fitted with producer gas was the auxiliary Geodetic Survey Yacht Carnegie. 

 The power plant consisted of a 150 horse-power anthracite coal producer 

 and a four-cylinder, four-cycle, regular type marine engine adapted to 

 the use of producer gas by enlarged inlet and exhaust valves and passages 

 and increased compression. Both producer and engine were constructed 

 largely of nonmagnetic materials and were especially notable because of 

 this fact. The Carnegie has been in commission since the summer of 1909, 

 has made one round trip across the Atlantic, is now in the southern hemi- 

 sphere, and is expected shortly to go to Australia. 



The next installations of marine gas power, so far as I am informed, 

 were made in the power boats Mary A. Sharp, operating on Chesapeake 

 Bay and tributaries, and the Superior, of Bayfield, Wisconsin. Illustrations 

 will be found on Plates 71 to 75. These two boats are the first commercial 

 craft, certainly of any size, in America to be powered with producer gas. 



Their principal dimensions are as follows : — ■ 



MARY A. SHARP. . ' 



Length over all '. 66 ft. 



Beam 14 ft. 6 in. 



Depth of hold 5 ft. 3 in. 



Producer — 



Diameter of shell 4 ft. 



Height 6 ft. 10 in. 



Engine, three-cylinder 75 B, H. P. 



Bore 9 in. 



!-'■' Stroke ' 12 in. 



