136 NOTES ON UFE-SAVING APPLIANCES. 



ties of the boat impaired by this test. The circumstance of the test was that 

 the Kilpatrick was Hsted 5 degrees which at the moment of test was added to 

 by at least 3 degrees, making a total of 8 degrees, by a squall which had come 

 up coupled with a driving rain and a wind of about 30 miles an hour ; the ship 

 was not rolling and the Lundin boat was on the weather side ; the weight of 

 the boat was 3,259 pounds. 



Later two Lundin boats were made into a pontoon, shown in Plate 65. 

 The pontoon was of the simplest construction, requiring no nailing, and only 

 four bolts to hold it in place; this provided a platform of 575 square feet, 

 floating 2 feet 3 inches from the surface of the water. When loaded with 91 

 persons, the value of such a platform for discharging stores or taking them in, 

 landing troops with their horses, as a staging to bring boats up to, will be 

 apparent to all military men. 



This pontoon was towed by a launch with great ease and maneuvered 

 readily by four men sculling. 



A lifeboat of the IngersoU type was thrown from the deck of the Kil- 

 patrick into the water. She struck bow on, almost disappeared, righted 

 herself and was self -bailed, clear of water in 14 seconds. The only damage 

 done was a little denting of the bow when she went over the side. This boat 

 was fitted with square holes for bailers, which passed directly through the 

 deck, and also the plating, with no obstruction whatsoever. It came on to 

 blow and this boat could not be made fast to the falls, so she was towed astern, 

 and with these open scuppers the effect was very much that of a system of 

 miniature geysers. I understand that later boats of this construction are 

 provided with means to prevent this. 



The very interesting, practical and convincing test, which showed the 

 disadvantage of the pin-type davit, was as follows. 



The Kilpatrick was listed 6 degrees, a pin-type davit fitted with a special 

 handling device was tried, and the following time was noted : — 



Weight of boat 2,250 pounds; 6 men in the boat; 7 men at the cranks. 

 Under these conditions the boat could not be swung out. The men were 

 taken out, and the 7 men heaving at the cranks were hardly able to get the 

 boat outboard in 5 minutes 10 seconds. Later, with 7 men in the boat and 

 an extra effort of the 7 men, the boat was got out in 8 minutes 2 seconds, 

 but the men at the crank had to be "spelled. " 



Under the same condition of list the quadrant type of davit showed : — 



Weight of boat 3,259 pounds; 1 1 men in the boat; one man at each crank; 

 I minute and 40 seconds. 



With a round-bar davit and the ship on an" even keel the time required 

 was as follows: — 



