>6 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 13, 1890. 



faceting. 



. "West India Hurricanes and, the Gh'cat March Blizzard:' By 

 Everett Hoyden, U. 8. Hydrographic Office. Large quarto, with $8 

 KtRgtff apliic plates. Price $1. Contains full history of the great 

 storm of March, 1888, with. practical information how to Itandle a 

 vessel in a cyclone; use of oil at sea, etc. 



AN AUXILIARY NAPHTHA CRUISER. 



THE subject of small cruising launches is one that has proved 

 very popular with a number of our readers, and we have 

 already illustrated several of tliese small craft propelled bv steam. 

 The ordinary steam launch is open to several serious objections 

 for cruising purposes; the small amount of space for crew and 

 stores and its bad disposition enforced by the needs of the 

 engineer's department; the bulk and inconvience of coal as a fuel; 

 and the heat and smoke from the center of the boat. The advan- 

 tages which the. naphtha launch possesses in all of these respects, 

 and which have made it so popular for ordinary day use as an 

 open launch, fit it still more for the purposes of "the cruiser, and 

 during the la«t season in particular the makers of these craft, the 

 Gas Engine & Power Co., have turned out a number of cabin 

 launches more or less completely fitted for living on board and 

 cruising, of all sizes, from 50ft. downward. 



The most interesting of this novel neat is the auxiliary launch 

 Etcetera, whose arrangement i« shown in the accompanying 

 drawings. The owner of the Etcetera is Mr. L. Q. Jones, of 

 Hartford, Conn,; an old and well kuown canoeist who has cruised 

 about the Sound, the Connecticut, the St. Lawrence and the 

 Hudson in canoes and small cralt of nil sorts, besides winning 

 renown as a skillful canoe racer. Mr. Jones' first experience with 

 the naphtha launch began some three vears since, when th« boats 

 were far less perfect than to-day; the craft, an 18ft. open launch, 

 being used on the Connecticut Elver, mainly as a tender to the 

 .fleet of the Hartford Canoe Club, of which he was then commo- 

 dore. Though some gnod canoeists were at first prone to scoff at 

 ■such a departure from the true faith, they were soon won over 

 after they found how convenient it was to have a line thrown 

 .them from the launch when the ever tricky river breeze lift 

 them with a strong down current several miles from home. The 

 .little craft cruised up and down the river and along the Sound 

 between New York and Watch Hill, until her owner became 

 proficient both in handling her in rough water and in the 

 .management of the machinery. Her successful performance led 

 .to the conception of the present larger and much superior cruising 

 craft, and last spung an order was placed with the Gas Engine 

 & Power Co., f >r a launch 30ft. over all, 27ft. l.w.l., <fr. 6in. in 

 beam and about 2ft. 8m. draft, with complete cabin house. 



The trull was built of white oak frame, the ribs bent, oak 

 garboards and white cedar planking, all copper-fastened, and 

 white pine deck. The engine is of 6H.P., with a 50 gallon tank 

 for naphi ha in the bow. The wheel is two-bladed. The yawl rig is 

 used, a small jib on a running bowsprit and mainsail and mizen 

 with h^gh peaxs, the masts being as low as possible to minimize 

 weight and windage. Mansfield's hollow spars are used. 



His long experience, iu canoe cruising has taught Mr. .Tones the 

 value of each inch of space in a small cralt, and there is little 

 waste room m the Etcetera. The forwaid deck is 7tt. 6in. long, 

 the cabin is Hit. long, the cockpit 5fr., the engine and boiler space 

 4ft. 9m. Abaft the bow tank U a closet across the boat; the cabin, 

 which is very neatly and completely furnished, has two good 

 berths with an upright locker at the foot of each for croekerv, 

 linen etc. In the wings are other lackers for clothes etc., one 

 being fitted specially for guns and ammunition, as the boat is 

 largely used tor hunting trips. In the cockpit are four lockers 

 for ice, stove and cooking utensils etc, and one for tools and 

 supplies for the engine, 'the head-room in the cabin is 4ft. 6ir. 

 The cockpit is covered by an awning which protects the engineer 

 in all weathers. The tiller is very ingeniously arranged to save 

 room, the rudder lines are connected to a vertical lever or tiller, 

 the lower end of which is pivoted to the keel, and which works 

 thwartship just abaft rne bulkhead between tne engine space and 

 cockpit. It is always within reach of the hand, the motion is 

 strong and simple, and at times, when under sail, the foot is also 

 usnd for steering. 



The little yacnt is complete and self-contained for a crm'se of 

 indefinite length, depending on the shore only for fresh piovisions 

 and an occasioi al supply of naphtha. The tank holds 50 gallons, 

 good for about 420 miles run under wheel alone or considerably 

 more under canvas and easy steam, wiLhout falling back on sail 

 alone, as is sometimes done. In smooth water and with no strong 

 winds she has run 100 miles in 13 hours. The cookintr is done 

 under co.yer in the cockpit, the cabin makes up very comfortBble 

 berths lor two, and is always comfortable m bad wiathcr. The 

 yacht, has cruised a great deal about, tbe Sound during the past 

 summer, being well-kuown in every port from Lirchmont 1o 

 Shelter Island. Just now siie is on her way to Florida for some 

 winter cruising, and we give a nrief abstract, of her log from 

 Portsmouth. Va., to Savannah, S. C. 



Owing to the chances of ice in the canal in November she was 

 shipped by steamer to Portsmouth, where her owner, with Mr. 

 W. B. Davidson, of Hartford, another canoeist, joined her, and 

 after laying in stores and preparing for the voj aue, the Etcetera 

 started on Nov. 2, first steaming over to the Navy Yard and 

 Visiting the famous old receiving ship Franklin, where her crew 

 were pleasantly entertained by the captain and officers, had a 

 good look at the vessel, bade adieu to all hands, and ttien started 

 off in good shape for a long cruise. She made a good run to the 

 first lock of the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, stopping about 

 three miles from the lock at the mmiaLure house, owned bv Mr. 

 Stewart, a genuine specimen of the hard-working, nospi table "oid 

 resident." His quarters are not large, but the welcome given to 

 visitors exceeds the proportions of his domicile. A courtesy that 

 was duly appreciated was the offer of the use of his cooking stove, 

 where, without formality, a sumptuous repast a la Delmnnico, 

 with variations, was given us. 



An early start was made next morning in a pelting rain storm, 

 and about f o'clock m the afternoon tbe yacht reached the mouth 

 of the North Lauding River; a computation of the distance run 

 being hard to make, as the channel, like the Virginia rail fence, 

 has a will of us own, and stretches where it pleases. The wi»d 

 suddenly shitted from S.E. to N.W., raining just as bard and 

 - blowing half a gale; made a lie for the night at the mouth of 

 Northwest River, and turned in witn an easy conscience and in 

 expectation of aa uninterrupted sleep. This programme, how- 

 ever, was disturbed oy one of the party. Spot, a line setter, who 

 had something to say unfamiliar with the characteristics of the 

 Southern gentleman of color, especially during a snooze under 

 an awning on a dark night, the dog endeavored to make a meal 

 off of our steward, aud pinched him badly. This made enough 

 excitement on board to enliven the situation, and both Spot and 

 Scott kept faithful vigil over the ship and each other until ciav- 

 iight. 



Next day's run, Nov. 4, took the Efcetera as far as Coinjok, a 

 small town situa ted on a hraucn of the canal, where we picked 

 up a native, who was acquainted with Currituck Sound. Ho 

 piloted us to the gun clubs— the Currituck, Palmer Island and 

 Marrows Island. Lying a few rods from the Currituck Club 

 house, on the ocean bide, was a fine three-masted schooner 

 stranded mgh and dry in a recent storm, with a cargo of 80,000ft. 

 of Southern lumber, which was sold at auction jusi after ttie Et- 

 ceteras arrival, vessel and carffo bringing §350— a speculation to 

 be represented by a very large ?. when the cost aud delay of get- 

 ting the cargo out and sent to market are considered. 



Next day a rapid run was made from the Narrows, which 

 divide Currituck Sound, to Roanoke Sound, touching at Manteo, 

 on Roanoke Island. Manteo is not a city, nor yet a village, hut 

 it has some fine specimens of the genuine native. The killing of 

 a cow is an event in Manteo, and this event happened when the 

 Etcetera arrived there. The question of laying m supplies was 

 sooii disposed of by securing some steaks from the region of the 

 tail of the animal, as the better portions had been secured by 

 the natives. The carving had to be done by the master of the 

 yacht, as the owner of the animal said he was "no butcher." The 

 implement used in the transaction would have answered well for 

 the sword of a Roman gladiator, one side being supplied with 

 teeth to be used as a saw. 



Leaving Manteo at 9 P. M., under the guidance of Mr. Robert 

 Westeott, the only native in the run of 150miles who knew where 

 to find the Harbor Island Gun Club, where it was expected to 

 meet friends; a run across Pamlico Sound in the moonlight and 

 under a sky which would have made the fortune of an artist bad 

 he been able to picture it, brought the yacht by morning to Ocra- 

 eope Inlet. While entering the narrow channel the Etcetera 

 grounded lightly on a two-foot shoal, and was immediately 

 pounced upon by beach combers. These industrious and piratical 

 gentlemen were received with the dignity proper to the occasion, 

 and their offers of expensive assistance respectfully hut firmly 

 declined. On learning from them that Lieutenant Winslow of the 

 Coast Survey was in Washington, a letter of introduction to him 

 was kanded to his beach-combing representatives, and the ship's 



AUXILIARY NAPHTHA LAUNCH "ETCETERA," 



