FOREST AND STREAM 
289 
Gas Engines and Launches. 
(Continued from page 468.) 
Multi-Cylinder Engines. 
Multi-cylinder engines in the two-cycle type have un- 
til quite recently been constructed by adding successively 
separate cylinders of the number desired. While these 
in a great many cases have given satisfaction, they have 
as a whole been unsatisfactory. The principal trouble 
with these engines being that when operated by one 
vaporizer, they have been inclined to flood in the after- 
cylinders ; that is to say, the gasolene gas being of greater 
specific gravity than air, of course has a tendency to go 
to the lowest point, which of course in the majority of 
boats would be the after-cylinders, as in ninety-nine cases 
out of one hundred the engines are necessarily set on an 
incline; the distance apart -of the separate cylinders also 
tending to condense the vaporized gasolene, flooding the 
bases of the engine, with the consequence that no two of 
the cylinders have a uniform mixture of gas, and in many 
cases the after-cylinders refusing to work at all. In order 
to avoid these difficulties, we notice the multi-cylinder 
engines have separate vaporizers for each cylinder. While 
in theory this is good practice, on the other hand it is al- 
most impossible to obtain the correct regulation of each 
individual cylinder while they are all in operation. In 
the past year there has been placed on the market a num- 
ber of multi-cylinder engines with the cylinders in one 
casting and surrounded by one water-jacket. By this 
means we bring the cylinders very close together, and 
maintain them all at an even temperature, using one 
vaporizer, the connections from it to> the engine being by 
this plan very short and compact, so that we may now be 
said to be entering fairly on an era of successful multi- 
cylinder two-cycle engines. We might add, before closing 
this subject, that we do not consider these engines in 
their very best form adapted to the novice. Owing to 
their high speed, their number of moving parts, it is very 
difficult to detect and locate defects of adjustment or 
troubles of any kind, and determine in which cylinder the 
trouble exists. In the four-cycle multi-cylinder engine 
we have an entirely different proposition, and especially 
in the double cylinder we find this type very successful. 
Of course the double cylinder four-cycle engine produces 
the same results and only has the same number of move- 
ments as in the single cylinder two-cycle, therefore a four- 
cycle four-cylinder is equivalent to a two-cylinder two- 
cycle engine. One of the principal troubles of the multi- 
cylinder engine has been the ignition, as of course they 
are very hard on generators and batteries. It is the uni- 
versal practice now to use a separate generator or battery 
for each cylinder. Before taking up the subject of diffi- 
culties, we will take up the subject of oils, wire, gaso- 
lene, and batteries. 
Batteries, 
The forms of batteries now universally employed are 
the dry and the wet battery; in both the dry and wet bat- 
teries the elements employed are zinc and carbon and a 
solution of salts of different forms. In the dry battery 
the case or envelope is of zinc, forming one of the ele- 
ments. Into this is inserted a slab or carbon, the battery 
is then filled with a damp solution of salmoniac; this fill- 
ing is of many different materials, being saturated with 
the salts. The battery is then hermetically sealed and 
ready for business. Should the battery dry out, it will 
become inactive. Of course they can be recharged to a 
certain extent by boring a hole in them through the top 
and adding sufficient water for redamping. This, how- 
ever, is not successful, as the batteries are so' cheap it is 
hardly worth the trouble. The dry batteries are made in 
a number of different sizes; No. 2, that is the next to the 
smallest size, is the one usually employed for marine 
work. While on this subject it would be well to ex- 
plain that the voltage of all different size dry batteries is 
the same, about i 1 /? volts, but the amperage increases 
with the size of the cell. If you will look up in any elec- 
trical work, you will find a definition of voltage and am- 
perage expressed in such terms that you will probably not 
understand it. I will therefore endeavor to make the 
subject clear to you. By taking the flow of water 
through a pipe and the electric current passing through 
a wire as a synonym, the volume of water which will pass 
through a given pipe representing the amperage, the force 
of the water passing through the pipe the voltage. 
Wet batteries employed on gas engine work are now 
universally what are called the Edison-Leland. This is 
what is known as a closed circuit battery. We believe 
that the Edison Company have a patent of some descrip- 
tion on this form of battery, but as we have seen the 
battery and used it many years before the advent of the 
Edison-Leland, we would therefore assume that the 
patents are on the manufacturers' design, or amalgamation 
of certain of the elements. In this battery we have the 
usual carbon and zinc element in a solution of caustic 
soda or potash called electro-sodium. In order to prevent 
the evaporation and slopping over, it is customary to 
place about half an ounce of paraffine oil on top of the 
solution. This makes a very powerful battery, but it is 
too bulky for very small boats, and is expensive to start 
with and maintain. 
The best method in using batteries is to employ a 
double set, say each set to contain six batteries, being 
connected to the engine through a double throw switch, 
using one set for half an hour, and then charging on to 
the other set. This will always keep the batteries up to 
about their full capacity, and one set is regaining its lost 
vitality while the other is in use. Great care should be 
exercised in wiring up the battery to see that all connec- 
tions remain firm, as a loose connection will cause all 
kinds of trouble. The latest and best method of con- 
necting batteries together is by means of copper ribbon 
with holes punched out in the end for the binding-post 
connection. A very good plan hr using dry batteries is to 
dip them, after being assembled, in melted paraffine wax ; 
in fact, a great many are put up immersed solid in wax; 
but of course as the wax surrounding the batteries has to 
be poured in hot, it tends to over-heat them, and conse- 
quently dry them out; therefore we think the dipping 
process is much better. In using any kind of battery, 
care should be taken to keep it dry. In small boats with- 
out any cabin, by far the better plan is to have the bat- 
teries in a neat box with a suitable handle, so that it can 
be removed and put in a dry place. Of course with the 
wet batteries this is not possible. The wiring necessary 
to connect the batteries with the engine should be made 
with wire of ample size and thoroughly insulated, and if 
any joints are made, they should be either soldered or 
thoroughly covered with wiring tape. All exposed ter- 
minals should be kept bright, and where a terminal is 
made by twisting the wire into a ring, it is a good plan 
to flatten the ring by pounding it and give the binding- 
post a better hold. Also at all terminals the wire should 
be wound into a corkscrew or coil so that new terminals 
can be cut without shortening the wire, and these coils 
also tend to prevent the terminals from jarring loose. 
In wiring up batteries in connection with a magnet or 
dynamo, care should be taken that the batteries are abso- 
lutely cut out when the generator is working, otherwise 
the generator will throw back on the batteries and pro- 
duce a short circuit, which will soon use up the batteries. 
Boston Letter. 
Boston, Sept. 26. — There is probably no yacht club in 
the country which takes a greater interest in the racing 
of yachts of 30ft. waterline and under than the Boston 
Y. C. Each year it establishes championships for the 
Y. R. A. of Massachusetts classes and, this year, two 
handicap classes were added to the championship list 
of the club. Cups for the winners of the championships 
were offered by Commodore B. P. Cheney. They were 
won by the 30-footer Chewink IV., the 22-footer Clotho, 
the 18-footer Hayseed, the 15-footer Vera II., the 25- 
footer Jingo, in the first handicap class, and the 21- 
footer Scapegoat in the second handicap class. Nine 
races were held in all, "and in figuring the champion- 
ships, it is assumed that a yacht shall have started in 
at least six of the nine races scheduled. The races of 
the club were so arranged that there was no conflict 
with races scheduled by any other club. In fact, the 
Boston Y. C. has in every way aided smaller clubs of 
the Y. R. A. in bringing the boats to their races and by 
giving up dates. A notable incident of this was the 
splitting of the mid-summer series of open races to en- 
able the Quincy Y. C. to hold an open race when the 
tide was right and when the yachts were held together 
in the vicinity. 
The work of Chewink IV. was much the same as in . 
the Y. R. A. series. She won steadily from the start. 
In two of the races, however, Sauquoit was disabled 
when she held good positions. The work of Clotho, in 
the 22ft. class and Hayseed, in the 18ft. class, was 
notable for steadiness. The championships of both 
these boats is undoubtedly due to the fact that they 
were always near the top, even if they did not finish 
first. The closest work was between the 15-footers, 
Vera II. and Tabasco, Jr., with Vera II. showing up a 
little the better. Jingo, in the first handicap class, was 
the only yacht in any class to sail all nine races. Scape- 
goat, in the second handicap class, had little difficulty 
in winning the championship. Both Jingo and Scape- 
goat were designed by Crowninshield. The following 
table of percentages is published through courtesy of 
Mr. Foster Hooper, Secretary of the Regatta Com- 
mittee: 
30ft. Class. 
Starts. Per Cent. 
Sauquoit, T. K. Lothrop, Jr. 
Clotho, Cheney & Lanning. 
22ft. Class. 
Medric, H. H. White. 
Hayseed, H. L. Bowden. 
18ft. Class. 
Mirage II., J. W. Olmstead. 
Dorchen, A. W. Finlay 
Bonito, G. H. Wightman 
*Otter, A. D. Irving 
Aladdin, George P. Keith 
Privateer II., Alden & Carleton. 
15ft. Class. 
change slightly the percentage of both yachts. 
First Handicap Class. 
Second Handicap Class. 
....8 
79.1 
56.2 
53.6 
85.0 
. 7 
63.5 
60.5 
56.6 
38.6 
9.4 
93.5 
77.0 
67.3 
64.7 
63.7 
53.5 
53.4 
47.3 
39.7 
37.1 
35.4 
35.2 
31.7 
27.8 
26.6 
23.3 
9.0 
7.1 
6.2 
3.3 
83.3 
78.1 
19.4 
16.6 
4.1 
The 
same may 
90.0 
60.0 
. 4 
32.2 
26.9 
26.6 
18.0 
• 16.6 
15.0 
1 
11.1 
1 
8.3 
. 2 
5.5 
, 1 
4.1 
1 
2.7. 
7 
83.8 
4 
53.5 
3 
34.9 
3 
34.8 
4 
26.6 
3 
26.1 
1 
16.6 
1 
13.3 
1 
11.1 
2 
10.7 
1 
8.3 
1 
5.5 
1 
4.7 
1 
2.7 
classes, as it has during the previous two seasons. In 
giving this series of races the Regatta Committee con- 
sulted with the Boston Y. C. and the Corinthian Y. C., 
and with the Y. R. A. of Massachusetts, in regard to 
the selection of dates, to the satisfaction of all racing men. 
For the special open races classes were provided for 
Classes L, E. Y. C, and Y. R. A. 22-footers. Cups in 
each class were offered by Commodore Laurence Minot. 
At the end of the series Dorel and Wasaka were tied 
in Class L. In the sail-off, on Saturday, Sept. 24, Dorel 
won out. She is a 30-foter, and was designed by 
Crowninshield in 1900. In the 22ft. class Peri II. won 
the Commodore's cup with three firsts out of five starts. 
She was designed by Messrs. Burgess & Packard. Bat 
took the Commodore's cup in the 18ft. class with three 
firsts out of five starts. I am indebted to Mr. Louis 
M. Clark, Secretary of the Regatta Committee, for the 
following table: 
OO o 
Although the Eastern Y. C. had considerable of a 
contract on its hands to get the larger classes of rac- 
ing yachts together, and it also had considerable work 
in connection with its series of power boat races, it 
still found time to give a series of races for smaller 
>> bo 60 bo ~ to o u 
*Dorel 1 .. 1 2 3 2 1 0 
*VVasaka 1 2 .. 3 1 4 2 1 1 
Chewink IV d 3 1 2 3 5 1 2 2 
Sauquoit 2 5 2 6 5 5 0 2 0 
Meemer 43444001 
Khalifa 3 1 0 0 1 
Chewink II. 4 .. .. 1 0 0 0 
Halcyon 5 .. 1 0 0 0 
Class E — 22-footers. 
*Peri II d 6 3 1 1 5 2 0 2 
Opitsah V 1 2 .. 4 2 4 1 2 0 
Medric 1 4 2 4 4 1 1 0 
Clotho 2 5 2 .. .. 3 0 2 0 
Urchin 4 1 3 3 4 1 0 2 
Setsu 3 1 0 0 1 
Tayac 8 10 0 0 
Warrior :. * 7 .. .. .. 1 0 0 0 
Class 1 — 18ft. Knockabouts. 
*Bat 1 1 5 2 1 5 3 1 0 
Arrow 3 3 1 1 3 5 2 0 3 
Hayseed 2 3 .. 2 3 0 2 1 
Boo Hoo 2 4 .. 3 4 4 0 1 1 
Aladdin 10 12 2 .. .. 3 0 1 0 
Dorchen 8 1 0 0 0 
Arbeka II d 5 .. .. 5 3 0 0 0 
Benito 7 6 10 .. .. 3 0 0 0 
Moslem II 7 7 w .. 3 0 0 0 
Otter 9 9 6 .. 6 4 0 0 0 
Mirage II 6 10 2 0 0 0 
Aspmquid II. 5 11 2 0 0 0 
Privateer II 4 13 9 .. 8 4 0 0 0 
Hugi w 12 .. .. 2 0 0 0 
Fudge w w .. 4 .. 3 0 0 0 
fitter 8 1 0 0 0 
Miladi-II 4 .. .. 1 0 0 0 
papier 8 .... 1 0 0 0 
Menace .. 11 .. .. 10 0 0 
Moslem 1 14 .. 7 2 0 0 0 
'Wins commodore's cup. d, disqualified, w, withdrawn. 
In the Corinthian Y. C, of Marblehead, two cham- 
pionships were awarded. Medric, a Burgess & Packard 
creation, took the championship in the 22ft. class, and 
Bat scored her second championship in the 18ft. knock- 
about class. The Corinthian Y. C. had a most suc- 
cessful season, having a total of 533 entries in all races. 
I am indebted to Mr. Herbert S. Goodwin, Chairman 
of the Regatta Committee, for the following table: 
22ft. Class. 
Medric 850 Athlon 233 
Pen II 755 'Clotho 200 
Opitsah V 513 Tayac 147 
Setsu 480 • 
18ft. Class. 
Bat 836 Hugi 434 
Arrow 73s Arbeka II. 427 
Boo Hoo 702 Otter .292 
|>dge 696 Fritter ..................... .147 
Moslem II 614 Moslem I 089 
Hayseed 55s Humbug .017 
Privateer II 462 
John B. Killeen. 
Shelbufne Y* C. 
The past season has been a most successful one for the 
Shelburne Y. C. The work on the new club house is 
progressing favorably. The annual regatta was a particu- 
larly attractive affair, as there was a good list of starters, 
and the boats were favored with plenty of wind, making 
the racing interesting. 
We publish herewith a resume of the racing: 
Shelburne Cup, open to members of any recognized 
yacht club, to become the property of a winner three con- 
secutive years; won by Menotah, Chester Club, Captain 
Samuel J. Allan. Fishermen's race, first class, open to 
fishermen's boats over 26ft. waterline; first prize, Captain 
Job Nickerson; second prize, Captain Ira Stephens. 
Second class, open to fishermen's boats under 26ft. water- 
line; first prize, Captain Judah Crowell; second prize, 
Captain Clifford Atwood. Shelburne Home Cup, open to 
yachts not exceeding 28ft., won by Commodore Hervey's 
Sounquois. 
Commodore Hervey gave a dinner party to the officers 
of the steamers, the officers of club and the captains of 
the yachts that competed for the Shelburne Cup. 
Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas, who was unable to 
be present, sent the twm-screw cruiser Indefatigable Cap- 
tain William J. Grogan, to stay at Shelburne during the 
regatta. The Dominion Protective Service steamer Cur- 
lew, was on hand. Captain Pratt, her commander, not 
only took the judges and members of the club and their 
families on board his steamer and followed the yachts 
around the course in each race, but himself acted as one 
of the judges. 
A series of aquatic sports, consisting of log poling 
log rolling, single rowboat race, double rowboat race' 
climbing greased pole, and a tug-of-war on floats in the 
water, have been added to the club's programme. 
Dwxbuty Y. C. 
Duxbury, Mass. — Saturday, Sept. 24. 
In a club race of the Duxbury Y. C, for 18ft. knock- 
abouts, sailed on Saturday, Sept. 24, Domino and 
Miladi II. collided at the first mark. Domino's mast 
was carried away and a number of planks were stove in 
on Miladi II. Commodore C. C. Clapp, owner of 
Domino, sustained a broken leg. Again won the race 
by nearly 3m. The summary: 
Again, William Facy ?iR S ™" 
Kittawake, H. M. Jones .1 10 00 
Aspinquid II., E. C. Vinal...... . 1 ™ ,2 
Domino, C. C. Clapp • ••••••• •••^. 13 ,f 
Miladi II., P. Ford............. *"'"' Disabled. 
Menace, H. Hunt ^^V^ji^S^ 
