FdftE&lv AND StttfeAM. 
tdcT. 2ft 104- 
Gas Engines and Launches. 
(Continued from page S50.J 
BY r. K. GRAIN. 
Gasolene — Continued. 
A very good plan is to solder the connections, although 
if the connections between the batteries are made with 
flat copper ribbon having holes for the binding-posts there 
will be very little trouble from this. Another point some- 
times neglected is the switch. When used around salt 
water it naturally corrodes, and a piece of emery cloth 
should at all times be convenient for brightening the con- 
tact surfaces. Supposing now that the connections are all 
in perfect order, and the spark remains insufficient and 
apparently weak. In this case do not abandon the entire 
set of batteries, as oftentimes there will be but one bat- 
tery in the set which has lost its strength. In this case 
remove the poor cell and the remaining ones will gener- 
ally be sufficient for the time being at least. In order to 
test the quality of the batteries, some kind of an instru- 
ment is necessary, and for this purpose the ordinary 
25-cent bell is very good, as by ringing each bell separately 
it is very easy to determine if any of them are weak. Hav- 
ing disposed of the electrical end of the difficulty, and 
supposing it is all right, the next point is to determine 
whether the vaporizer is in good working order, and 
whether it is getting its gasolene. Being assured that 
there is a good supply of gasolene, the igniter points being 
cleaned, and the spark good, there is only one remaining 
difficulty to look for. This, in a two-cycle engine will be 
the flooding of the crank case with gasolene. The effect 
of this is to create such a rich mixture that it will not 
ignite; the remedy in this case is to open all the cylinder 
cocks, also the cock in the base of the engine ; first, how- 
ever, shutting off the gasolene; then turn the fly-wheel 
around 'rapidly several times ; this will generally clear the 
engine of its overload. Should the engine then fail to 
start, it may be want of compression. This is sometimes 
caused by the cylinder being dry for want of oil. In order 
to obtain quick results, cylinder oil can be poured directly 
in any opening above the piston, and the engine turned 
over several times will allow the oil to work down before 
attempting to start it. It sometimes happens that where 
this remedy is used and the engine starts, it will only 
make a few revolutions and then stop. The cause of this 
is quite often the oil being distributed over the igniting 
point. In this case, although the electrode will show a 
spark on the outside when the points are brought to- 
gether, the flash of the spark inside will be enveloped in 
the oil, and consequently will not ignite. 
We have now exhausted every means that would be 
used by the expert, and if failure is still met with, it 
would be well to draw off through the vaporizer a con- 
siderable quantity of gasolene, as it might be the case 
that the gasolene contained considerable water, which of 
course would settle in or near the vaporizer, this being 
usually the lowest point. This failing, it will be necessary 
to test the gasolene. A very simple way of doing this is 
to put a few drops on the cylinder head and see if it can 
be ignited by wiping the electric wire through it. Of 
course in cold weather the low grades of gasolene gen- 
erally used will oftentimes not vaporize well in starting, 
and it is a good plan to have a small oil can filled with 
gasolene and inject about a teaspoonful into the cylin- 
der. This will assist in getting the initial explosions. 
People tell us that after trying all these remedies they 
have' worn all the skin off their hands, etc., and still the 
engine will not go. Right here let us say to you to never 
do this, as it is a waste of time; for even should the en- 
gine after a lot of violent turning take a notion to go, the 
operator is still in the dark as to the cause of the trouble. 
If, after a reasonable number of revolutions, it refuses to 
go, let the fly-wheel alone. Sit down and go over the 
engine thoroughly, and endeavor to locate the trouble, 
which you have conclusively proved exists. 
Now, coming to the mechanical part of the firing 
mechanism, one of the principal causes of the trouble is in 
the make-and-break sparker— the sticking of the igniter 
lever where it passes through into the cylinder. Quite 
often this is not noticeable to the novice as this rocker 
arm usually has but a very small movement. It will some- 
times set so that it cannot be operated even by hand. 
This is caused either by corrosion or by an accumulation 
of burnt oil. Where the oil is of poor quality, this is very 
liable to occur. The injection of a small quantity of kero- 
sene from the outside' on these parts, not only before, but 
after, using the engine, will as a rule entirely prevent 
this trouble. In most all cases the small lever which is 
fastened to the igniter arm on the outside is_ generally 
secured by a taper pin ; these taper pins will at times work 
loose or be improperly fitted. In this case_ the lever will 
move, but the igniter arm will remain stationary. In at- 
tempting to drive the pin in again, should it be loose, 
always hold a weight under and against the lever; other- 
wise the arm is liable to be sprung, and the pin will not 
drive in firmly. 
Another very common trouble is that either owing to 
wear, want of adjustment, or corrosion, the tripping de- 
vice does not operate, or may operate entirely different 
when worked rapidly than when merely operated slowly 
by hand. Of course the springs, which are a necessary 
evil in all make-and-break sparkers, have been, and always 
will be, a source of trouble, as they are liable to become 
weak, and if too highly tempered will break, and it is 
often the case that where the spring rubs against a mov- 
ing part, the friction will wear it, and of course it then 
either breaks or becomes weak. One difficulty which is 
very easily overlooked, is that owing to the sticking or 
weakness of the spring, the electrode and flipper or rocker 
arm do not come firmly into contact before the separation, 
consequently the circuit is not perfect. The addition of 
an auxiliary spring held in position by hand will generally 
prove this, and we strongly advise in all cases that extra 
springs should be carried, and these springs should be 
carefully protected by grease or vaseline until wanted. 
Piano wire undoubtedly makes the best springs, but of 
course is liable to, and will, deteriorate very fast when 
rusty; and, being a very highly polished wire of fine 
quality, it is very prone to rust. Phosphor bronze is also 
employed for springs, and although rust-proof, lacks the 
resilience and quick action of the piano wire. It has been 
the aim of the manufacturers to design their sparking 
mechanism so that the duration of the contact or closing 
of the circuit would be as short as possible, in order to 
avoid wear on the batteries ; but as most leading engines 
are now designed, it is possible to adjust so that the 
duration of contact is too short. The effect of this is to 
give the coil insufficient time to charge, and in reality puts 
an extra strain on the batteries. We have known a num- 
ber of cases in small engines where the contact has been 
too short ; they have in consequence refused to operate at 
high speeds. The longer the duration of the contact, the 
larger will be the spark; in fact, by adjustment of the 
contact the size of the spark can easily be doubled, and 
modern practice now tells us that in place of a coil which 
will allow of eight to ten volts, it is preferable to use a 
coil which will reduce the voltage to about one-half that 
figure, and increase the duration of contact. The effect 
of this is that although the spark is reduced in size, it is 
more uniform, the wear on the batteries is reduced, and 
the burning of the contact point from the high voltage is 
avoided. 
Of course in the four-cycle engine we are not as liable 
to have battery trouble . or trouble with the firing 
mechanism as we are with the two-cycle, as we have in 
that type of engine but half the number of working 
strokes, and also less heat to affect the parts to contend 
with. 
In a great many cases the firing devices, batteries, etc., 
are pronounced failures, where in reality the trouble may 
be in too high compression. High compression has lately 
become the fad, and its effect on the igniting of the en- 
gine has been given very little consideration. As we in- 
crease the compression, we of course increase the atmos- 
pheric pressure in the cylinder, offering thereby an in- 
creased resistance to the formation of _ the electric arc; 
and in cases of this kind the remedy is to increase the 
battery power sometimes as much as double. 
Without doubt the next serious trouble is want or loss 
of compression in the cylinder. The effect of loss of 
charge of air. To remedy this, remove the spring and 
stretch it out. In order to determine how much the 
spring has been stretched, it is a good plan to measure 
it first. Again, on the other hand, if the spring is made 
too stiff it will act as a throttle and make the engine diffi- 
cult to start, as it will not come up to its power as quickly. 
It is customary to use a funnel with a strainer when 
filling the gasolene tank; but we do not think this amounts 
to much, as the ordinary strainer is not sufficiently fine; 
we therefore prefer a piece of cheesecloth or silk placed 
over the funnel. In many of the generator, valves there is 
a tendency for the gasolene to blow in the form of a 
spray, owing to the valve not closing sufficiently quick. 
This, of course, is a sheer waste of gasolene, the loss in 
many cases being sufficient to run the engine. To avoid 
this, place a short piece of pipe or an elbow under the 
mouth of the vaporizer; this will enable the engine to 
pick up this spray. In this case, after the engine is started, 
the supply of gasolene may be cut down; but in starting, 
the supply must be set same as if no elbow was used. 
We are now assuming that the valve is mechanically per- 
fect, it being sometimes the case that a defective valve is 
met with which is not proportioned to the engine, and has 
a defective seat. The effect of using a valve out of pro- 
portion to the engine would, however, mean only a loss 
of power, with a possibility of difficulty in starting the 
engine. 
Measuted Trial Course New York Y. C. 
A measured course has been laid out on the west side 
of Hempstead Harbor, Long Island Sound, with the 
ends marked by ranges. 
These ranges have been located by the U. S. Coast 
Survey by courtesy of the Department of Commerce 
and Labor. 
The westerly ranges are" located about a mile S.E. of 
the bell buoy off Old Hen Rock, Prospect Point, and 
compression in the two-cycle engine is much more serious 
than in the four, as the loss of compression in the two- 
cycle in the cylinder means almost a total loss of the com- 
pression in the base. This may be due to defective work- 
manship, or it may result from a poor quality of cylinder 
oil being used which will set the rings so that they will 
not expand. Or it may be the total lack of oil In many 
cases it is also caused by the breaking of the piston ring, 
which sometimes is a serious matter, as it is liable to 
break up into small pieces and become caught in the cylin- 
der, which generally results in a broken piston. Where 
it is thought that the compression has been lost by the 
clogging of the rings, they can generally be loosened by 
pouring a good supply of kerosene into the cylinder, and 
giving it time to get down around the piston and loosen 
the old oily residue. Continually running the mixture of 
the gas too rich will leave a deposit of soot which in 
time will also very effectually prevent the expanding of 
the rings. In order to test whether the mixture of gas 
is perfect, a piece of white paper held in front and near 
the exhaust pipe should not be discolored, or a black 
smoke coming from the exhaust is a sure sign of an over- 
supply of gasolene in proportion to the air. It is usual, 
in the two-cycle engine, to operate at a compression of 
about 50 pounds; more often under that figure than over; 
whereas in the four-cycle the compression should be not 
less than 60 pounds. In the four-cycle engine, the valves " 
being mechanically operated, it will retain and is not as 
liable to loss of compression as the two-cycle, wherein 
the ports are opened and closed by the passage of the 
piston, and are therefore entirely dependent upon the fit 
of this part. \ 
Vaporizers most usually employed, as we previously 
stated, are what are known as generator valves, being 
simply a self-acting poppet valve similar to the ordinary 
check valves. While this valve is excessively_ simple and 
operated entirely by the suction of the engine, it is capable 
of giving a great deal of trouble. At the point where the 
gasolene is fed under the seat of the valve the opening is 
generally less than one thirty-second of an inch, and it 
very often happens that a small particle of foreign sub- 
stance contained in the gasolene will settle at this point. 
In this case, when ^he valve is pressed up by hand, the 
gasolene will apparently flow all right ; but when the en- 
gine is started it will make but a few revolutions and stop, 
evidently for want of gasolene. In this case it will be 
found that this small particle by the quick suction of the 
engine will be drawn into the gasolene opening, shutting 
off completely the flow of gasolene, falling back again 
when the engine stops. In other words, acting as a check 
valve. This is a very common occurrence, and a small 
wire for cleaning the gasolene inlet should always be on 
hand. It often happens that the spring in the vaporizer 
becomes weak, and in this case it will admit of an over- 
about % mile west of the western end of Sea Wall on 
Mr. Howard Gould's place. 
The easterly ranges are located about of a mile west 
of the red buoy off Mott's Point. 
The front range in each case is on the low sand hills 
just back of the beach and is a pole about 30ft. long, 
painted white, and braced by timber braces with a white 
triangle just above the braces. 
The inshore ranges are the same as the shore range, 
only about 40ft. high and the triangle is inverted, and 
they have a white flag at the top. 
The length of the course is 1 1-10 nautical miles, and 
the magnetic compass is N.W. by W. J A W. 
Speed per hour. Time over Speed per hour. Time over 
course. course. 
Knots Miles M. S. Knots Miles M. S. 
5 5.76 13 12 16 18.42 4 7 
6 6.90 11 00 17 19.58 3 53 
7 8.06 9 26 18 20.73 3 40 
8 9.21 8 15 19 21.88 3 28 
9 10.36 ,7 19 20 23.03 3 18 
10 11.51 6 36 21 24.18 3 9 
11 12.67 6 00 22 25.33 3 00 
12 13.82 5 30 23 26.45 2 52 
13 14.97 5 5 24 27.64 2 45 
14 16.12 4 43 25 28.79 2 38 
15 17.27 4 24 
YACHTING NEWS NOTES. 
For advertising relating to this department see pages ii and iii. 
Schooner Lasca Sold. — The famous schooner Lasca, 
owned by Mr. Robert H. McCurdy, has been sold by 
Messrs. Tams, Lemoine & Crane to Mr. Robert P. Dore- 
mus, owner of the schooner Loyal. The steam yacht 
Reverie has been sold by Mr. Joseph B. Thomas through 
the same agency to Mr. Edward B. Corey. 
K It K 
Motor Boat Challenger Tested. — The motor boat 
Challenger, designed by Messrs. Tams, Lemoine & Crane, 
was tested over the New York Y. C.'s measured course in 
Hempstead Harbor on October 22 with results that were 
most gratifying to all concerned. Challenger covered the 
course against the wind in 2m. 52s., and with the wind in 
2m. 51s. The conditions were anything but favorable for 
high speed, as there was a fresh E. wind blowing and 
considerable sea. When running with a following sea, it 
was necessary to slow the engine down four times. It is 
certain that Challenger can beat these 'figures by several 
seconds. The Smith & Mabley engine ran without a hitch, 
and the boat's performance was a most creditable one. 
Figuring on the time of 2m. 51s. for 1.1 miles would give 
for 1 nautical mile a time of 2m. 35s., or a rate of 23.2 
knots, which is equal to 26.7 statute miles per hour. 
