The Moter Boat Show. 
The Motor Boat Show, which was held in 
Madison Square Garden last week, was ex¬ 
tremely gratifying to the members of the Na¬ 
tional Association of Engine and Boat Manu¬ 
facturers. under which the show was given. 
The Garden was filled with boats of all kinds 
and descriptions, varying from the small row¬ 
boat or dory equipped with a one-horse power 
engine to the big cruising craft driven by a 
6o-horsepower m.otor and capable of accommo¬ 
dating eight or ten passengers. It was rather 
interesting to note that the boats of wholesome 
type of good construction and with moderate 
power met with popular favor rather than the 
cheap, freak type of boat, which, it is generally 
admitted, has been a detriment to the sport. 
There were many boats shown there which 
some years ago might have proved an attrac¬ 
tion because their builders offered to give a 
certain amount of comfort in a boat that cer¬ 
tainly did not appear to have much comfort in 
her, and that could have been driven at a high 
rate of speed for a very small sum of money. 
Three of the best exhibits were made by the 
Electric Launch Company, the Gas Engine & 
Power Company, and the Racine Boat Com¬ 
pany. The boats shown by these three firms 
seemed to fill the wants of motor boat men 
generally, and several orders were placed with 
these firms for boats. 
The Electric Launch Company, of Bayonne, 
showed four high-speed boats, representing the 
work this company makes a specialty of. 
The largest of those shown was a 47-foot 
gasolene cabin launch, known as the Elco-De- 
Luxe. This yacht is intended for lake and 
harbor use, and the hull is built light but 
substantial, and the cabin work throughout will 
be in African maho.gany. The motive power 
will consist of a 60-horsepower, air-starting 
gasolene motor of the Standard make. The 
operator’s seat is immediately aft of motor, and 
is separated from owner’s quarters by a bulk¬ 
head and large glass wind-shield, which drops 
into pocket when not in use. One of the dis¬ 
tinctive features is the large owner’s cockpit 
forward, which permits an unobstructed view 
ahead. _ Seating^ accommodations are furnished 
by chairs and divans. 
The main cabin is enclosed by large balanced 
plate glass_ windows of unusual width, giving 
excellent view from interior cabin of the sur¬ 
rounding waters. The wood work is very 
elaborate,_ being paneled in selected mahogany. 
The furnishings consist of upholstered divan 
seats with spring cushions and backs, lockers 
underneath seats; wicker chairs, serving table, 
buffet and china cabinet. The upholstery is 
very exquisite, the cushions being covered in 
finest quality of old rose velvet, the floor cov¬ 
erings being heavy Wilton carpet. Window 
curtains and portieres of old rose silk, the 
color effect being pleasing and very rich. 
The cabin and boat throughout is lighted and 
heated by electricity, the electric dynamo being 
driven by the main engine with storage 
auxiliary power. Unique type of electric fix¬ 
tures are used throughout the boat; electricity 
is also used for cooking. 
After main cabin is situated the galley with its 
usual fixtures of copper basins, brass water 
pump, fresh water being carried in a fifty-gallon 
fresh-water tank, filled from outside of cabin 
on deck; dish racks; cupboards with large zinc- 
lined ice-box. The gallery equipment consists 
of electric stove and tea kettle, which are found 
particularly useful for a boat of this size for 
serving hot lunches and afternoon tea. 
Opposite the galley is situated the lavatory 
fully equipped, the fixtures having nickel-plated 
fittings. A mirror with glass holders and 
racks for brush and comb are also provided in 
this compartment. 
A special feature of this boat is the cockpit 
aft of the main cabin which is open, but covered 
with a canvas fl.y awning, supported upon brass 
stanchions, room being provided in this cock¬ 
pit for seating a half dozen very comfortably 
in wicker chairs and luxurious rear, or divan, 
seat, upholstered in leather. Unusual cabin 
accommodations are provided in this boat of 
47 feet in length, and with the power installed, 
the builders .guarantee a speed of 18 miles per 
hour. Several boats of this general type have 
been built. One belongs to Mrs. Clark Fisher, 
of Trenton, N. J., who uses it on Lake Como, 
Italy. 
One of the distinct features of the design of 
this boat is the location of the gasolene engine, 
being well forward amidships, where the room 
cannot be so well utilized for seating and cabin 
accommodations. With the engine located for¬ 
ward. 7,S per cent, of the boat can be utilized 
for the owner’s quarters, which are entirely 
distinct and separated from the engine coiut 
partment. 
The service for which this boat is intended 
is especially that of a day cruiser or an express 
launch, with full cabin protection, for use in 
going from water or summer residence to rail¬ 
road or steamboat landings, a high speed 
service being possible at all times with this 
type of boat. 
Two new models of Elco-Peerless gasolene 
express launches were shown, one 30 feet and 
the other 3.c; feet in length. The past season’s 
success in this class of motor boat has led the 
company to adopt the Peerless auto-marine 
gasolene engine in four- and six-cylinder sizes. 
However, where the customer has any par¬ 
ticular choice, any reputable make will be in¬ 
stalled instead. 
The ,30-foot boat is finished with white cedar 
hull, decks and cockpit of mahogany. The 30- 
horsepower Peerless auto-marine gasolene 
motor is installed under a metal hood forward, 
with controls mounted alongside of auto-steer¬ 
ing wheel. The cockpit is arranged with cross 
seat for operator, four wicker chairs and a 
comfortable upholstered divan seat aft. 
The 35-foot Elco-Peerless is similar in most 
respects to the stock model which made such a 
.good showing in the New York to Pough¬ 
keepsie race on the Hudson last fall. This type 
of boat meets the requirements of high - speed 
with absolute safety, under varying conditions 
of service. The cockpit is covered by a special 
extending cape cart top and glass windshield 
forward. The hull is of selected Honduras ma¬ 
hogany and the decks and cockpits finished in 
the same material. The coaming, sheerstrake 
and covering board are of select quartered oak. 
which makes a pleasing contrast with the ma¬ 
hogany and adds materially to the strength of 
the hull. 
The Gas Engine & Power Comnany showed, 
among other boats, a 45-foot high-speed sea¬ 
going runabout. The freeboard of this craft 
is generous, the beam liberal, and a speed of 
20 miles an hour can be had when required. 
The hull is planked and finished with teak wood 
and varnished inside and out. The motive 
power is a six-cylinder, four-cycle. 6 by 6 inches. 
Speedway engine, developing 60 horsepower 
at 750 revolutions. The boat is 43 feet on the 
waterline, the beam 6 feet 6 inches, and the 
draft 2 feet 7 inches, d'he bow is round and 
stern of the torpedo type, which protects the 
rudder. The forward deck is ii feet 8 inches in 
length, and under this is a 25-gallon auxiliary 
supply fuel tank. At the forward end of the 
cockpit are two hinged hoods covering the 
motor, aft of which is the operator’s space, 
separated by a bulkhead and a glass windshield 
from the after cockpit. The seating arrange¬ 
ments of the after cockpit are provided for by 
two athwartship transoms and four wicker arm¬ 
chairs. The rear end of the cockpit is square, 
and under the after deck is a lOO-gallon fuel 
tank. A.n automobile steerer is fastened to the 
bulkhead aft of the engine compartment, and 
reverse lever and control mechanism are 
brought to the hands of the engineer. The craft 
is handsome, and her seagoing ability, tested in 
similar boats, is a feature which will make the 
type jmpular. The boat has just been built for 
C. H. Walker, of St. .Louis, and will be used 
on the coast of Maine. 
Another in this exhibit was a runabout of 
moderate speed and generous carrying capacity. 
It is 30 feet over all, 29 feet 6 inches on the 
waterline, 6 feet beam and 25^ inches draft. 
.A four-cylinder, 4V2 by 5 inches Speedway en¬ 
gine, which develops 16 to 20 horsepower at 
about 550 to 650 revolutions a minute, is in¬ 
stalled under a hood at the forward end of the 
cockpit, from which it is separated by a bulk¬ 
head. A ventilating cowl on the cockpit cover 
tends to keep down the temperature of the en¬ 
gine space, and an automobile steerer, with a 
spark and throttle control, as well as reverse 
lever and starting crank at the engineer’s hands, 
allows one man to control the boat with ease 
and safety. With the exception of an athwart¬ 
ship stern transom, the cockpit is left entirely 
free for chairs. The fuel tank, which is in¬ 
stalled under the after-deck, has a capacity of 
fifty gallons. The hull is cedar planked, copper 
fastened and painted white, while the decks, 
hatch over the motor and the interior finish are 
of mahogany, varnished. The stern is ma¬ 
hogany, finished bri ght. 
The Racme Boat Company showed a staunch, 
powerful little cruiser that one can live on 
board and enjoy. The hull is strong, and the 
motor sure and steady. The cabin has berths 
for four, and there is a toilet room, galley and 
.good storage space. Aft is a big. broad self¬ 
bailing cockpit, in which are placed easy chairs. 
It is strictly a one-man boat, all the engine 
controls leading direct to the steering wheel. 
This boat is 28 feet long, 7 feet beam, 2 feet 
draft, and is fitted with an 8-hnrsepower double 
cylinder motor with reverse clutch. The speed 
of this craft is 8 miles an hour. The hull is 
built of air-dried white oak and cypress, all the 
frames are carefully rabitted to keel, stem and 
stern, and fastened with brass screws. All the 
iuetal parts are brass, bronze or galvanized 
iron. 
During the show the Manufacturers’ Associ¬ 
ation held its annual tneeting at the Engineers’ 
Club. It was reported that there were 150 mem¬ 
bers of the association, and that business was 
booming. These members of the Executive 
Committee were elected to serve until 1911: 
F. B. King. H. R. Sutphen, C. A. Criqui. John 
A. Murray, and H. IT. Brantigam. 
Early this month the American Power Boat 
Association, through Secretary Anson B. Cole, 
sent the following letter to all interested in 
motor boating: 
“On Thursday, Feb. 18, 1909. a meeting will 
be held in the concert hall of Madison Square 
Garden, ATadison avenue and Twenty-sixth 
street. New York city, to which all motor boat 
and yacht clubs and associations are invited to 
send representatives. 
“This meeting was originally called by the 
National Association of Engine and Boat ATanu- 
facturers, but was later turned over to this as¬ 
sociation. with a request to take charge of the 
s-'ine. The purposes for which this meeting is 
called, are: 
"First—To take appropriate measures to safe¬ 
guard and protect the rights and privileges of 
all motor boat owners, and to recommend such 
legislation as may be beneficial, both in Con¬ 
gress and the Legislatures of the various States. 
