American These were orig inally patterned on English models, but through a system of steady improvement have developed along slightly different lines, and now exhibit distinct types. The earlier boats used air-com partments fore and aft, and sometimes along the sides or under the seats. It was more common, however, to stow the lines, grapnel ropes, etc., under the seats. The whaleboat type of rowboat was plef erred, owing to its strength; they were built quite broad of beam, and high at the ends, so as to bring the air chambers above the water-line as much as possi ble. At first tanks were built of galvanized iron, but copper was found much more service able, and gradually it has become customary to cut up the tanks into an increasing number of compartments, so that late models comprise a series of copper boxes, fitting into their places in the hull. The ship's lifeboat pattern dis appeared from land use, and they became dif ferentiated into surf-boats and power-boats. The surf-boat is based on the fishermen's boats that are shaped to come readily through the surf, and that can be landed with little danger of overturning. The typical American surf boat of the Coast Guard is of the Beebe-Mc Lellan type, 26 feet over all, 7 feet beam and 21/2 feet deep. It carries four oars, is clinker built, of cedar, sharp at both ends, gracefully curved, very light and strong. There are three thwarts, seats around the sides, a centreboard and a place for stepping a mast. A water-tight deck is placed high tip in the framing, so that when the boat capsizes the water can be led off by gravity, being thus what is termed (itself bailing.) It is so buoyant that it can he upset and righted in 20 seconds by a crew on drill. Lines are rigged especially so that the crew can grasp them when in the water and obtain a leverage for righting the boat. More and more of these surf-boats are being equipped with gasoline motors. At first eight horse-power motors were installed, hut now they are always 12 horse-power and higher power is under con sideration. Some special types of surf-boats have been built for localities, after which they are named, as the Jersey and Race Points surf boats, Power lifeboats are increasing in num ber and every good-sized station now has at least one. The typical power-boat is 36 feet in length by nearly 9 feet beam and 4% feet in depth. There are five thwarts or seats and steps for two short masts. The upper part of the deck is arranged to he self-bailing, and there are large air-compartments fore and aft, and a great number of small copper compartments stowed wherever there is space for them. The gasoline motor, usually 35 horse power, is car ried in the water-tight after bulkhead, and so arranged that if the boat overturns the engine is automatically stopped The starting crank and reversing clutch are set in the bulkhead, out of the way and safe from accident. The twin engine shafts run at a slightly inclined angle down to the propellers, which are quite small and above the keel-line. Often the pro peller shafts are hinged, so that the propellers may be raised when the boat is to be beached. The keel is made preferably of gun-metal. The rudder is ham-shaped. The gasoline tanks are forward near the centreboard, which is of brass in the best boats. A speed of 10 to 12 miles an hour is obtained. These boats are designed
to be loaded on a beach-wagon at a life-saving station, and as they weigh only 3,000 pounds can be easily launched with less than the full crew of eight men. A smaller type of power boat is built, 34 feet over all and 8.4 feet beam, 3.6 depth, with 5 thwarts. These were mostly designed for sail or oar propulsion, but have been fitted with 25 horse-power motors, giving a speed of seven to nine miles an hour. The Revenue Service and Life-Saving Service hav ing been combined in 1915, under the title of the Coast Guard, all the lifeboats of the two United States coasts and the Great Lakes are in their custody, divided among the 270 stations. There are about 50 of the best class of 36-foot power-boats, and some 200 second-class power boats, perhaps 300 surf-boats and a number of smaller rowboats for various purposes. The larger fleet in the Coast Guard service, some times referred to as lifeboats, consists of 23 cruising cutters, mostly steel boats from 150 to 210 feet. These cutters are armed with four six-pounders and carry rockets and radio appa ratus. In cruising off coast they discover and help many vessels in distress, and if near enough may summon the lifeboats of some station by S 0 S calls. There are also 24 harbor cutters and launches under the Coast Guard's jurisdiction, used mostly in the im portant harbors for dealing with accidents to pleasure boats, assisting in putting out fires on the water-fronts and the like. There is rarely a day that the Coast Guard does not rescue some vessel somewhere in trouble, and perhaps five a day is a fair average, while in bad weather sometimes 12 and 15 rescues are re corded in a single day. In 1916 they rescued 2,153 persons from peril, rendered assistance to 1,594 vessels, removed or destroyed 11 derelicts, and a lot of miscellaneous work that the reve nue service and the navy puts upon them for convenience.
Steamship Lifeboat The United States Steamboat Inspection Service has control over the lifeboat regulations in all classes of vessels in United States waters. Their rulings require pleasure steamers on short routes to carry one lifeboat to every 180 cubic feet of capadity. Ocean steamships and mis cellaneous passenger carrying steamers are obliged to carry enough boats and life-rafts combined to accommodate all their passengers in case of need. Many of their lifeboats arc collapsible affairs with cork floats or compart ments designed to be blown up and filled with air before they can float. Coastwise steamships, in the summer-time, are allowed to carry some excess of passengers above their lifeboat ca pacity, and two-thirds of their equipment may he life-rafts or collapsible equipment. Lake, bay and sound steamers, and others going over shallow waters not over five miles from land, are permitted to carry lifeboat equipment for only 10 per cent of their passenger capacity, in cluding crew; but if they go beyond five miles from land they are required to carry 30 per cent equipment. Of this three-fourths may be collapsible. Only 10 per cent equipment is re quired of ordinary river steamers. Consult Cameron, 'The Life-Bodt and Its Work' (Lon don 1911) ; Haydon, A. L., 'The Book of the Lifeboat' (London 1909) ; Sawman, 'The Life Boat' (Brooklyn 1912) ; 'Annual Reports United States Coast Guard' (Washington, D. C.).