Scientific American Supplement, No. 430 (March 29, 1884)

e same dimensions would; therefore, for any given accommodation we should require a much smaller vessel, demanding less power to propel it at a given rate of speed, costing less, and affording easier management.

A further convenience arising from electromotive power is the absence of combustibles and the absence of the products of combustion-matters of great importance; and for the milder seasons, when inland navigation is principally enjoyed, the absence of heat, smell, and noise, and, finally, the dispensing with one attendant on board, whose wages, in most cases, amount to as much or more than the cost of fuel, besides the inconvenience of carrying an additional individual.

I do not know whether the cost of motive power is a serious consideration with proprietors of launches, but it is evident that if there be a choice between two methods of equal qualities, the most economical method will gain favor. The motive power on the electric launch is the electric current; we must decide upon the mode of pro