Launch, Gasoline
Name/Title
Launch, GasolineEntry/Object ID
1990.008Description
1990.008 Minnie Boat Type: Open Motor Launch Builder: Lozier Model: Unknown Length: 24' 6" Beam 6' 3" Date Built: 1905 Minnie was one of the first "torpedo stern" launches built by Matthews and sold under the Lozier Motor Company label. In 1898, Scott Matthews entered into a contract with Lozier. He built the boats in his Bascom, Ohio plant and shipped them to Lozier's Plattsburgh, N.Y. factory, where Lozier engines were installed. Minnie's large seating capacity, removable standing roof, and silent underwater exhaust made her well suited for summers on the River. Other notable features include: reversible pitch propeller in lieu of reverse gear; and underwater fuel feed to keep gasoline cool. Engine info from Everett Smith 1994. Minnie 1990.008 Lozier of Plattsburgh, NY, was a company that made gas engines in the late 1800s, and got into the boat market as a way of marketing their engines. They contracted with other companies to build the boats, then outfitted them with Lozier engines and sold them under the Lozier name. There is a deal of correspondence about this boat from the early nineties, which arrives at the conclusion that Minnie was most likely built by Matthews of Bascom, Ohio in 1905 under a contract with Lozier that dated back to 1898. That scholarship, however, does not rule out the possibility that Lozier may have at some point begun to make the boats themselves, though some people clearly think of Lozier as only a 'paper' boat company. The boat itself in any case is a beautiful piece, a torpedo stern canopy launch with a good amount of seating around the oval-shaped cockpit, and full side curtains to keep out rain and prying eyes. She is carvel planked with a deep built-up keel and an iron skeg, all the brightwork and details such as the sheer plank, decks, coamings, and bow cleat are made of oak. The canopy top is made of cedar, bent pieces form an oval to match the cockpit with double-beaded crossbeams every ten inches and 1 ½ inch strips of cedar laid lengthwise over the top with an inch in between. The canopy is held up by four posts, which can be removed and the canopy lowered to fit snugly over the coaming for storage. The inside of the cockpit is finished in 1 ½ inch vertical oak v-groove. The bench seats are finished in the same way, with upholstered cushions (currently corduroy). As is often the case in similar launches, there are two helms, one at the bow and the other on the port side. Lozier's part of it, the engine, is an equally beautiful piece. It is a very large one-cylinder engine, black-painted iron and nickel plated brass, with many interesting features. It is probably about 6 by 10, labeled "speed 380" and 5 horsepower. The motor was started by inserting a straight handle into a socket in the edge of the flywheel and turning it over by hand. A spring inside the socket makes sure that the handle does not stay stuck into the flywheel after the motor starts. The spark is delivered by a six-magnet Lozier magneto, a wheel on the end of which is wrapped in leather and rides on the flywheel, effectively serving as a timing gear. A knife switch on the head of the engine serves as a kill switch. The motor is fitted with a Schebler carburetor. Two other unique features for the time are underwater exhaust and fuel-feed. Rather than a transmission, an adjustable-pitch propeller is employed. EVS 07 See additional comments from Bob Cox of July 6, 2009, located in accession file. DJM 7/2009Collection
BoatsAcquisition
Accession
1990.008Source or Donor
Augsbury, Junie and FrankMade/Created
Manufacturer
Lozier Motor CompanyDate made
1904Place
Location
Plattsburg, NY, USAEdition
Model: Launch, #2504Notes
Early Date: 1904 Propulsion: inboard, gasoline Engine: Lozier Motor Co., Speed 380, #1281?? 1905? Field 9: Make and Break Cylinders: 1 HP: 5 Field 13: Electrics Maker Lozier Magneto 33"H 24"L 27"WOther Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
Other NumberOther Number
68.001Number Type
Old NumberOther Number
601Dimensions
Width
6 ftLength
26-7/16 ftLocation
*Don Doebler Collections Storage Facility
*Cleveland E. Dodge Memorial Launch Building