Two months ago we mentioned in these pages the repowering of the BoCo self-unloader RICHARD J. REISS and we stated at that time that she was the first of the Maritime Commission class lakers to receive new power. How we managed to make a statement like that without seeing the light, we do not know, and we thank those who brought this faux pas to our attention.

In fact, RICHARD J. REISS is the second of the Maritimers to have replacement power installed. The first was, of course, FRANK ARMSTRONG which will be sailing the lakes this year as SAMUEL MATHER (VI). All the Maritimers originally had 2500 horses in them, the L6-S-A1 class being fitted with four-cylinder compound machinery, while the L6-S-B1 class received triple-expansion engines. But in the spring of 1960 the ARMSTRONG had her original machinery removed and in its place was fitted a 4400-horsepower five-cylinder Unaflow, a surplus engine which had been built in 1944 by the Nordberg Manufacturing Company for the U.S. Navy.

Now to our way of thinking, there are two rather funny things about this whole episode. First is the fact that although the ARMSTRONG rates as the most powerful of all the Maritimers, you would never know it from seeing her in action. Second point is that BoCo is only putting 2800 horses in the RICHARD J. with her new diesel plant, a rather unusual move bearing in mind not only the fact that she is a very heavily used boat, but also considering that twelve years ago a far more powerful plant was placed in DIAMOND ALKALI, a vessel twenty feet shorter and twenty-six years older.

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