Blanket-boats

A practical and highly useful plan for cro ing streams is by means of boats constructed of a single rubber blanket, capable of carrying a soldier, knapsack, arms, and accoutrements, with only 4 inches of displacement. The size of some of the ordinary blankets is 6 feet long and 4 feet 9 inches wide; but 7 feet by 5 feet would be preferable. If the height of the boat be made 1 foot, the length will be 4 feet, and the width 2 feet 9 inches, so as to be completely covered by the blanket. The frame may be made of round sticks, 1 inch and 1 1 ⁄ 2 inch in diameter, in the following manner: For the bottom the two end-sticks are 2 feet 9 inches long, and the side-pieces 3 feet 9 inches long. They are connected by boring a 1 ⁄ 2 -inch hole through the end-pieces, and into the ends of the side-pieces, into which pins are driven. The top is formed in the same manner, and both top and bottom of 1 1 ⁄ 2 -inch sticks. The side-pieces of the bottom, and the top and bottom frames are connected by 1-inch round sticks inserted in 1 ⁄ 2 -inch holes, in the same manner as the upright pieces are fastened in a chair. To keep the frame from falling apart, loops of cord are pa ed from top to bottom, and from side to side, and twisted with a stick. The rubber blanket is then spread upon the ground, the frame placed upon it, the sides and eyes turned up and lashed to the top rail by twine pa ed through the eyelets. Loops of cord are pa ed over these projecting ends, and twisted with a stick, which binds the parts together. One of these boats having a horizontal area of 11 square feet, would require 687 pounds to sink it 1 foot, and the average weight of a man would displace le than 4 inches. In using these blanket-boats it will be convenient to lash several together, side by side, upon which soldiers can be transported. The float can be paddled or a rope may be stretched acro , supported by floats, and the men can pull themselves acro . If used for cavalry, some of the men can hold the bridles of the horses, while the others can pull, paddle, or pole acro the stream, the saddles being placed in the boats. The frames are abandoned, or used for fuel, when the army has cro ed over. Several of these boats lashed together, and covered with poles, would form a raft on which wagons could be carried over; but for artillery, rafts of wagon-bodies, or something po e ing greater powers of flotation, should be employed. The bill of materials for the frame of a blanket-boat is: 4 end-pieces, 1 1 ⁄ 2 inches round or square, 2 feet 9 inches long; 4 side-pieces, 1 1 ⁄ 2 inches round or square, 3 feet 9 inches long; 30 uprights, 1 inch round or square, 1 foot long; 10 pieces acro bottom, 1 inch round or square, 2 feet 9 inches long; 8 double pins, 1 ⁄ 2 -inch in diameter, 3 inches long; 4 pieces of cord or strong twine, each 9 feet long; 6 pieces of cord or strong twine, each 3 feet long; 1 india-rubber blanket, 6 feet long, 4 feet 9 inches wide, with eyelet holes around all sides, not more than 6 inches apart, and 30 feet of twine to lash the blanket to the frame.