Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 September 1912 — BUILT TWO LAUNCHES DURING SPARE MOMENTS. [ARTICLE]

BUILT TWO LAUNCHES DURING SPARE MOMENTS.

Everton Powell, Son of Former Sheriff, ’Constructed Worthy Crusts in His Back Yard. Everton B. Powell, son of John W. Powell, a former sheriff of Jasper county, has come in for considerable fame in Washington, D.C., where he has lived for a number of years, by his skill as a launch builder. Everton is a brother of Mrs. Chas. G. Spitler, of this city, and has lived in Washington about 23 years. For some time he was a jeweler, then a machinist at the U. S. navy yard. He is a skilled mechanic and can build anything almost and build it right. For the past three years he has conducted a launch building factory in his back yard at his residence in southeastern Washington. He has worked at launch building mornings and evenings, working during the day in the navy yard. Recently he completed the building of two launches, the Helen D„ and Bess 11. They were launched in the eastern branch of the Potomac river, at the navy yard. Each launch is valued at $3,000. One was built for a prominent dentist of Washington and the other Everton built as his own pleasure craft. Each contains sleeping room for six persons. The boats are similar in size and design, being 28 feet in length, 9 feet beam and of draft light enough to enable them to visit the shoal tributaries of the Potcjjhac and the Chesapeake bay. The boats have steel hulls, the interiors are finished in hardwood and they are fitted out with all equipment necessary for the safety and comfort of those who will cruise aboard them. The engines are large enough to give the boats good speed and are placed well forward, a departure from the usual custom.