THE CAPTAIN'S REPORT 



COMMISSIONING OF THE CARNEGIE, MAY 4, 1927 TO MAY 1, 1928 



Until May 4, 1927, the Carnerie lay at the dock of 

 the Washington-Colonial Beach Steamboat Company in 

 Washington, D. C, where she had been berthed, whUe 

 out of commission, after completion of cruise VI in 1921. 

 She was taken from Washington under tow on May 4 and 

 delivered on May 9 at the yard of the Tietjen and Lang 

 Dry Dock Company, Hoboken, New Jersey, for repairs 

 and overhaul, preparatory to resuming ocean work in 

 terrestrial magnetism and atmospheric electricity, and 

 Initiating work in oceanography. Repairs necessitated 

 by dry-rot, and alterations to enable oceanographicwork 

 to be undertaken during the forthcoming cruise (VII) 

 were begun May 10. During May and June the repairs 

 made included replacing of rigging, masts and yards, 

 ballast and water tanks, renewal in part of the keelson, 

 reinforcing of the sister-keelsons, rebuilding of bulk- 

 heads and berth decks, recalking and resheathing with 

 felt and copper sheathing, and overhauling of running 

 gear, of engine, and of plumbing. 



The vessel's hull was found in much better condition 

 than was expected from the examinations made in 1922 

 and 1925. Thus all frames below water line, where ex- 

 posed to view, were sound, and borings for bolts to fas- 

 ten new keelson showed no signs of bad frames; when 

 tanks and ballast were removed, all ceiling in hold was 

 found in good condition; all strakes below the water line 

 proved sound, as did also nearly all above the water line. 

 According to plans, all repairs, alterations, and new in- 

 stallations moved to completion by September 30, 1927. 



In the meantime, considerable time has been given 

 to planning the work for cruise VH. Throughout this 

 planning of the program, valuable constructive sugges- 

 tions have been supplied by various cooperating oceanog- 

 raphers and organizations, both in North America and 

 abroad. A tentative route and schedule were outlined for 

 a cruise of three years in all oceans, inquiries were 

 made regarding oceanographic equipment, and orders for 

 such equipment were placed. A special bronze winch for 

 handling 19,000 feet of aluminum-bronze wire 4 millime- 

 ters in diameter was ordered, and a special engine of 30 

 horsepower to operate the 15-kilowatt generator required 

 for handling the winch. This equipment is intended for 

 securing water samples and water temperatures at vari- 

 ous depths for the study of circulation and other oceanic 

 problems. Other special equipment ordered includes 

 water bottles, deep-sea reversing thermometers, alu- 

 minum-bronze wire, materials for the construction of a 

 Wenner electric salinity apparatus, distant recording 

 thermograph, evaporation meter, etc. The Navy Depart- 

 ment is cooperating with Carnegie Institution through the 

 loan of complete equipment for determining depths by 

 echo methods. 



Study was made of the methods for calculating oce- 

 anic currents from temperature and salinity data, and 

 special graphs and tables were prepared to expedite cal- 

 culations. Various other matters incidental and prepara- 

 tory to the new oceanographic work received attention, 

 including the designing of a new cabin for the biologist 

 andof special biological, chemical, and radio laboratories 



on deck, and the rearrangement of deck space to permit 

 installation of the new oceanographic equipment. 



The repair work was sufficiently completed by Oc- 

 tober so that the vessel could be towed back to Washing- 

 ton for final outfitting and equipping, arriving October 

 17. The Department again was indebted to the U. S. Coast 

 Guard for their courtesy and cooperation in towing the 

 Carneerie from New York to the Potomac River. Two 

 days were spent near the mouth of the Potomac trying to 

 recover a bronze anchor lost in May, in testing the new 

 winch and life boats, and in testing the new diving helmet 

 to be used in connection with submarine biological inves- 

 tigations. 



During October, November, and December the Car- 

 negie was kept in good condition by Mr. Erickson, first 

 watch officer, assisted by two seamen. Yards and masts 

 were sandpapered and varnished, deck fittings were 

 housed in canvas, three new phosphor-bronze cylinders 

 were installed in the main engine, and plans were made 

 for completion of deck, engine room, cabin, and labora- 

 tory fittings and equipment. 



Considerable time was spent in planning for the sci- 

 entific work of cruise VH, which was to start May 1, 1928. 

 Conferences were held with various scientists relating to 

 program and equipment for investigations in physical and 

 biological oceanography, meteorology, solar radiation, 

 aerology, and radio. 



During January to April, 1928, active work was car- 

 ried on in outfitting the new dark room and laboratories, 

 and installing equipment. Special mention should be 

 made of the extra efforts of all members of the ship's 

 crew, of the office and shop force, and of the new ocean 

 party, to complete equipment, tests, and installations in 

 time to sail on the specified date. May 1. The many 

 problems to be solved and the many difficulties which 

 arose can be realized only by those who have gone through 

 similar preparations for a long cruise, during which work 

 in so many new lines of investigation was to be undertaken, 

 with the necessity for designing and constructing new in- 

 struments, devising new methods, making tests and stand- 

 ardizations, training new personnel, installing the new 

 equipment on a small vessel, remembering to economize 

 on space, to arrange all in convenient and accessible lo- 

 cations, and to preserve the nonmagnetic feature of the 

 observing domes for the observations in terrestrial mag- 

 netism. 



The following new instruments, equipment, and fit- 

 tings were installed or constructed. 



1. On the bridge: Sperry searchlight, engine room 

 telegraph, radioactive content collector with compressed 

 air and electric-light connections, and solarimeter gim- 

 bal stand. 



2. On the quarter-deck: Evaporimeter and gimbal 

 stand (fig. 1); rain gage and gimbal stand; pelorus and 

 stand; control room just abaft radio room for mounting 

 earth-inductor constant -speed control and milliammeter, 

 Sperry gyro roll-and-pitch recorder, Emthoven galva- 

 nometer for earth-current observations, recorder for six 



