INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 257 



tically completed on the first of January, 1801, and it only remained 

 to dock, clean, and paint tlie bottom and take on board coal and pay- 

 master's stores, to fit the vessel for sea. 



We had a dock trial of the engines on the afternoon of January 7, 

 when everything was found to work satisfactorily. E. A. Anderson, 

 ensign, U. S. Navy, reported for duty January 13, and J, H. L. Hol- 

 conibe, lieutenant (junior grade), U. S. iSTavy, on the 15th. The vessel 

 went into the naval dry dock on the 21st, when the Avork of scraping 

 and painting commenced. The bottom was very foul, between 15 and 

 20 tons of foreign matter being scraped from it. Chief Engineer 0. R. 

 Eoelker, U. S. IsTavy, was sent to the naval hospital on the 22d, with 

 acute bronchitis, and Assistant Engineer J. II. Wilmer, U. S. Navy, 

 reported for duty the following day, Mr. Koelker being detached. We 

 came out of the dock on the 2tlth and steamed down to San Fran- 

 cisco, anchoring at 1 :30 j). m. Commenced coaling from a lighter the 

 following morning. 



At 10:30 p. m., after the crew were in their hammocks, cries of dis- 

 tress were heard, audit was soon ascertained that a boat had swamped, 

 leaving a number of men struggling in the water. A strong tide was 

 running and tliere was quite a heavy swell in the bay. The dingey was 

 manned as quickly as possible, and Lieut. Holcombe, officer of the deck, 

 took charge and went to the rescue, finally picking up seven men 

 belonging to the American shij) Rcucc, and a boatman belonging to the 

 Sailors' Home, some of them in an exhausted condition. They were 

 brought on board, and under the hands of the surgeon and others made 

 comfortal)le for the night. Some time after tlie return of the dingey the 

 small flatboat was discovered astern attempting to reach the ship, but 

 was unable to stem the tide. Assistance was sent, and it was found 

 that John Kiely, captain of the hold, had rescued two more men, mak- 

 ing nine in all. It seems that after the departure of the dingey, Kiely 

 discovered by the cries of the drowning men that the party was becom- 

 ing separated, and, lowering the small flatboat, went to the rescue, 

 with the result mentioned above. 



San Francisco to Panama. — We finished coaling on th« morning of 

 the 30th, having received 199 tons; stores were received in the mean- 

 time, and vacancies in the crew filled by enlistment. We left San 

 Francisco at 1:07 p. m. the same day for Panama, using one boiler and 

 consuming 10 tons of coal per day. The vessel displaced 1,110 tons on 

 lier departure. 



The weather was hazy and squally at times, with southwest and 

 southeast winds after leaving ])ort. Passed through Santa Cruz Chan- 

 nel at 3 a. m. February 1 ; made Santa Cataliua Island at daylight on 

 the morning of the 2d, about 90 miles distant; and a little before sunset 

 the same evening Guadeloupe was seen between 00 and 70 miles. 

 Passed Cerros Island next day, it being distinctly visible at a distance 

 of 60 miles. Very little surface life was seen; a few gulls were about 

 H. Mis. 113 17 



