﻿[17] 
  

  

  WORK 
  OF 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS. 
  

  

  19 
  

  

  A 
  trial 
  was 
  made 
  during 
  the 
  evening 
  with 
  a 
  book 
  and 
  line, 
  having 
  a 
  

   submarine 
  electric 
  light 
  attached 
  a 
  few 
  fathoms 
  from 
  the 
  end. 
  The 
  

   water 
  was 
  illuminated 
  for 
  at 
  least 
  20 
  yards 
  in 
  every 
  direction, 
  but 
  we 
  

   failed 
  to 
  get 
  a 
  bite. 
  

  

  The 
  vessel 
  was 
  hove 
  to 
  during 
  the 
  night 
  and 
  resumed 
  work 
  at 
  day- 
  

   light 
  the 
  following 
  morning 
  in 
  2C 
  fathoms, 
  latitude 
  2G° 
  28' 
  15" 
  ST., 
  lon- 
  

   gitude 
  83° 
  11' 
  W. 
  Eighteen 
  stations, 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  five 
  miles, 
  were 
  oc- 
  

   cupied, 
  three 
  of 
  them, 
  Nos. 
  2412, 
  2413, 
  and 
  2414, 
  being 
  dredging 
  sta- 
  

   tions, 
  at 
  which 
  were 
  taken 
  many 
  sponges, 
  some 
  of 
  them 
  very 
  large, 
  a 
  

   variety 
  of 
  small 
  fish, 
  Crustacea, 
  and 
  other 
  shoal-water 
  forms 
  found 
  along 
  

   these 
  shores. 
  

  

  Fish 
  were 
  taken 
  at 
  the 
  following 
  stations: 
  

  

  We 
  ceased 
  work 
  at 
  G.40 
  p. 
  in., 
  and 
  started 
  for 
  Key 
  West, 
  arriving 
  and 
  

   making 
  fast 
  to 
  the 
  Government 
  wharf 
  at 
  8.25 
  a. 
  m., 
  March 
  20. 
  

  

  A 
  peculiar 
  atmospheric 
  condition 
  was 
  observed 
  while 
  passing 
  the 
  

   TortugaSj 
  which, 
  although 
  not 
  particularly 
  rare, 
  is 
  worthy 
  of 
  mention 
  

   as 
  illustrative 
  of 
  the 
  cause 
  leading 
  to 
  the 
  grounding 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  

   steamer 
  Alamo 
  on 
  that 
  shoal 
  during 
  the 
  night 
  of 
  March 
  7. 
  We 
  knew 
  

   the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  ship 
  within 
  a 
  mile 
  when 
  we 
  reached 
  the 
  ordinary 
  

   limit 
  of 
  visibility 
  of 
  the 
  light, 
  but 
  steamed 
  on 
  mile 
  after 
  mile 
  without 
  

   seeing 
  it, 
  although 
  the 
  stars 
  were 
  shining 
  brightly 
  and 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  

   was 
  apparently 
  clear. 
  We 
  did 
  not 
  see 
  it, 
  in 
  fact, 
  until 
  we 
  were 
  eight 
  

   miles 
  within 
  its 
  ordinary 
  range, 
  and 
  even 
  then 
  only 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  a 
  

   glass. 
  Just 
  at 
  this 
  moment 
  the 
  setting 
  moon 
  disappeared 
  in 
  a 
  low- 
  

   lying 
  mist, 
  which 
  had 
  not 
  been 
  observed 
  before. 
  Had 
  we 
  been 
  doubtful 
  

   of 
  our 
  position 
  before 
  making 
  the 
  light, 
  and 
  had 
  we 
  made 
  it 
  before 
  

   detecting 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  mist, 
  we 
  should, 
  witkout 
  doubt, 
  have 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  ourselves 
  nineteen 
  miles 
  distant, 
  whereas 
  we 
  were 
  only 
  eleven 
  

   miles 
  from 
  it. 
  

  

  We 
  begau 
  coaling 
  at 
  9.30 
  a. 
  in., 
  all 
  preparations 
  having 
  been 
  made 
  

   before 
  our 
  arrival. 
  We 
  finished 
  the 
  following 
  day, 
  having 
  received 
  on 
  

   board 
  97f 
  tons. 
  A 
  few 
  necessary 
  repairs 
  in 
  the 
  engineer's 
  department 
  

   were 
  made 
  by 
  our 
  own 
  people. 
  

  

  At 
  5.45 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  March 
  30, 
  we 
  got 
  under 
  way 
  and 
  proceeded 
  to 
  sea. 
  

   The 
  weather 
  was 
  partly 
  cloudy 
  during 
  the 
  day, 
  with 
  light 
  northerly 
  

   winds 
  and 
  smooth 
  sea. 
  In 
  the 
  evening 
  it 
  became 
  squally, 
  with 
  frequent 
  

   lightning 
  to 
  the 
  northward 
  and 
  eastward, 
  a 
  heavy 
  rain-squall 
  passing 
  

   over 
  us 
  during 
  the 
  last 
  hour. 
  At 
  daylight 
  the 
  following 
  morning 
  it 
  was 
  

  

  