﻿[21] 
  WORK 
  OF 
  STEAMER 
  ALBATROSS. 
  23 
  

  

  about 
  18 
  inches 
  below 
  it, 
  but 
  there 
  was 
  still 
  left 
  a 
  belt 
  of 
  2 
  feet 
  or 
  more 
  

   in 
  width 
  entirely 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  corroding 
  influence 
  of 
  sea- 
  water. 
  

  

  The 
  vessel 
  then 
  spent 
  two 
  weeks 
  in 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  River, 
  thus 
  for 
  a 
  

   second 
  time 
  removing 
  the 
  barnacles, 
  grass, 
  &c, 
  from 
  the 
  bottom. 
  Leav- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  Mississippi, 
  she 
  was 
  about 
  six 
  weeks 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  

   and 
  Atlantic, 
  when 
  she 
  again 
  reached 
  the 
  Potomac, 
  where 
  she 
  remained 
  

   for 
  seven 
  weeks, 
  removing 
  all 
  marine 
  growths 
  from 
  the 
  bottom 
  for 
  a 
  

   third 
  time 
  since 
  docking. 
  

  

  Had 
  the 
  paint 
  remained 
  unbroken 
  on 
  the 
  wetted 
  surface, 
  the 
  condi- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  remarkably 
  good 
  ; 
  but 
  unfortunately 
  

   there 
  was 
  quite 
  a 
  large 
  surface 
  almost 
  entirely 
  devoid 
  of 
  paint, 
  on 
  which 
  

   oxidation 
  was 
  taking 
  place 
  very 
  rapidly, 
  notably 
  so 
  on 
  surfaces 
  which 
  

   have 
  been 
  in 
  -contact 
  with 
  the 
  dredge-rope. 
  Contact 
  of 
  the 
  sounding- 
  

   wire 
  with 
  the 
  ship's 
  bottom 
  produced 
  results 
  hardly 
  to 
  be 
  contemplated 
  

   from 
  a 
  surface 
  so 
  minute. 
  In 
  fact, 
  the 
  contact 
  of 
  these 
  hardened 
  steel 
  

   surfaces 
  with 
  the 
  softer 
  metal 
  of 
  the 
  ship's 
  bottom 
  not 
  only 
  removed 
  

   the 
  paint, 
  but 
  actually 
  abraded 
  the 
  surface 
  to 
  a 
  small 
  extent, 
  leaving 
  it 
  

   in 
  the 
  most 
  favorable 
  condition 
  for 
  rapid 
  corrosion. 
  

  

  The 
  excessive 
  oxidation 
  on 
  the 
  exposed 
  surfaces 
  of 
  the 
  propeller 
  

   shafts 
  is 
  doubtless 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  friction 
  incident 
  to 
  their 
  rapid 
  revolution 
  

   iu 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  ordinary 
  friction 
  of 
  progression, 
  to 
  which 
  other 
  por- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  the 
  submerged 
  body 
  are 
  subject, 
  all 
  combining 
  to 
  wear 
  quickly 
  

   the 
  paint 
  from 
  their 
  surfaces, 
  leaving 
  them 
  exposed 
  to 
  the 
  corroding 
  in- 
  

   fluence 
  of 
  salt 
  water. 
  

  

  In 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  peculiar 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  vessel 
  is 
  

   engaged, 
  I 
  consider 
  it 
  absolutely 
  essential 
  to 
  scrape 
  and 
  paint 
  her 
  bot- 
  

   tom 
  twice 
  a 
  year. 
  

  

  We 
  were 
  delayed 
  by 
  rainy 
  weather, 
  and 
  did 
  not 
  finish 
  painting 
  until 
  

   Friday, 
  May 
  29. 
  A 
  priming 
  coat 
  of 
  red 
  lead 
  was 
  put 
  on, 
  and 
  a 
  coal 
  of 
  

   white 
  zinc 
  (one-tenth 
  red 
  lead) 
  put 
  on 
  over 
  it. 
  The 
  ship 
  was 
  put 
  into 
  

   the 
  water 
  at 
  10 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  the 
  30th, 
  and 
  left 
  for 
  Norfolk 
  at 
  2 
  p. 
  m., 
  arriv- 
  

   ing 
  at 
  the 
  navy-yard 
  at 
  8 
  a. 
  m. 
  the 
  following 
  morning. 
  We 
  forwarded 
  

   requisitions 
  for 
  coal 
  from 
  Baltimore, 
  and 
  on 
  our 
  arrival 
  found 
  a 
  portion 
  

   of 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  wharf 
  ready 
  for 
  us. 
  We 
  commenced 
  taking 
  it 
  on 
  board 
  at 
  

   8 
  a. 
  m. 
  on 
  Monday, 
  June 
  1, 
  and 
  finished 
  at 
  7 
  p. 
  m. 
  the 
  same 
  day, 
  having 
  

   taken 
  134 
  2 
  A^ 
  tons. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  fact 
  worthy 
  of 
  notice, 
  considering 
  that 
  it 
  

   was 
  shoveled 
  from 
  the 
  wharf 
  into 
  baskets, 
  passed 
  on 
  board 
  over 
  the 
  

   rail, 
  put 
  into 
  the 
  bunkers, 
  and 
  stowed 
  by 
  our 
  own 
  small 
  crew. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  James 
  E. 
  Benedict 
  arrived 
  on 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  June 
  2, 
  and 
  at 
  1 
  

   p. 
  m. 
  everything 
  was 
  ready 
  for 
  sea, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  fresh 
  bait, 
  

   which 
  we 
  had 
  been 
  unable 
  to 
  procure 
  in 
  Norfolk 
  or 
  the 
  vicinity, 
  not- 
  

   withstanding 
  our 
  vigorous 
  efforts 
  in 
  that 
  direction. 
  Our 
  only 
  remain- 
  

   ing 
  resource 
  being 
  the 
  fishermen 
  of 
  the 
  Chesapeake, 
  or 
  the 
  fisli 
  fac- 
  

   tories 
  on 
  its 
  shores, 
  we 
  left 
  the 
  navy-yard 
  at 
  1.20 
  p. 
  m. 
  and 
  at 
  4 
  p. 
  m. 
  

   anchored 
  off 
  Back 
  River, 
  and 
  sent 
  the 
  steam-cutter 
  in 
  for 
  menhaden, 
  

   but 
  they 
  had 
  none 
  at 
  the 
  factory 
  and 
  had 
  seen 
  none 
  for 
  several 
  days. 
  

  

  