﻿52 
  REPOET 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [50] 
  

  

  STEAM 
  CUTTERS. 
  

  

  The 
  steam 
  cutter 
  and 
  steam 
  gig 
  continue 
  to 
  give 
  great 
  satisfaction. 
  

   During 
  the 
  year 
  we 
  have 
  taken 
  out 
  the 
  boilers 
  twice, 
  and 
  have 
  over- 
  

   hauled 
  the 
  machinery. 
  We 
  have 
  put 
  a 
  new 
  high-pressure 
  steam- 
  valve 
  

   in 
  the 
  cutter, 
  to 
  replace 
  one 
  worn 
  away 
  to 
  a 
  knife-edge 
  on 
  one 
  side. 
  We 
  

   have 
  had 
  the 
  line-shafts 
  out, 
  and 
  have 
  lined 
  them 
  up; 
  we 
  straightened 
  

   that 
  of 
  the 
  cutter; 
  it 
  had 
  been 
  bent 
  by 
  the 
  screw 
  striking 
  something. 
  

   We 
  have 
  fitted 
  a 
  new 
  follower 
  to 
  the 
  piston 
  of 
  the 
  low-pressure 
  cylin- 
  

   der 
  of 
  the 
  cutter. 
  We 
  have 
  provided 
  new 
  air-punip 
  rods 
  for 
  both 
  boats, 
  

   which 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  better 
  vacuum. 
  We 
  have 
  put 
  new 
  steel 
  bushings 
  

   in 
  the 
  air-pump 
  connections 
  of 
  the 
  cutter, 
  and 
  provided 
  a 
  new 
  casing 
  

   for 
  the 
  smoke-pipe. 
  We 
  have 
  provided 
  the 
  gig 
  with 
  a 
  new 
  smoke-pipe 
  

   with 
  brass 
  casing 
  ; 
  it 
  replaced 
  the 
  old 
  one, 
  which 
  was 
  burned 
  out. 
  We 
  

   have 
  put 
  a 
  new 
  feed-pump 
  rod 
  and 
  a 
  new 
  plunger 
  on 
  the 
  hand 
  bilge- 
  

   puinp 
  of 
  the 
  cutter. 
  

  

  While 
  the 
  engine 
  was 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  cutter, 
  a 
  man, 
  in 
  getting 
  into 
  the 
  

   boat, 
  jumped 
  on 
  and 
  broke 
  the 
  flange 
  off 
  the 
  bottom 
  blow 
  connection 
  ; 
  

   this 
  was 
  the 
  only 
  break 
  that 
  occurred 
  to 
  the 
  boat 
  during 
  the 
  year 
  that 
  

   would 
  have 
  detained 
  her 
  an 
  hour 
  from 
  her 
  work. 
  We 
  replaced 
  the 
  

   flange 
  at 
  the 
  Washington 
  yard. 
  

  

  SIGNALS. 
  

  

  The 
  number 
  of 
  signals 
  struck 
  upon 
  our 
  engine-room 
  gongs 
  during 
  

   the 
  process 
  of 
  sounding 
  and 
  dredging 
  is 
  so 
  great 
  that 
  mistakes 
  both 
  in 
  

   striking 
  and 
  answering 
  must 
  be 
  expected 
  ; 
  when 
  such 
  a 
  mistake 
  oc- 
  

   curs, 
  great 
  mischief 
  sometimes 
  follows 
  before 
  it 
  is 
  discovered. 
  To 
  ob- 
  

   viate 
  this 
  I 
  have 
  devised 
  an 
  annunciator, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  built 
  and 
  

   attached, 
  and 
  which 
  has 
  worked 
  quite 
  well. 
  I 
  append 
  a 
  copy 
  of 
  the 
  

   report 
  of 
  a 
  board 
  of 
  U. 
  S. 
  naval 
  engineer 
  officers, 
  which 
  describes 
  the 
  

   machine. 
  The 
  Navy 
  Department 
  has 
  adopted 
  this 
  machine 
  for 
  their 
  

   new 
  ships. 
  

  

  FRESH-WATER 
  DISTILLING 
  APPARATUS. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  year 
  we 
  have 
  distilled 
  51,320^ 
  gallons 
  of 
  water, 
  which 
  has 
  

   been 
  used 
  for 
  drinking, 
  cooking, 
  and 
  washing, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  for 
  the 
  

   steam 
  cutter 
  and 
  steam 
  gig. 
  A 
  leak 
  occurred 
  in 
  a 
  coil, 
  during 
  the 
  sum- 
  

   mer 
  months, 
  which 
  caused 
  brackish 
  water 
  ; 
  this 
  was 
  promptly 
  stopped 
  

   with 
  soft 
  solder. 
  Organic 
  matter 
  was 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  September, 
  

   but 
  this 
  was 
  traced 
  to 
  the 
  dirty 
  tanks. 
  With 
  these 
  two 
  exceptions 
  the 
  

   water 
  has 
  been 
  clean, 
  sweet, 
  sharp, 
  and 
  pure. 
  The 
  tanks 
  are 
  now 
  

   cleaned 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  einpty, 
  and 
  are 
  whitewashed 
  inside 
  before 
  refilling. 
  

  

  ELECTRIC 
  LIGHT. 
  

  

  The 
  Edison 
  incandescent 
  light 
  continues 
  satisfactory, 
  and 
  still 
  excites 
  

   admiration, 
  The 
  dynamo 
  (Fig. 
  G) 
  has 
  run 
  three 
  years 
  without 
  failure, 
  

  

  