[33] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. G37 



ACCUMULATOR. 



The necessity is still felt for an improved accumulator having greater 

 elasticity under extreme tension. We have consulted the best spring 

 manufacturers in the country aud about exhausted the inventive talent 

 on board without thus far attaining the desired result. 



COUNTER-BALANCES. 



[Plate V.] 



When dredging very low speed is required, from one-half to li knots 

 per hour, and to attain it one propeller only is turned as slowly as pos- 

 sible, but even then we cannot always bring the vessel down to the de- 

 sired limit, except by stopping the engine until her headway is checked, 

 when it is started again. The revolutions could be brought down to 

 24 per minute in smooth water, but after the introduction of carefully 

 adjusted counter-balances a farther reduction to 18 revolutions per 

 minute was effected. 



These counter-balances were designed by Passed Assistant Engineer 

 George W. Baird, U. S. N., to reduce the vibration of the engines when 

 running at high speed, and it is gratifying to say that they have served 

 the purpose as well as the more important one mentioned above. 



SOUNDING FROM BOATS. 

 [Plate II.] 



The necessity for greater facilities for sounding from boats has been 

 apparent to us on several occasions when developing banks or shoals. 

 It is frequently desirable to extend lines of soundings from 2 or 3 

 fathoms to several hundred fathoms with the same boat, and we have 

 accomplished the object in a simple and inexpensive manner by fitting 

 our Tanner sounding machine to work on the stern of the steam cutter, 

 thus giving the boat a compact aud reliable apparatus for sounding in 

 depths from 1 to 1,000 fathoms. 



BAIRD'S ANNUNCIATORS. 



[Plate VI.] 



Among the most important improvements in mechanical appliances 

 during the year are the pneumatic annunciators designed by Mr. Baird, 

 showing by dial and index pointer, on the bridge and in the pilot-house, 

 what the engines are doing. It is desirable to know whether engine- 

 room signals are promptly and correctly answered on any steamer, but 

 doubly so on this vessel, where the safety of the apparatus depends 

 upon it. 



THE SIGSBEE DEEP-SEA SOUNDING MACHINE. 



This machine has performed its work admirably during the year. 

 We have crushed one reel, which caused the loss of some wire and two 

 or three sounding cups and thermometers before it was discovered, but 



