[41] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 645 



« 



the year is 10.4 knots, and highest average for 7 hours, uninfluenced by 

 wind or sea, is 9.93 knots. 



The shaking of the ship (which has never been violent) has been 

 somewhat reduced by the counter-balance wheels (Plate V) which we 

 had built by the Steam Engineering Department at the Washington 

 navy-yard, in January. The writer designed them in two parts, in 

 order to get the wheels on without disturbing the shafts, and by filling 

 certain pockets with lead we contributed counter-balance to the en- 

 gines. It has always been difficult to move the engines by hand, owing 

 to the preponderance of the moving parts over the original counter- 

 balances ; this has been modified by making teeth on the periphery of 

 the wheel (Plate V) which afford additional points for " pinching" the 

 engines. These new counter-balance wheels fit over the forward webs 

 of the low-pressure cranks. The cost of the two wheels complete was 

 $314.04, or about 7f cents per pound. 



The new feed-pump valves, referred to in my last report, have ful- 

 filled my most sanguine expectation ; the pumps have not failed for an 

 instant, during the year, and their noise has been very much dimin- 

 ished. 



During the year we have fitted a new key to the starboard rock, 

 shaft, and have put new anti-attrition metal in the port low-pressure 

 crank-pin brasses ; we have raised the main valves on their stems to 

 restore the lead. 



The following synopsis for the year's run covers the time the ship was 

 running, iu free route, on her course ; it includes the time the vessel 

 was slowed down, in fogs, going into and coming out of port, running 

 between dredging stations, &c, but not the time soundings or dredgings 

 were being taken. We have considerable trouble to keep the valve- 

 stems of the high-pressure valves and those of the high-pressure cut- 

 offs tight for any extended period ; this is owing to the shallowness of 

 the stuffing-boxes and also to the uneven wear of cut-off rods. I will 

 make a requisition for the Katzenstine metallic packing for these rods 

 at the beginning of the year. We have replaced the main air-pump 

 valves with hard rubber valves, purchased of the Davidson Steam Pump 

 Company at a cost of $29.10. 



Synopsis of the steam log of the Albatross for the year 1886. 

 Engines : 



Mean point of cutting-off, in the high-pressure cylinders, from 



commencement of stroke inches.. 16.3 



Mean point of cutting-off, in the low-pressure cylinders, from 



commencement of stroke inches.. 16.8 



Mean number of holes of throttle-valve open 4. 19 



Mean vacuum in the condenser inches . . 22. 7 



Mean pressure in the boilers, per square inch pounds . . 47. 9 



Mean pressure in starboard receiver, per square inch, above 



zero pounds.. 19.3 



Mean pressure in port receiver, per square inch, above zero. ..do 20 



