[49] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 653 



the casing ourselves. By the courtesy of the chief engineer of the 

 navy-yard we were permitted to use the shop. We purchased the 

 material from L. H. Schneider, of Washington. 

 The cost of repairs to the gig during the year was as follows : 



1 safety-valve spring $0.75 



1 high-pressure slide-valve 4.50 



1 high-pressure piston 13. 50 



1 low-pressure piston 17. 00 



Material for new hoiler casing 35.57 



Labor for new boiler casing 49. 68 



1 set of fire-bricks 2. 50 



Total r 123.50 



FRESH-WATER DISTILLING APPARATUS. 



During the year we have distilled 53,425 gallons of water, which has 

 been uniformly of good quality. A leak was discovered in the joint at 

 one end of the coils during the mouth of June. This leak was stopped 

 by a plumber's joint of soft solder, by a navy-yard workman, at a cost 

 of $9. 



The practice of cleaning and whitewashing the interior of the tanks 

 each time they are emptied is continued witb good results. 



ELECTRIO LIGHT. 



The uniformly white, steady, and agreeable light from our Edison 

 incandescent lamps has continued throughout the year. 



The commutator of our Z-dynamo, though much worn, is still effi- 

 cient. The engine is as efficient as when new, and gives us but little 

 trouble. The engine and dynamo are run by a coal-heaver. 



The usual amount of breakage of wires and burning out of cut-out 

 plugs has occurred, which has generally been traced to short circuiting 

 through sea- water, which leaks through the decks, &c, and gets at the 

 wires. 



We find, in repairing these wires (which are of copper) that they are 

 now quite soft and ductile, though they were quite brittle two years ago. 

 There can now be no doubt that a molecular change is going on in these 

 wires all the time. The three-light pendants, with their flexible cables, 

 have been used the entire year, to the exclusion of the arc lights. The 

 attachment at the end of the cable is troublesome in that the men break 

 them by sometimes screwing up too hard ; sometimes they burn out by 

 arcing, from failure to screw them up to good contact, and again by 

 dirt separating the contacts just enough for the purpose. 



One of the small tension-screws of the dynamo brushes has been re- 

 newed during the year, and drip-pans have been fitted to the pillow- 

 blocks of the dynamo, the blocks being cut out to receive the pans. 



