INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ALBATROSS. 257 
tically completed on the first of January, 1891, and it only remained 
to dock, clean, and paint the bottom and take on board coal and pay- 
master’s stores, to fit the vessel for sea. 
We had a dock trial of the engines on the afternoon of January 7, 
when everything was found to work satisfactorily. KE. A. Anderson, 
ensign, U.S. Navy, reported for duty January 13, and J. H. L. Hol- 
combe, lieutenant (junior grade), U.S. Navy, on the 15th. The vessel 
went-into the naval dry dock on the 21st, when the work of scraping 
and painting commenced. The bottom was very foul, between 15 and 
20 tons of foreign matter being scraped from it. Chief Engineer C. R. 
Roelker, U.S. Navy, was sent to the naval hospital on the 22d, with 
acute bronchitis, and Assistant Engineer J. R. Wilmer, U. 8. Navy, 
reported for duty the following day, Mr. Roelker being detached. We 
came out of the dock on the 26th and steamed down to San Fran- 
cisco, anchoring at 4:30 p.m. Commenced coaling from a lighter the 
following morning. 
At 10:30 p. m., after the crew were in their hammocks, cries of dis- 
tress were heard, and it was soon ascertained that a boat had swamped, 
leaving a number of men struggling in the water. A strong tide was 
running and there was quite a heavy swellin the bay. Thedingey was 
manned as quickly as possible, and Lieut. Holcombe, officer of the deck, 
took charge and went to the rescue, finally picking up seven men 
belonging to the American ship Reuce, and a boatman belonging to the 
Sailors’ Home, some of them in an exhausted condition. They were 
brought on board, and under the hands of the surgeon and others made 
comfortable for the night. Some time after the return of the dingey the 
small flatboat was discovered astern attempting to reach the ship, but 
was unable to stem the tide. Assistance was sent, and it was found 
that John Kiely, captain of the hold, had rescued two more men, mak- 
ing nine in all. It seems that after the departure of the dingey, Kiely 
discovered by the cries of the drowning men that the party was becom- 
ing separated, and, lowering the small flatboat, went to the rescue, 
with the result mentioned above. 
San Francisco to Panama.—We finished coaling on the morning of 
the 30th, having received 199 tons; stores were received in the mean- 
time, and vacancies in the crew filled by enlistment. We left San 
Francisco at 1:07 p. m. the same day for Panama, using one boiler and 
consuming 10 tons of coal per day. The vessel displaced 1,140 tons on 
her departure. 
The weather was hazy and squally at. times, with southwest and 
southeast winds after leaving port. Passed through Santa Cruz Chan- 
nel at 3 a.m. February 1; made Santa Catalina Island at daylight on 
the morning of the 2d, about 90 miles distant; and a little before sunset 
the same evening Guadeloupe was seen between 60 and 70 miles. 
Passed Cerros Island next day, it being distinctly visible at a distance 
of 60 miles. Very little surface life was seen; a few gulls were about 
H, Mis, 118-17 
