REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



[2J 



Some repairs and alterations made it necessary to send the steamer 

 back to the ship-yard of the builders ; and in April, 1883, the vessel 

 made her first cruise on the business of the Commission. 



Lieut, (now Lieutenant-Commander) Z. L. Tanner was ordered by the 

 Navy Department to superintend the construction of the vessel. He 

 made many important suggestions, and his practical experience was of 

 the utmost benefit in the final determination of the plan of construc- 

 tion. The equipment of the vessel was entirely under his direction, and 

 to his ingenuity is due a large number of the novel and important de- 

 vices and improvements adopted. » 



SPENCER F. BAIRD, 



Commissioner. 



B.— CONSTRUCTION OF THE ALBATROSS. 



The United States Fish Commission steamer Albatross is an Iron 

 twin-screw vessel, built by the Pusey and Jones Company, of Wilming- 

 ton, Del. She was launched August 19, 1882 (see frontispiece). 



Her general dimensions are as follows : 



Length, over all, 234 feet. 



Length at 12-foot water-line, 200 feet. 



Breadth of beam, moulded, 27 feet 6 inches. 



Depth from top of floor to top of deck beams, 16 feet 9 inches. 



Sheer forward, 5 feet 2 inches. 



Sheer aft., 3 feet. 



Height of deck-house amidships, 7 feet 3 inches. 



Displacement on 12-foot water-line, 1,074 tons. 



Registered tonnage (net), 384 tons. 



ANCHORS AND CHAINS. 



One 1,900 pounds, 120 fathoms, If-inch chain. 

 One 1,288 pounds, 120 fathoms, l^^-inch ehain. 

 One 1,030 pounds. 



One 600 pounds, 250 fathoms. Bullivant's. 

 Elastic steel wire cable, 3i inches diameter. 



She is rigged as a brigantine, carrying sail to a foretop-gallant sail. 

 The spars are of white pine and spruce, and the following are their 

 dimensions, viz : 



SPAES. 



!N'aine. 



Diameter 

 in inches. 



Mainmast above main deck . 



Maintop-mast above cap 



Foremast above dect 



Foretop-mast above cap 



Fore yard, length 



Foretop-sail yard, length 



Foretop-gallant yard, length. 



Fore gaff 



Main boom 



Main gaff 



Dredging boom 



20 

 21 



m 

 11 



9 



54 



74 

 124 



94 

 10 



Bowsprit, 13 inches square, 10 feet outboard to shoulder. Eound-top on foremast. Cross-trees on 

 mainmast. 



