418 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [48] 



a reduction of area of 26 per cent, in the grooved specimens, and 56,000 

 pounds in the long specimens, with 35,000 pounds elastic limit, and 26 

 per cent, reduction of area. It is rarely that three- fourths-inch iron 

 plates reach such high figures. Some of the flauge iron (heads, furnace 

 flues, etc.) failed in the shop; specimens from plates substituted were 

 tested on the machine belonging to the supervising inspector at Balti- 

 more. The contractors having failed to press satisfactory hemispher- 

 ical braces for the back connections, asked the privilege and were al- 

 lowed to make them of "low steel" (in reality ingot iron). Specimens 

 from these showed 57,142 pounds per square inch, with 66 per cent, re- 

 duction of area. I was careful to see that they were annealed. The 

 formers on which they were made were borrowed from the chief engi- 

 neer of the Washington navy-yard. 



The first main boiler was put on board August 5, and the second the 

 11th of the same month. As soon as they were closed steam was 

 raised in the donkey-boiler and turned into the main boilers for the 

 purpose of drying the kaolin which they were putting on. Thus the 

 drying was kept up day and night. I utilized our own crew, doing 

 whatever work it could, whether the items were included in the con- 

 tract or not, in order to complete the arrangements and get the ship 

 ready for sea. As the mechanics in the yard were vigorous patrons of 

 the Knights of Labor, I was in constant fear that they would strike, on 

 account of the amount of their work which our enlisted men were doing. 

 In urging our work in the yard as well as on board ship, my own posi- 

 tion became very much like that of a foreman in that ship-yard. The 

 last delay was in getting the iron to lengthen the smoke-pipe. The 

 pipe was erected September 6, the ventilators were put in on the 7th, 

 and we raised steam on the 8th, at the earliest moment. The captain 

 had declared his intention to sail as soon as we could run the engines. 

 The last connection was made on the 14th, and the same day we raised 

 steam and turned the engines over. At 10 o'clock that night the boiler- 

 room gratings and ladders were temporarily in place, and although the 

 boiler-room had not been painted, we went to sea at daylight on the 

 following morning. 



Instead of making the customary trial trip, the ship sailed directly to 

 the deep water on the inner edge of the Gulf Stream, and begau her 

 regular fishery investigations, including dredging. On arriving at 

 Wood's Holl I reported certain leaks in the boilers to the contractors, 

 and boiler- makers were sent to calk them. The boilers were then ac- 

 cepted, but seventy-five working days over and above the contract limit 

 had been required to complete them. 



The total weight, as well as the potential and economic performance 

 of the boilers, came within a small percentage of the results of my orig- 

 inal calculations. The new boilers and bunkers are all contained within 

 the bulkheads which inclosed the original ones, but there is now room 

 for four days' additional coal, and 25 per cent, more maximum power. 



