260 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
vessel was iwovided, and was subsequently ordered as chief engineer, his cruise 
extending over the unusual period of five years. 
The writer assumed command INovember 11, 1882, and was detached May 1, 1894, 
having made a continnous cruise of eleven and a half years. 
This publication is essentially a revision and extension of the “lleport on the 
construction and outfit of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross, 1883,” and 
was undertaken at the instance of the late Commissioner, Marshall McDonald, who 
was desirous tliat the experience of the writer in deep-sea exploration, extending over a 
period of fifteen years, should be made available in a convenient form. It comprises an 
account of the important changes in appliances and improvement in methods, treating 
the several branches in detail, with a view of furnishing to the beginner such informa- 
tion as would have been most valuable to the writer when he first took up the work. 
Brief historical sketches are given of the development of physical and biological 
researches during the last half century leading up through the evolutionary stages to 
the present time, and finally illustrating the modern science of deep-sea investigation 
as practiced on board the Albatross. 
A change in the arrangement of fire-room and coal bunkers followed the installa- 
tion of new boilers of a different type from those originally in the vessel ; the ventilating 
apparatus has been mueh improved ; ingeniously constructed counter balances have 
been aj)plied to the main engines; and the mauenveriug qualities of the vessel are 
much improved by the introduction of pneumatic annunciators which enable the officer 
on the bridge to observe the movements of the engines by reference to a conveniently 
ifiaced dial and pointer. The old cast-iron propellers have been replaced by new ones 
of bronze, having finer iiitch and less weight; a Baird evaporator greatly improves the 
quality of water distilled for drinking ijnriioses and furnishes fresh feed for the boilers. 
The changes and additions to the scientific apparatus Avill be described in detail. 
Acknowledgments are made to the following authorities, Avho have been freely 
quoted : 
Sir C. Wyville Thomson, “Depths of the Sea” and “The Voyage of the 
Challenger.^^ 
Bear- Admiral G. E. Belknap, United States Navy, “Hamersley’s Naval Encyclo- 
pedia” and “Deep-Sea Soundings in the North Pacific.” 
Commander 0. D. Sigsbee, United States Navy, “Deep-Sea Sounding and 
Dredging.” 
Lieut. Commander Seaton Schroeder, United States Navy, and Chief Engineer 
George W. Baird, United States Navy, “Eeport on the Construction and Equipment 
of the U. S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross. 
The late J. H. Kidder, M. D., “Eeport on the thermometers of the United States 
Commission of Fish and Fisheries.” 
Mr. O. H. Tittmann, “United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Bulletin, No. 18.” 
The writer would also express his indebtedness to Dr. John Murray, of Edinburgh, 
Scotland, for a specially prepared paper on the methods of recognizing marine deposits, 
and to Prof. C. F. Marvin, United States Weather Bureau, for a paper on the method 
of correcting thermometers. 
Special thanks are tendered to Mr. James E. Benedict, the first resident naturalist 
of the Albatross, and to Mr. C. H. Townsend, who succeeded Mr. Benedict after a 
short interval, and still holds that responsible position, for data kindly furnished for 
the chapter on the preparation and preservation of specimens. 
