National Republican., 1883-01-04
THE ALBATROSS.
The New Vessel Built for the Use Of the Fish
ommission
She Now Lies "IdIo MS Painted ship" at
the Navy Yard.

! The question of tho best means Of increas-
ing fish propagation ON sea coasts, Of collect
ing exact data in regard to the habits and diet
of the deniSons of the deep, and finding out
some scientific knowledge in regard to fish
culture has of late years assumed wonderful
impetns in the United States. A few years ago
Prof. Miner began, at Gloucester, series of
experiments, under the direction Of the United
States Fish commission, in regard 10 the pro-
! pagatiOn of Goldfish. The experiments were
SO successful both from q commercial and
scientific standpoint, that it was determined
TO increase tho scope of operations. With
| this end in view tho United States
steamer Fishhawk was built for the
uso of tho commission, to hatch tho
| eggs and to transport tho young fish as
soon as they made their appearance. Further
| Investigations have shown that the large
fishing grounds Of this country are practically
a terra, OF, more correctly speaking aqua incog.
nita. The movements of many fish are entirely
| unknown; banks teeming with fish have not
been located by the ordinary fisherman, or If
! located the habits Of the finny tribe are such
an unknown quantity that fishermen have
neither time nor money to experiment in
catching them. lt is known that the Sitka
| fisheries arc wealthier in cod than even the
| great banks of Newfoundland and that if
| properly utilized this country could be entirely
independent OF the Canadian fisheries. To
prosecute these inquiries and to make
some important deep sea sOundings Sim
| liar to those made on the celebrated
cruise Of IL. NJ. S. Challenger, the United
! States steamer Albatross has been built at u
cost of 100000, and is now at the navy yard,
in this city, taking on stores preparatory to
her first cruise. AS tho Albatross lies of the
west shipyard, her black hull rising above the
dock, she looks able to skim the ocean on the
| nj OH "a n NNpn tlpr hn uuIta taCt
northeaster. She is built on the correct lines
for speed, being very long and narrow in the
| beam, and will be able TO steam ut twelve
knots an hour. Paymaster G. III. Read and
| Passed Assistant Engineer c. w. Baird very
courtoously gave a REPUBLICAN reporter the
| following interesting facts in regard to the
construction of the vessel: She is 200 feet
long ON the J.. w. L., % feet inches beam,
and 16 feet 8 inches depth of hold. She
draws IL feet of water, aud displaces at that
draft 1000 tons of water, her gross tonnage
being 200 tons and net 400 The keel is bar
SX2l the two bilge koels 16 inches deep, so
feet long, ( thick between 4x6 anglo iron.
the stern post is 74x2l, stem 74x2f The
frames are 4X3x7-16; reverse bar 3x3xs on
every frame, and extending alternately TO
! the stringplate, and TO 10 inches above the
turn of the bilge. The center kcelson, on
top OF reserve Nars, is 12Xilxs, and 8
feet 8 inches from that on each
/
7-1G, the intercostal plates being I, connected
with q angle irons. The deck beams are TX
! 32X7-l6, placed on alternate frames. The
main deck stringers, ties on main deck, and
hold stringers, are all in due proportion. Tho
| vessel is divided into seven water-tight bulk
heads, the compartments between them being
connected TO q main hold by separate pipes
under the control of the engineer, so that he
can pump out either compartment independ-
emily of the others. The engines are COM
| pound, and drive turn screws, the high pres
! sure cylinder being IS inches, and the low
pressure "a inches in diameter. The screws
are 0 feet in diameter, ii feet 10 inches mean
pitch, 26 inches long on line of their axis, and
| have four blades. There are two boilers, with
| n large heating surface. The interior accom-
odations are more complete and commodious
than are usually found in government ves-
sci. The ventilation is to be effected by arti-
fetal means, the apparatus being tho inven-
tion of Engineer Baird, and is what is known
as the aspiration method. The foul air will
be exhausted from every part of the ship by
means of a No. Sturtevant, and will be re-
placed by pure air. Tho vessel carries 1000
gallon Baird distiller, by which the water is
at once aerated, cooled, filtered and becomes
potable. The Albatross will carry 5000
fathoms of B-inch steel wire rope for TRAVELLING
and for dredging, and have apparatus of the
latest pattern. The winding rope will be
wound and paid out by steam engine, and
as the tension on the rope will be enor-
nous an automatic governor has been
devised by Capt. H. Tanner by which the
tension Of the rope will be registered to a
nicety. A prominent feature of the internal
arrangement of the vessel are two laboratories,
which will contain everything to delight the
soul of the "sharps," as the sailors call the
scientific corps. One of the laboratories is on
tho upper deck amidships and the other inn
mediately below. Here the microscopic
work will be carried on, the specimens pre-
pared and the taXidermists find q place for
recording the results of their observations.
The vessel will be steered by an ingenious
and complicated steam quartermaster, the
invention OF Mr.. Baird, and has an inde-
pendent wheel in case of accident. The
ship is lighted from stem to stern with
Edison incandescent electric lights. In each
officers cabin, in the ward room, in the
galleys, in the captains cabin, and on deck
glass receivers. Each lamp has u switch, by
which the light can be turned Off as easily as
gas, and again ignited by simply turning the
switch. The wires to each lamp run into q
metal cap, so that in case of short circuit" "
being formed the solder will melt, and imme-
diately cut oil the flow of electricity BY this
Contrivance there can be no possible danger of
the ship ever being set on fire by it, For il
Eliminating the sea at night the Brush electric
light will be employed, SO that it will be as
easy to work by night as by day. In the way
OF small boats the Albatro3s carries two steam
launches, and a large yawl 300 feet long.
The launches are OF the HerreshoR pattern.
One OF them, built of mahogony, carries her
propeller andships, and it can be worked
either directly at right angles with the keel
OF parallel with it, 1t can also be raised or
lowered at pleasure, so that the launch can
be nayigated in very shallow water. The
launches will be equipped With all the inn
plementS necessary for the capture Of seals
and other fish Of the same character. They
are provided with bull,heads, so as TO make
them life boats From this description it
will be seen that the Albatross is model
vessel of her kind, and as she is the first YES
sci built solely for the purpose of scientific
sea observations she will probably make
her mark. The vessel will be oiiicered as
follows Lieut.. Zera H. Tanner, u. S. N, COM
manding; Lieut.. Seaton Schroeder, u. S. NJ,
executive officer Surgeon j. ii. Kidder, Pay
master G, IL. Read, Engineer G. w. Baird,
Lieut.. s. IL. May, Master A. @. Baker, Mid
shipman r. il. Miner, and will carry II crew
Of siXty-seven men all told. After taking on
stores here the Albatross will return to. Will
mingtOn to have some slight alterations made
| in her reversing gear. She viii then come
back here and probably be ordered to cruise
! in the gulf of Mexico. In the summer of
the present year she will take the United
States fish exhibit to the London fisheries ex-
| hibition. Prof. Baird has not yet appointed
\ his corps of sharps."
! q