In order to further increase economy a radical change was made in the method of supplying the turbines with gland steam. As installed, all turbine glands required the use of live steam, which with turbines of such large dimensions, was quite an item. By a simple change in pipe leads and valves, the leak off from the H. P. ahead glands, which formerly led to the condenser, was piped to supply the glands of all astern turbines and the I. P. and L. P. ahead turbines, thus utilizing a three-inch line of steam which was formerly wasted in the condenser. It is believed that this vessel is the only vessel afloat that uses this system of gland steam. The above concludes briefly a history of the major items of alterations and repairs in the engine rooms. In the fire rooms, all boilers were opened up and thoroughly cleaned and all zincs removed. My attention was first attracted by several burned boilers and next by the elaborate system of automatic feeding of each individual boiler by means of floats, levers, valves, etc. This system was at once dismantled, removed from all boilers and scrapped. I then heard reports that the Germans had experienced great trouble with leaky tubes at the back ends of the boilers. Trams were at once made and accurate measurements taken on the expansion of the boiler between upper and lower drums on raising steam. This was found to be quite excessive and greatest between the back ends of the drums. After several experiments and deductions from results obtained, it was decided to remove the short circular internal feed in the front end of the steam drum and fit a standard Navy internal feed pipe running the entire length of the drum. This was done in all boilers and the expansion was reduced about eighty per cent. Since her commission we have never had to reroll a leaky boiler tube. From commissioning to Nov. 11, 1918, there has been a total of 7,198 boiler steaming days, or an average per boiler of 156.5 days of 3,756 hours. Great care was exercised in the cleanliness of the boilers and boiler water. No pits or corrosion have been found in any part of the boilers. On the first trip overseas great difficulty was experienced in steaming, all boilers were in use and 144 revolutions per minute was about the maximum speed we could maintain for any length of time. There was an excessive amount of clinker formation covering the grate bars. On diagnosing this trouble and consulting standard works on combustion, air required per pound of fuel, etc., it was decided that the grate bars did not have sufficient air space. From computations made, a new grate bar was designed with an increase in air space over the old of thirty-five per cent. Our troubles in this line at once ceased, and our trip home was made at 151 revolutions per minute with forty-six boilers in use. Later we used thirty-eight to forty boilers for as high as 154 revolutions per minute.