The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-06 00:00:00

THE ROYAL NAVY.

The Lords. Commissioners of the Admiralty have
given strict orders that the practice hitherto pursued of
employing the engineers' apprentices in her Majesty's
steam vessels as servants to the engineers shall be im-
mediately discontinued, and that the boys shall for the
future be employed exclusively in acquiring a know-
ledge of the duties of their profession, in order that the
object of their Lordships in appointing them, vii., that
they may become useful and expert engineers, may be
bona fide carried into effect.
This is a most judicious order upon the part of their
Lordships, it being a well-known fact, that the tuition
of many of these apprentices has been very much
slighted while afloat, in consequence of their being em-
ployed to wait upon the engineers, although the first
engineer of every steam-vessel in the service is allowed,
in addition AO his pay, 6d. per day for each apprentice,
belonging to the vessel in which a first class engineer:,
may IPerYigrouiri.;,,
REdI7LATIONS AS TO THE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXA-
MINATION •OF ENGINEERS IN HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE.

First Engineer.—No person will be considered quali-
fied to hold the warrant of a first class engineer who is
not able to keep accounts, and to make notes in the log
of every particular of the working of engines and boilers.
He must be thoroughly acquainted with the principles
on which the machine works in all its parts, and capable
of setting right any defects which may arise in the en-
gine or boilers ; and also to adjust the length of the va-
rious rosis and motions, slide valves and eccentrics.
He roust have been at sea as an engineer, and be ca-
pable of workinz, starting, and stopping the engines, &c.,
and to make rough sketches, correct in proportions, of
any part of the machinery, and willing to take charge of;
and teach, the apprentices.
Second Eag,ineers—Must not be inferior in educa-
tion to the first engineers, and but little behind in
mechanical acquirements, with the exception of the nice
points of adjustment of slides, parallels, motions, &c.
Third Engineers—Should be equal in education to
the second and first engineers, and will be selected
either from the seuicr class of apprentices, or appointed
direct from a factory. They must be accustomed to
engine-work, and acquainted with the principles of the
engine, with the names of all its parts, their uses, and
effect in producing motion.
Examination.—No person will be deemed eligible
' for an appointment as engineer, or for promotion to the
second or first classes, until he has passed an examina-
tion on the points above stated, or on such further
points as the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
may from time to time think proper to require before
the chief engineer and inspector of steam-machinery, or
such other officers as they may appoint for that purpose.
REGULATIONS AS TO THE INSTRUCTION AND .QUALIFI-

CATION OF ENGINEERS' APPRENTICES'
Fourth Class.—Boys on entering the service as fourth
class apprentices must not be less than 14 years of age.
They must be of goo:1 moral character and sound bo-
dily cw-utitution, able to write, and to work a question
in the rule of three. _ _

They will be kept one year in the dockyard at
Woolwich, where they will receive the necessary in-
struction, and their cap,.bilities will be ascertained.
( We believe the factory at Woolwich is not yet in a
sufficieetly forward state to carry this regulation into ef-
fect ; the boys are, therefore, appokted to ships on their
first entry.)
Third Class.—At the expiration of their third year
of service the boys will be considered eligible for re-
moval to the third class, if on examination they appear
to have made themselves acquainted with the names and
us?s of every part of the engine, gauges, barometers,
&c., and the reasons for blowing off the boilers.

Second Class.—lf boys on the fourth year of their
entrance into the service, being then 18 years of age,
be acquainted, through the instruction of the chief en-
gineer, with the whole principle of the engine and
boilers, with the use of all the various tools, and with
the mode of effecting repairs, as far as they are per-
formed on board ; if they be able to take off and re-
place any of the working parts, pack the slide valves,
piston piston-rods, and stuffing boxes ; if they under-
stand the action and condensation of steam, the return,
of the water into the boilers, the construction of all the,
pumps, and of the feeding and blowing-off apparatas,'
safety valves, &c., and can chalk out roughly the out-
lines of the enuints and wheels, and have become gene-
rally useful, they will be considered fit for removal to
the second class.
Boys of the second class, having attained the fifth and
last year of their apprenticeship, will be again trans-
ferred to the dockyard cheek, there to be solely under
the direction of the resident engineer of the establish-
ment, where a more extended practical knowledge, &c.,
can be acquired. A portion of their time is to be passed
at the forge, the brazier's shop, the lathe, and the foun-
dry, under proper instruction, a general acquaintance
with each being necessary for an engineer. They arc
also to improve themselves in arithmetic.
First Class.—At the expiration of the fifth year,
having then reached the age of 19, if, on a strict exa-
mination, the apprentices be found qualified for the ap-
pointment of third-class engineers, they will be removed
to the list of the first class, and
.be considered candi-
dates for promotion, and will tae precedence according

to conduct and abilities.
APPOINTMENTS, RANIi, PAY-ALLOWANCE, AND SUPER•
ANNUATION OF ENGINEERS, AND THE PAY OF EN•
GINEEIIS' BOYS IN THE NAVY.

APPOINTMENT.
Engineers to be appointed by warrant from the Lords
Commissioners of the Adinir,Aty, or by Commanders-in-
Chief on foreign stations in vacancies occasioned by
death, in the same manner as other warrant officers of

the navy arc nor/ appointed.
No person to be deemed eligible for an appointment
as engineer of any class until he shall have passed such
examination as the Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty may from time to time think proper to require
for such class, before the chief engineer and inspector
of steam machinery, or such ether officer as they may
appoint for that purpose.
RANK.

Engineers to be distributed into three classes, and to
rank next below carpenters, and with each other ac-
cording to their standing on the official list.
PAY AND ALLOWANCES . .

to engineers wh;n serving on board one of her Majesty's
steam-vessels in commission ; or in any of her Majesty's
dockyards, whenever their services may be required
there ; or in repairing their own or any other vessel in
the home dockyards, Holyhead, the river Thames,
Portsmouth or Plymouth harbour, or when the vessel
to which they belong is paid off, and they are still re-
tained on board :
First Class.-121. per lunar month, and 6d. a day for
each engineer's boy whom:they instruct.
Sc3nd Class.-81. per lunar month.
Third Class.-51. Gs. per lunar month.
When serving on board one of her Majesty's steam-
vcsscls within the tropics, white the steam is up, one-
half the amount of the pay of the respective classes in
addition.
Engineers of vessels in commission, when employed
in repairing defects of other vessels than those in which
they ale serving (except in the home dockyards, Holy-
head, the river Thames, Portsmouth or Plymouth har-
bour), to be allowed extra pay, as warrant officers, in
addition, according to the scale established by her Ma-
jesty's regulations.
When borne on the books of the guardships of the
ordinary, and not actually employed in the charge or
repair of steam machinery-Ist class, per month,
71. 17s. Od. ; 2d class, per month, 4/. 18s. 0.1. ; 3d
class, per month, 3/. Bs. Od.
SUPERANNUATION.

To be upon the scale established for warrant officers
of the Royal Navy by Order in Council of the Ch of
April, 1838.

PAY OF ENGINEERS' BOYS.
(Per lunar month.)
First class, 11. 14s. ; second class, 11. 6s. ; third
class, 1/. 3s. ; fourth class, 14s. 6d.
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are
pleased to direct that the following scales he adopted
for regulating the allotments and monthly allowance of
engineers while actively employed, and while employcd
in guardships