National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-16

public service And additional emphasis
was given to the insult by the fact that,
In the construction Of the new ships, "the
highest attainable speed" was required by
net of Congress. The officers who, by their
education and training, were qualifcd-and
who alone Of all the officers we're quail
flcd-to make plans for engines aud to de-
termine all the nice relations between hull
and machinery were as completely ignored
as II there had been no such corps.
But the board thus misconstTucted did
not produce all the results hoped for, and,
at later day, the Secretary was persuaded
TO call on the bureau Of engineering for
assistance. Last Sundays Democratic con-
temporary printed ian interview with
Commodore Lorlng, chief of the bureau Of
steam engineering, with regard TO the de-
signs, now in progress in that bureau, of
motive machinery for the new cruisers au-
thorized hy the last Congress-" In a sub
sequent issue the same paper says: at Ia
perhaps proper TO remark that every good
citizen hopes that the expectations of the
chief engineer will be realized, and that the
bureau may be able TO design engines which
will leave nothing to be desired,n
1t is very seriously doubted II all who
pass for "good citizens" have any desire
that our engineering bureau "may be able
to design engines which will leave nothing
to be desired" There is good reason for
the belief that an utter failure would be far
more welcome than success In eminently
respectable quarters. Judging what is by
what has been the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,
cannot permit itself to doubt that there
would be deal of rejoicing in naval circles
and among the friends of hundreds of Off.
GERS II "the expectations OF the chief ongl-
neern (the engineer-in.chiof is meant)
should fail in the most humiliatiug manner.
But the article from which we have quoted
goes on
il is worth while to bear in mind that the
standard of excellence in marine engines has
been exalted with great rapidly during the
past few years, and that while this develop.
ment hos been going on the engineer bureau
has had comparatively little opportunity to
express Its nl;i,iitios in practical shape. More.
over.it is, to say the least, an open question
lwhether men who have no practical oppor.
| tunities whatever. but who by forceOf circum-
| stances have been compelled to sit still and
| watch the achievements Of others, can reasona.
bly, be expected to leap at once into the front
rank when coerced by an emergency.
1t is true that our engineer corps has
constructed but few engines since the war;
but It has not failed to keep watchful oye
on all advances in marine engineering.
just before the war ended, Chief Engineer
sherwood, United States navy, designed,
and our engineer corps constructed, the
engines Of the fastest steam vessel that the
world has ever seem What was done then
can be repeated. There Is not in any oOun.
try Of Europe corps Of men In govern.
ment employ so well informed in steam
engineering as the engineer corps Of the
United States navy. But let the authority
from which we arc quoting be heard again
Accustomed as we are TO survey the achieve
ments of our English cousins in the develop
ment of the marine engine 1t Is natural
error to imagine, perhaps, that they have NJ
advantages over us except In the matter OF op
portunity. The fact is, however that thei
chief advantage is in their organization. II
our navy there ore no engineers" except tho
men who are trained to drive tho engines o
ships. In England, however, the essential dis
! tluClOn WnlCn exists between engno-driYer
and constructing engineers is not only logically
kept in view but rlgidy enforced. AS Score
tAry Whitney remarked in his admirable 70
port no marine engine for the British navj
has in many years been designed by navy
engineer. No engine.driyer in the English
navy ever thinks of offering himself as com
potent constructing engineer. Per contra, IL
our own navy no engine driver for momcn
permits doubt 10 cross his mind but thatIhc
: capable Of surprising the creations Of Tennent
Rendel, Marshall, and Weir. OF course,
does need to be said that this Is n ghastl!
error.
That lets the cat out of the bag Gu
engineers must step aside and let Englisl
talent supply us with plans and specified
tions at least, II not with ready-made en-
gines. Our engineers are merely "engine
drivers" All their long course of scientific
and practical study has made them-what
Why "engine-driversn TO be sure
It has been whispered that this plan o
appealing to England was under considero
. ton, but it had better be dropped. Their
, is no particular objection to the snobber
, that induces the general adoption of Eng
: lish habits In our Democratic official cil
cles. We can tolerate fox hunting an
English accents and infections in speech
! but our "engine-drivers" will plan on
. marine machinery, and will score vlctorie
, in the future as they have scored them /
the past.