The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-13
A PERIL TO OUR CRUIskRa
Accidents to Ensines Threatened BY the Lack
Of ON, err 10 Run Them.


WASHINGTON. Dec 12.-Thc warning sounded
by Chief Engineer Melville upon the numeri-
cal inadcuuncy OF tho corrs which no CON-
mands was something that Congress could not
afford to neglect. 1iis tolief Is that there
should be at least thrcc hundred engineer OFF,
ccrs to perform the duties required Of them.
But whiIo Congress is hardly likely. under the
present stress for economy to grant that In
crease. 1t has at least enacted tho measure
pending before it for checking the reduction
in tho corps which was going on under the
present statute.
The reduction thus In progress. which pro-
ccedcd Ivy casualty or by falling to I'LL vacnn-
CITES rs they occur. until the minimum fixed
by Congress should he reached. was begun at
II time when the actual needs OF to-day and
Of tho future could not BIO exactly calculated.
What Is now argued is that. with the vast in
crease in the quantity. excellence. and cost OF
the engines Of war vessels. over what had
been customary at the time when tho reduce
tton was contemplated. the legal limit OF ITO
TO which an approach Is going on Is too small
Two years ago Mr.. Melville reported that sew
eral ships had fowcr engineer officers than
safety and efficiency demanded. and that their
worry and anxiety to keep things going with
an insufficient number OF trained men had
proved too much for some OF them. and they
done" he said and done promptly or we
shall not only have some serious breakdown to
repair. which might have been avoided, but
also an accident more than likely to be at
tended with loss OF li'e We not only need
very much larger number of officers In the
engineer corps. but We also need very much
better course Of instruction for tho young
men who are each year appointed into it.
Celebrity OF movement" he added. has de-
cided many nava! battle, and will decide
many more. and tho celebrity OF movement OF
modern ship depends directly ON the skill
OF her engineer officers"
Secretary Tracy backed up those recon.
mendations by his own report, in declaring
that even II no additional ships were building
an enlargement OF tho engineer corps would
be necessary. and that those additions Of
course made such an enlargement all the more
urgent The engines OF the, new ships he
said, with their great completely and dell
cate adjustment. require the highest kind Of
expert treatment. and unless sufficient force
Ii inc rsdy ss spf se re
since that time in the number and power OF
s s%HsHs shs sys v rsyan.d
70 the subject. and declared. with some impa-
thence, that uniess measures. were at once
The steady decrease in hunters. we shall be-
fore long have II painful awakening 10y aserl-
necre endurance" lie declared that the en-
ssinerr officers " could go no further thln the
been reached the machinery must take care OF
itself" Eelirving, that Congress might not
high-rower machinery. he explained that the
only thing that would insure its perfect
working is the e, pnr"mttnS nTrsons care
nervous strain to officers when there are not
enough Of them for proper al tentinp to de-
which they should not tie held responsible. but
which may bring them under the cloud OF
slight collision occurred between two naval
vessels which was directly traceable to lack Of
engineer officers. 1t cannot. therefore. 10 o
TO escape it." He declared that even 800 Oil.
numIer Of INTELLIGENT AMI skilled artihcers
and wcll-trnined tlremen:
CHEF S S we ef deca nfnsa that ths
9 ,iii.,r on whom such nrdunus and dnngcrous
duties srInn shInd hnvf the ssssance Of
vessels all that is most advanced in high
rrc,sur" machinery and the multitude OF en-
Gne> and devices by which steam and mo-
rhani"n' appliances are made to Do the work OF
psr Of oe sGs 20 h as num-
trd This yGa st aoiner note Of wn51ng
s. few enginecrs as to imperi their safety.
cers. composed OF mRchinists. blacksmiths.
hoilcrmakers. and coppersmiths. 1t is true
TINT these views are opposed by some officers,
and even hy those who go to sea in the very
ships thus declared to be in peril. They pro-
fess to feel no insecurity as things are. In
nnrcr lai d before Congress Mt the last session
they made elaborate comparisons between our
war ships and those o'Great Britain and other
countries which incontestahly' showed. they
sna. that oGrnavy provides more commission
81 engineer officers in proportion to the ships.
This document. however which il signed by ton
lin" officers. shows that there IT, n gradual
increase. in foreign services in the number
Of engine room machinists. Their figures nre
that France. with lG2 ships. has but $50 COM
missioned engineer officers: GERMANY. with
- ships: but 6! England, with $50 ships. but
whereas the United States; by the last navy
register. with 80 ships. had 1872 mssioned
officers. while u lending bill would increase
tho protest goes on to attack that portion OF
the ashamed bill which would give to en-
Einner officers positive instcnd OF the present
IT, lative rank. and so on. Hence. this latter
feature may have provoked the aggression OF
the siGnors OF this protest against the pro-
posed increase in tho numbers Of the engi:
tn" bill that the reduction shall be consid-
crcd as having ceased on the Both day Of June.
1851" or nearly Il year and half ago and that
will allow lol as the permanent number OF