Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-11-09
ENGINEERS IN THE NAVY.
Great Increase I'm Their Duties Since the
New War Ships Were Built.


New War Ships Were Built.
Now that the number of naval engi-
neers is unequal to the demands of the
navy, the once-despised greaser is a
man of peculiar Importance. So long
rs the navy was small and several old
sailing ships were in active service.
there was no dearth of engineers.
With the building of the new navy the
demand for engineers has steadily in
creased, and, with the continued devel-
opment of technical complications III
the structure of the great modern ships
of war, the engineer has had to add to
his technical knowledge steadily. The
engineers of the earlier time, who were
not wardroom officers and lacked the
thorough technical education of their
modern successors, were the men who
gave the line officer the excuse for
using the term greaser to designate his
engineer brothers of the staff. TIE
engineer officer of to-day is in every
respect the equal of the line officer,
though the formers rank is still only
relative.
While the navy was still small, the
work of engineers was certainly not SO
trying as that of some other officers
aboard ship. The chief engineer usu-
ally had at least two juniors on board,
and much of his time was not below
Sometimes there were three Juniors on
board, and the duty was arranged SO
that one man was able TO get day off
regular duty every three or four days.
but the immense aggregation of ma
chinery that goes to make the modern
war ship demands close attention from
the engineers. The engineer officer
must know not only the science of
steam engineering, but he must be a
first-rate electrician as well. There
are now not one but many engines on
board a modern man-of-war. Some
ships have as many as thirty or forty
auxiliary donkey engines for working
the guns and other apparatus. They,
of course, are ordinarily run by a
mechanic, who is an enlisted man, but
the engineers of the ward room must
be ready to look after all the engines, if
need be: not indeed to run them them
selves or even to run the engines that
drive the ship, but to advise as to repairs
and to take the general responsibility.
The knowledge that electricity de-
has made it necessary for him to add a
new science to his education. 1t was
simple matter to look after the en-
gines of the old Kearsarge, with her
tonnage of one thousand five hundred
and fifty tons and he" horsepower of
less than nine hundred. It is a very
different matter to be responsible for
the Baltimore. with tonnage of for
ty-six hundred and a horsepower Of
over ten thousand, to say nothing of
her auxiliary engines and other appli-
hnces. or to have the responsibility of
the chief engineer of the Minneapolis,
with seven thousand three hundred
and fifty of tons displacement and
twenty-one thousand horsepower.
The education of the modern naval
engineer is technical in the highest
degree, more so than that of any other
naval officer save the naval construc-
tor. The sudden demonstration Of the
fact that the engineer is man of inn
portance is likely to obtain for him
with good will what has hitherto been
grudgingly accorded by his brothers
of the llne-that is, recognition of his
right to rank as an officer-and the
term ''greAser' is likely 10 disappear
forever from the slang of the navy
n. Y. Sun.