The Indianapolis journal., 1896-11-20
NEED MORE ENGINEERS
WAR SHIPS USELESS WITHOUT
TRAINED MEN TO HANDLE THEM.
Annual Report OF Commodore Nell
Agents OF Treasury Department.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 1s.-The report of
Commodore Melville. chief engineer of the
navy. made public to-day gives detailed
statement of the condition of all war ships
so far as their machinery and mechanical
APPARATUS are concerned. AS a whole it
shows that all the modern ships are in
good condition, except in a few minor in
stances i'm which machinery is being over
hauled The old-time ships are, as usual.
reported as antiquated, but most of them
are said to be serviceable, considering their
age The report says that during the year
the bureau has prepared plans and speci-
fications for the machinery of battle ships
Nos. s. 6, Z, and 3. for the Hartford
and for tug No. > for the League island
navy yard. ard plans for the machinery or
the twenty-knot and twenty-two-knot tor
pedo boats and for a rearrangemens or the
machinery of the Atlanta, due TO the mt
ting of new boilers I'm that vessel work
at the New York navy yard on the new
machinery for the Chicago is progressing
as rapidly as the appropriation Tor that
purpose will permit. The completion of the
boilers has been delayed owing to failure
TO obtain the nickel steel plates originally
ordered and TO further delays consequent
on the failure of the manufacturers TO de-
liver. within reasonable time. enough shell
plates Of nickel steel of a satisfactory fin
ish to complete one Of the cylindrical boil
ers. The working of the nickel steel plate
finally accepted for one boiler has also in
volyed some delay, and the experiment as
whole has added considerably to the
cost of manufacturing OF the cylindrical
boilers. The department having decided
that entirely new machinery should not
be built for the Atlanta the bureau has
prepared "a plan for hitting her with new
boilers and making certain alterations in
her present engines which VIII probably
make her more economic cruiser, but as
the engines of this vessel are not of any
thing like modern design. the process of
patching Will probably prove an expensive
one in the end, as the changes contem-
plated are only such will be necessary
10 make the engines suit the boilers ana
render her engine room more accessible.
The bureau has expended $615,Oe6 during
the past year. The New York navy yard
has done the largest quota OF work, the
the yard expenses $l30,537. The Norfolk
navy yard disbursed s122. $40 on vessels and
$40 AL on the yard. The Boston navy yard
spent sso2 on vessels and s10.0l5 on the
yard. The Mare island California; yard
dtsbursed sl23,562 on vessels and sS345l on
island yard: This is the only repair sta
tion on the Pacific coast and there are
now at that yard under repair no less than
seven vessels requiring more or less ex-
tensfye repairs, after several years of con-
tinuous commission. The shops are i'll
adapted 10 the work. and the absence OF
proper tools and of asmodern boilermaking
plant are severely felt. The result Is shown
in the increased cost of work done at that
yard beyond which 1T would cost If proper
tools were az hand and properly arranged
for facilitating work. There are certain
things which should be obtained without
delay, the most important being "a hydrau-
lac 5oilermaking plant" The report urged
that boilermaking plants be provided at the
Norfolk navy yard and the League island
yards.
AS To the new dry dock at Port Royal
=. C.. IL says: '"rhe completion at this
STATEN of the only dry dock on the At
lantic coast which will take the battle ships
makes 1t imperative that there should be
facilities at hand for doing the ordinary
repair work that may be required when
one OF these vessels is docked, some of
which can be done only at such time
Commodore Melville points out i'm clos
ing that large number of valuable engi-
neers nave been retiring during the year
for physical disability, owing to the heavy
crease or the force IS urgently recon-
nended- He says: THE personal element
Is one which must enter largely into the
resuit OF any naval engagement and IL we
mad the most powerful and the swiftest
navy anoat II would be valueless to us i'm
time or war IL We have not a sufficient
numDer or trained men to sec that the ma
chinery or this fleet is in condition good
enough TO Keep 1t going in action. The
Ghinery and other things being equal that
ieet viii give the best account of itself
when mas the best equipment of trained
men IN the engine room as well as at the
guns. To sacrifice the one is merely invit-
ing disaster 10 the whole"