The San Francisco call., 1896-08-16
Meeting Will Be Held in This
City to Diccuss the Situa-
tion.
WHAT ENGINEER MATTICE SAYS
He Declares the Naval Department
Is Corrupt TO the Very FOun-
dation.

The dispatches from Washington yester-
day contained the information that the
chief engineer and the passed assistant en-
gineer of the battle-ship Indiana had col
lapsed physically. On the face of it there
is nothing alarming in such condition of
affairs. but when 1t is known that the use
fulness of the most powerful vessel OF the
North Atlantic squadron is temporarily
impaired, the situation assumes dlf1er-
ent aspect.
The matter is of local interest because
there are number of war-yessels either
making their headquarters here or are
permanently stationed at this port. The
United States engineers have frequently
complained OF overwork, but their pro-
tests have been as often ignored. On
March 81 last THE CALL said editorialIy:
The marine engineers of San Francisco ana
elsewhere are properly urging the passage OF
the Wilson bill to reorganize and increase the
effeiencv of the navy. This country has been
very slow to appreciate the revolutionary
effect produced by the modern high develop
meDt of marine steam machinery II Is no"
more than a mere matter of driving vessels by
steam instead of sails, for both high speed and
the employment of steam Tor working the
heavy a-mamentS OF YarShips have introduced
complications IMPOSING the seyeresT eXactlons
on engineering skill. While this standard OF
dutieS has been raised enormously there has
keen nothing like q corresponding increase IN
the number of engineers and their official
grade in the service. The Wilson Dill Is IN
tended 10 cure these shortcomings along with
others.
the matter Her men-of-war carry larger
number of engineers than ours. Compare, 1or
instance, the American Clncinnan OF lV,0V0 60V0
horsepower and the British Sybille OF 5000
horsepower. The Cincinnati carries eight line
officers and the Sybille six. But when 1t comes
TO engineers we find the Cincinnati with three
and the smaller English vessel with four. Ihe
same disproportion exists in the case OF the
American Bennington when compared with
the English Brisk. On the other hand, we
find that some of the American ships nave
twice as many line officers as the same class OF
ships in the English navy, while the Engllsh
ships almost invariably have more engineers
than ours.
The Wilson bill, besides increasing the num-
Der of engineers, raises their rank ana thus
Justly recognizes their skill and responsibility
The present attitude of the line otlcers to-
wards the engineers is q remnant of the time
when steam was in its infancy as factor IN
determining the efficiency of a fighting ship.
The bill, by raising the dignity ana rank OF
the Engineering Corps, removes the unwilling
ness of young men to.enter the naval academy
for the purpose of learning the engineers art
and thus reduces the pressure for positions as
line officers In these DAYS of very high attain
ments necessary to handle the machinery OF
modern warship it is time that the efhelency OF
the navy should be increased by investing the
it so eminently deserves.
In April last Asa NJ. Mattice of Cam
bridge, Mass, late of the Engineer Corps,
United States navy, addressed letter to
Congressman Wilson. He claimed many
things, not the least of which was that
corruption had brought about the present
condition of affairs. Among other things
he says:
glance at the Navy Register OF January l,
10 xVa
the navy-a smaller number than at any other
time since "before the war; At the same
time we have in the line, or sailor branch, 714
officers or Alb line officers to each engineer.
A comparison of this ratio with that of years
past will reveal some startling discrepancies.
In 1864, in war time, there were 2S46 line
officers and 1928 engineers, regular and vol
unteer, or a ratio of only 1.64 to L. OF this
number there were in the regular service 464
line officers and sol engineers, or more en-
gineers than line officers. These numbers had
beed fixed by the necessities OF war, and it Is
by reason of wars that navies exist.
In 1866, just after the close Of the war,
there were in the regular service 395 line Off
GERS and 379 engineers, a ratio of 1.O4 to L, or
practically equal numbers in the two corps.
Since that date the line has increased and the
Engineer Corps dimiE1shed, until we find over
80 per cent more line officers, and engineers
decreased by So per cent
Is the present ratio of engineers to line Off
GERS an efficient one? We can learn something
about this by referring to the English navy
list They have 1870 line officers and 795 en-
gineers, ratio OF 2.1S to l, or nearly twice
the proportionate number of engineers thar
we have Moreover, their list of line officers
is unlimited by law, and therefore 1t is reason
able to suppose that their number OF line off,
GERS has been fixed as the result OF experience,
and that if greater number were required
they would have them.
glance at the United States Navy registers
of 1864 and 1896 will show facts even more
startling, as, for instance, take the following
ships OF various classes: