The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-28

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glneers In the o,rps from 1S9 to 3O3 ant
by enaargiEg the scope of Its duties.
One other, and an important feature o
the bill Is the REIMBURSEMENT of the ranl
OF the members OF the corps. as thu
! question of rank between the line OH
GERS Of the navy and the engineers mas
| for long time been source of conten-
ton, the ine officers having always In
! sisted that The staff officers. who includc
the members of the engineer corps
navy. This, Senator Squire. by his bill
seeks to nave altered. ana from the in
formation at hand it appears that the
move Is cminently proper.
IT IS contcnded that the failure to
give the engineer corps actual rank
has tended to force very many compe-
tent men out of the service-mtn who
vice 10 the country. 1t is held ard
correctly SO, that for years the line
officers of 1.-THE navy, and the engineers
as Il rule. have been educated side by
side at Annapolis; that time and again
cadets have been entered at that school
simply ITO be graduated ir,.o either Of
those branches. and yet when Il member
leaves the institution fer service ne
practically loses all rank if assigned ~
the Engineer Corps
The average reader will find it very
difficult to understandings t.ason of this.
and yet II is so. Many years ago, when
there were nothing but sailin. vessels In
the navy there was no need for cngi-
neers, but there has always been Il
need Of line officers ana that ofii-
Gals rank dates from the time of Com
modores Barry and Paul Jones. lut be-
cause Of this-because the rank or the
Vine officer started almost with tllc be-
ginning eli the navy !: does not follow
that the Engineer Corps. an after ad
dillon to the propt: equipmer,. oF the
navy. should not be OF less Importance
than the line itself.
There Is no question but that the
Engineer Corps is equally entitled TO
rank with the line. Without any dcsire
or attempt to de,;ract from the high
Of the navy. IT is not amiss 40 say that
in this day of great battleships or crui-
| sers that the chief engineer o! such Il
vessel is As important man as any
| on board. for without competent move
| meut of such vessels they are Of but
| l!ttle use either in war or peace. Re
peating what the Chicago Record has
said about this matter on Il former or-
casion. thai IN this day 4 battles hip
| is little more than an Immense ma
chine. and that while We demand from
| line officers 4 high grade Of intelligence,
| character. experience. and training
yet 1t must be admitted that the useful
their command rest Very largely Will,
the skill of the engineers who have
| charge OF the complicated ma ohinery
with which the vessel is filled and by
| w::ich 1t is worked, and there can be
no question OF the truth of the propo
| sition II is of ale opinion that any.
thing that adds TO the merits OF tn;
Engineer C-c'ps increases the power am
efficiency OF our naval vessels. an.
for that reason it. along with man,
others, believes that Sena.or Squire:
bill SHOULD become q law" Rcferr,r,
TO the Importance of improving the En-
sineer Corps Nf uhc navy. The Virginia.
PUBLISHES this morning an interestin.
extract frcm the report Of the Secretar,
OF nhe Navy to Congress In 1863, on III,
subject. which no doubt will be rea,
With interest.