The San Francisco call., 1896-03-30
Pamphlets Covering the Question
Have Been Sent to
Congress.
NAVAL ENGINEERS IN DEMAND
Training-Schools Will Be Established
After the Passage of the
Bill.

Upon the opening of the Fifty-fourth
session of Congress bill was introduced
by Mr.. Wilson of New York, its object be-
ing to organize and increase the efficiency
of the personnel of the navy; to ipcrease
the usefulness and numbers of the corps
of naval engineers; TO induce the scientific
institutions to provide naval engineering
reserve for time of war; to establish
naval engineering experimental station
and to encourage the study OF the mechan-
ical arts and sciences and particularly that
of naval engineering in the technical col
leges of the country.
The Marine Engineers Association No.
35 of this City, believing, that if passed,
the bill will greatly benefit them in their
calling, has forwarded pamphlets to the
Senators and Representatives OF California
asking them to aid by every honorable
means in their power the passage of The
bill in its entirety.
American ingenuity has kept pace with
the skill of other nations in the develop
ment of men-of-war, but at the same time
the personnel of the Engineer Corps of the
navy has not been increased, is the Ian
guage of the association as published in
their circulars. 1t goes on TO say: "a
new order OF skill is required and new ele-
ments are required IN handling the new
war vessels. The naval engineering force
of the navy is lamentably deficient in num-
bers, while the demand for skilled labor in
the engine-room increases as each new
vessel IS constructed or put into commits
sion. Every young man who desires to
enter upon a naval career, full of the tales
of the quarterback, prefers that to the less
conspicuous but more arduous work of the
engine-room. The result is the line is
crowded with waiting officers while the
staff is short in number.
Section of the bill now under consid-
Grafton remedies these defects or will do
so if it becomes a law. 1t provides that
the active list of the Engineer Corps of the
navy shall consist of eighteen captains,
twenty-f five commanders, sixty lieuten-
ant commanders, seventy lieutenants
sixty-fve Iieutenants of the junior grade,
and sixty-five ensigns and a number of
engineer cadets, as provided by subse-
quent sections. That these offices shall
be filled by the commissioning of the Off
GERS of the Engineer Corps of the navy
borne on the active list at the time this
bill shall become a law in the order of
seniority, beginning at the top.
THAT there shall be a chief of the Bu-
reau of Engineering of the Navy Depart
ment, who shall be director-general of ma
val engineering, and while holding said
Office shall have the rank of rear-admiral
That there shall be two inspectors general
of naval engineering, who while holding
said Office shall have the rank of commo-
dore.
1.-The necessity for this increase in the
force of naval engineers is emphasized by
the increased use OF steam power on the
modern men-of-war. In the modern sail
ing merchantmen auxiliary engines are
used to hoist the sails, weigh the anchor
and discharge the cargo. From the sail
ing vessel to the ocean greyhound is an
other transition, no greater, however, than
the change from the old lum bering frigate
to the battle-shlp and eommerce-destroye
of to-day.
"These vessels with their ponderous
guns are entirely controlled and operated
by steam. The huge masses Of steel form
ing their guns, their turrets and other ap-
purtenances would require hundreds of
men for their handling, and slow hand
ling at that, without being rendered fully
effective. To apply steam power where it
will do its work most efficiently and rap
idly is the province of the marine en-
gineer.
'Another feature treated in section of
the bill is looked upon by the Merchants
Marine Association as most potent move
for the good of the navy. That section
provides that the title Bureau of Steam
Engineering of the Navy Department
shall be changed to Bureau of Engineer
ing of the Department of the Navy and it
shall have charge of all that relates to the
designing, building, installation, fitting
out, repairing and management of all main
and auxiliary steam, hydraulic, pneumatic,
electric and other machinery and their ap-
purtenances used on board of naval YES
sells, not including gun-caIriages, torpe-
does, torpedo-tubes and fittings. Also
that the Bureau of Engineering shall,
after She passage of the bill, have control
of all matters relating to the inspection,
purchase, character and quality of coal and
of all other kinds of fuel to be used for all
naval purposes; and that all tests of such
fuel shall be made under the direction of
the Bureau of Engineering.
at requires the highest form of en-
gineering skill to develop the power and
machinery needed to handle the modern
warshlp. The present bureau of con-
struction charged with this work is COM
posed of the sailor branch of the navy.
1t is now proposed to transfer this to the
Bureau of Engineering of the Depart
ment of the Navy which shall have
ing. building, installation, fitting out, re-
pairing and management of all main and
auxiliary steam, hydraulic, pneumatic,