The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-23
NAVY OFFICERS ARE QUARRELING
As it is an Old Established Custom it Will
Make Little Difference.

|
| Washington, Jan.22.-Quarrels among
| naval officers are not of recent origin.
| Ever since Drake hung Doughty for in
| trigue and characterization, navy OFF,
| GERS would seem to have regarded il as
| an especial prerogative of their posses
| sion to quarrel among themselves.
| jealousy of the rank of others seems
to have been the cause OF most of these
| quarrelS. OftimeS these wrangles have
| defeated important naval bills. Cen
| orally the promoters of these quaTrels
were prompted by selfish motives. For
the past thirty years there has been
| struggle between the line and staff Of
/ the navy, which Increases in intensity
each succeeding year. and which will
| 1t is said, be fought to a finish in the
| Fffty-fourth congress. Public men now
realize that the tendencies of this quar-
rel are becoming more harmful and that
| the time has now come when there
should be an end to the unseemly con-
tention.
| The average American has about as
much knowledge of the merits of this
| question as Lord John Russell said the
| people had of the Schleswig-HolS
| dispute.
What may be called the personnel Of
the navy is divided into two parts-the
sailor officers and the staff. Surgeons,
and engineers comprise the staff.
| Captains and watch officers or mates
| comprise the line. The proper duties Of
| line officers are to command navy
yards and vessels Of the navy, TO navi-
gate and sail the ships. The general
| duties of the surgeons and paymasters
are familiar to all. The constructors
| seldom go to sea, and as they nave
| charge of the building of hulls their
| quarrel with the line is limited to the
contentious which they have in the con-
| struction OF ships. The engineers de-
| sign and Supenintend the construction
of steam and other machinery of the
navy. They have also the care and
| management of these machines at sea,
and, like their brother officers of the
line, there are numerous duties for them
to do at the several shore stations.
1t has been regarded as essential to
this corps that 1t possess the best engi-
reering talent the country affords, for
on warship the machinery must not
only be exceedingly light, but is crowd
ed into smaller space than in the mer-
chant service.
Officers of the line are determined
that the engineer of the navy shall
neither have positive rank and titles,
nor shall he exercise military authority
in his own department, but that every
thing relating to the organization of the
vessel shall remain in their hands alone
as 1t has existed since the day they
came on board the ship. A battle roy
al between the two forces commenced
with the assembling of the Fifty-third
congress, and both sides have gone into
the fight with the determination to set
tie this question during the coming six
mont tbs for all time to come. Powerful
influences are supporting the line. They
surpass the engineers in numbers, pat
! 2. u
The engineers are supported by power
full educational and manufacturing in
tereStS.
The measures Introduced by Senator
Squire and Representative Wilson are
far-reaching in their effects. One sec
ton forces the naval academy into COM
petition with the outside scientific insti-
tutions in supplying officers for the
engineer corps. Provision is made for
securing a great naval engineering re-
serve for time of war.
An opportunity is given to the enlist
ed man 10 secure commission in the
navy. An experiment station. which
shall make New London the centre Of
marine engineering research in the
United States, is projected. The older
staff officers are permitted TO retire
after thirJy-five years service with the
rank and honor that is their just due
The detail of naval engineers to the
scientific colleges of the land as pro-
feSoSrS of marine engineering is asSur
ed. The loan to the chronological inSti-
tutions of the country of machinery and
models which can be spared without
detTiment 10 the naval service IS also
looked out for. The officers Of the staff
corps are given positive rank and title
An examination Of the navy register
Of 1861 shows that at the beginning Of
the civil war about eighty-fiVe sailing |
and steam ships of war were ready fO~ |
service. on board these vessels were
b67 line officers and ia naval engineers. |
The register of 1865, the officiel author
ity upon the subject, shows that there
We're 2,i63 line officers and 2,279 engin- |
GERS, the strength Of the two cUrpses |
thus being nearly equal
Secretary Gideon Wells soon found |
out that the disparity in numbers be- |
tween these two corps was justifiable.
and that the men TO pull the engine
room bell signal and only one man 70 |
make the engine go. The engineer. !
skilled as he was, was unable 10 keep
up with four sets Of signals ringing at |
the same time. The secretary discov-
cred that the proper ratio of line Off |
GERS TO engineers should be about the |
same as on merchant steamers.
As the duties and RESPONSIBILITIES Of |
the engineer have increased. he has de- |
manded 10 Zoe accorded some share Of |
the naval honOrs and prerogatives.
TO CURE \ COLD IN ONE DAY
Take Laxative Bromo Quinine Tablets All !
druggists refund the money if it fails 10 |
cure. &c
WOMAN HAD BEwITCHED HIN