The San Francisco call., 1896-06-08
JUSTICE FOR OUR ENGINEERS.
They Should Be Given the Rank and
Honors Which Are Their Due.


Honors Which Are Their Due.
1t is quite remarkable that one after
another the best technical authorities are
speaking out with unanimity and empha-
sis upon the subject OF the anomalous po-
sition of naval engineers on board our Ma
tional warships in their relation to the
officers of the line
In Casters Magazine for May there is
an able article on this subject by William
L. Cathcart. He exposes the folly OF rank
ing our naval engineers as civilians by
pointing out that the cardinal duties OF
the battle-ship are to reach her field OF
action, to effect which she needs only tie
navigating and engineer corps; to man.
euver and attack with artillery on that
field. in which all her corps are re-
quired; and, finally, to attack directly
by rammlng wnen, as In the first In
stance, the ordnance corps is not needed.
In all these com batant functions the en-
gineer Is an absolute essential. With re-
gard to the danger of the engineer officer s
post in action, it has been said that he is
below the protective deck, as If peace and
safety slept within its shadow. AS Mr..
Cathcart says this deck Is relatlve y
thin shell, depending for its resistance
mainly on the angle of incidence of he
shot; and, further, being below that deck
and within a closed compartment is ID
itself a situation TO try, at such time, the
nerve OF most men.
Mr.. Cathcart recalls the tragedy OF the
Victoria, as well illustrating the extreme
peril under which the engineer must per-
form his duty. Rammed-but not at high
speed nor in action; not in gale. but on
| placid sea, and in the full light of June
afternoon-that battle-ship, in sinking, car
| fied with her five or six engineer officers
and two-thirds of their force. OF this En-
gineering of London said: Undoubtedly.
IN case such as this. the herolsm OF the
occasion is with the engine-room stall.
| Another instance, which shows that the
! engineer on modern warshlp faces death
at mis- post as surely and with even less
chances OF escape than the officers OF the
deck, was that of the tragedy on board the
German battle-ship Brandenburg In 1894.
The stopvalve on the separator broke off
| short close to the flange, and the steam
| from the twelve boilers was instantly set
loose in deadly volume. The door BE-
tween the two engine-rooms was open, and
of the engineer force on duty in them
thlrty-nine were killed outright, ana six
others died later of their injuries.
! In view of such illustrations OF the ter
rible risks run by the engineering branch
of the naval service, it certainly does
seem strange that to the engineer officer
who controls and directs. this peritous
work on board ships: whose every vital
function centers in the engine rooms,
should still be denied the rank and honors
of a combatant.
Mr.. Cathcart concludes his article by
aying that not only should full recogni-
tion be given to the engineer corps. but
that hereafter all our naval officers should
be trained engineers. The suggestion is a
good one, for it is undoubtedly true, as he
says, that the great naval commanders Of
the future will be men who, like the gal.
liant and honored Admir- al Ammen, com
bine with stout hearts an d strategic brains
an intimate knowledge. based on engineer.
ing study, of the details and cspa bilities OF
the mass OF machinery which constitutes
tnat noating fortress, the warshlp OF to-
day.-New York Recorder.