Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-26
CHIEF MELvILLE'S REPORT
Work of the Bureau of Steam Engi-
neering.
Advantages Of Liquid Fuel for Small
Craft-Merchant Vessels for
Emergencies.

The gradual replacement on war vessels
of the familiar cylindrical boiler by various
forms of the water-tube boiler constitutes
the most important fact in marine en-
cheering at this time, according to En-
gineer-in-Chief Geo. w. Melville, who has
just published his annual report to the
Secretary of the Navy. For torpedo boats,
he says, the advantages of these boilers
were so evident that they quickly displaced
the old types, and have so been used for
several years exclusively for this kind Of
craft.
The bureau of steam engineering began
experiments as far back as 1888 with the
water-tube boiler and installed set on the
! Monterey in 1898. 1t would have been easy
for the bureau, says Commodore Melville.
to have acquired a cheap reputation for
progreSSiveneSs by adopting this type OF
boiler at once for all of our ships, but there
had not been sufficient experience to war
rant SO extensive an experiment. Now.
however, the bureau feels that the efficiency
of the fleet will be best served by using
the water-tube boiler, and to secure the
best it is recommended that contractors
have freedom of choice of the type of
boiler, subject to proper conditions.
Crude Oil for Fuel.
Touching liquid fuel with which many
nations are experimenting, as a substitute
for coal, the report gives an interesting
history of those made in this country. In
cluded in the list is the test made by the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company about ten
years ago. which, while proving the prac-
ticability of using crude coal oil for fuel
for boilers, demonstrated that the Pennsyl-
vania railroad itself would consume more
than one-third of the entire output of ccal
oil at that time if it were used for fuel in
stead of coal. Nevertheless, the balances of
advantages greatly in favor of the
liquid fuel for small craft that the bureau
expresses the intention Of making use of
coal oil on torpedo boats.
Commodore Melville makes a strong argu-
n;ent in favor of building our ships in flu
ture in classes. so as to secure the great
advantages that follow the training of men
for whole classes of ships instead of for
one vessel, and also the ability to use du-
picate parts of machinery. 1t is recon-
n.ended that the machinery of ships laid
up i'll reserve, with skeleton crews, be SUBJ
jected every six months to a dock trial,
with full steam pressure, to make sure they
are ready for use at short notice.
Merchant Ships for Emergencies.
The bureau has been making some in
quires as to the possibility of procuring
large merchant ships in an emergency to
serve as machine shops for fleets. and hav-
ing secured list of some suitable vessels,
row submits an estimate of $4,000 for ma
chine tools to be laid aside for fitting one
of them out when needed.
Work was done at the Washington navy
yard for the steam engineering department
of the Dolphin, Gushing and Triton, amount
ing to $3.50. Other expenditures at this
yard amounted to S3176. of which s2,O54
was for the care and repair of shop ma
Chnery and tools.
The engineer-in-chief has good deal
to say in his report on the subject of per-
sonnet. and he insists that he is warranted
IN urging, after many years of careful
observation and study, two things as neceS-
sary to the highest efficiency of the en-
gineer corps. First. an increase of num-
bers of the corps from 1876 officers of all
grades to about 300. divided as to the
various grades as to give fair promotion
Second, the comforting of actual rank and
titles with the names of the corps at
tachedD, as is the case for the staff officers
of the army.