The times., 1898-10-21
Chief Engineer Melville Speci-
tieS the Nayy's Wants.
MORE OFFICERS NEEDED
The Personnel of the Service Should
Be Equal to the Number OF Ves-
sels-Every Fleet Needs n Repair
Ship-A Suggestion to Retain Vol
unteer Officers.

Was given out yes
terday. The report says:
The war which has just ended is the
first in which modern steam vessels have
had a thorough trial, and it seems peril
nent to note the more important lessons
which have been taught by our expe-
rience. With respect to the machinery
the lessons are as follows:
81. The vital necessity of giving the
machinery of vessels in reserve frequent
tests under working conditions so that
any defects may be discovered and rene
died before war makes the vessels SER
vices absolutely necessary. In several
cases defects were found after the ships
had begun cruising. and the repairs laid
them up in the midst of the war.
80 The great Importance of having all
our naval stations in positions of strate-
gic value properly fitted out for repairs
and with adequate supplies of non-perish-
able stores. II had been evident for
long time that Key West was such a sta
ton, but money to put in proper repair
plant was refused year after year and
only granted after the war had begun
The movement of large bodies of troops
and their equipment almost blocked the
railroads, so that after the beginning of
the war it was almost impossible to Sc
cure the forwarding of tools and sup
plies
-. That fresh water for the boilers is
almost as important as coal, and that a
distilling ship is an important adjunct of
feet operating away from base where
fresh water can be readily obtained.
- That every fleet needs a repair ship
to enable the efficiency to be maintained
without leaving the station, and conse-
quently that several ships should be
equipped so as to be ready to proceed
with the fleet.
IS The great tactical advantages of
water tube boilers. This has already been
discussed under another head.
&c. That if more than Jwo main en-
gines are to be fitted, there should be
three engines driving three screws, and
not two main engines on each shaft The
New York and Brooklyn had their for
ward engines disconnected at the time
of the Santiago fight and could not stop
TO couple them. An accident TO any part
of either Of the two engines on a shaft
disabies half -the power; in the three
screw ship this fraction would be only a
third
20. That there should be frequent trials
under forced draft to keep the blowers
an good condition and to make the men
thoroughly familiar with working under
maximum conditions. 1t appears that
some OF the ships had never been under
draft since their contract trials until
the day of the fight at Santiago.
IS. That the location Of the forced
draft blowers is a matter of serious i'm
portance. In some of our ships. owing
10 the demands for all other space for
har b. hi
located in corners or pockets in the fire
rooms where it was impossible for hu-
man Beings TO give them proper attention,
owing to the intense heat due to lack of
ventilation. In the Cincinnati tempera-
lures as high as 205 degrees Fahrenheit
were noted and the commanding officer,
when investigating the case personally,
had his face scorched. The blowers must
be placed where they can be properly
cared for, else they are useless, and
might as well be left on shore.
''9. That the personnel of the service
should be adequate to the material. 1t
has been notorious for some time that
this is not the case, and We are provid-
ing for a decided increase in the number
of vessels with no increase whatever in
the personnel BY sending nearly every
officer on the active list to sea we were
able to give the regular ships fair COM
plement of trained ones, but had the war
been of long duration we should have
been greatly embarrassed to supply the
places of those disabled or invalided.
Volunteers, however well trained in other
ways, can not entirely replace the regu-
lar officer.
10. That we must make provision for
training the enlisted men of the engineer
department. Many of the colliers and
auxiliary vessels had to start out with
absolutely green crews, many of whom
so far from having the ''sea habit" had
never been on a vessel of any kind. This
must be remeded if our enlarged fleet
is to be efficient.
I'll. That our fighting ships must have
the highest practicable speed. There is
an almost general agreement on this
point among naval men, but If any had
thought that this did not apply to battle
ships the fight at Santiago must have
shown that the highest practicable speed
is just as important in these vessels. 1t
is very gratifying, therefore, that our
three new battleships are to have speeds
of at least eighteen knots, which is now
recognized as the standard.
on the subject of volunteers, Chief En-
gineer Melville says:
The wholly inadequate number of reg
ular officers of the engineer corps for the
proper performance of duty even in times
of peace made it necessary to have re-
course to a large nuHlotT ol volunteers
when the war brought about such great
Increase in the number of vessels. re-
spectable portion of the volunteers are
men of the first rank in mechanical engi-
neering. including a number of ex-officers
of the engineer corps who gave their
services at a great personal sacrifice. To
one of them the success of the repair ship
Vulcan is largely due.
"The present outlook is for a great in
crease In the demand for officers at sea.
due to the increased number of ships
that must be kept in commission to look
after our oversee possessions, gained
during the war. The number of regular
officers will not begin to be adequate for
this duty, and even the personnel bill,
which was planned for smaller navy.
will not furnish enough officers. l would
therefore earnestly recommend that the
process of mastering out the volunteers
aggregate number of regular and volun-
1eer officers below that necessary for the
proper performance of duty.
'It is possible, and even probable that
the number of ships which must be kept
in commission for some time will be such
as to make it absolutely necessary to
have more officers than can be furnished
under the provisions of the personnel bill
come necessary to arrange for the ap-
pointment of some of the volunteers in
the regular service
o'BRIEN MoORE'S CASE.
MINOR General Graham Orders nm