The evening times., 1898-10-20
ANOTHER WAR Chapter
The Annual Report on Naval
Steam Engineering.
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
Emergency work I'm Preparing Mon
ftors. DfstiIIing Ships, and Tor
Pedo Boats for the war-Saiue of
Repair Shfps-The BattIeship Ore
CONS Great Trip.

The annual report of the chief of the
Bureau of Steam Engineering, Navy De
partment was given OUT for publication
today by Secretary Long. The report is
a voluminous one. and fully covers the
operations of the bureau and its branches.
The report is prefaced by the financial
statement Of the service. which shows
balance in the treasury to its credit of
81. .743, ,559.27.
Much Emergency Work.
''The extraordinary conditions existing
during the latter part of the fiscal year,
says the chief, ''and practically terminal
ing at the writing OF the report, condensed
such a vast amount OF unanticipated work
into its last few weeks. and also into the
short period thereafter up to the time OF
cessation of hostilities, as naturally 10
make most prominent this particular por
tion Of the years history of the bureaus
labor.
THE first obvious effect of the emer-
gency demands was to demonstrate in
the briefest and most vigorous manner
the necessities, facilities and deficiencies
OF the various navy yards and stations
for handling a vast amount of urgent
repairing and Quitting work on fleets
OF ships, both Of regular naval vessels
and those bought, chartered, or trans
ferred, and transformed from merchant
marine character into warships.
while this has been a source of yalua-
bic information to the bureau as to the
requirements with which a sudden ma
tional emergency must be properly met,
Il has also Illuminated the policy which
has previously been advocated by the bu-
reau of placing the machinery establish
ments Of the more southern yards and
stations in a state of modern efficiency
and proved IL to be a wise one.
9TH work Immediately necessary on the
breaking out of the war was not so much
extensive repairs to ships in commission
az the fitting out OF every available ship
in ordinary so as to get some service out
Of each one in the possible crisis.
Monitors for Harbor Defense.
''The old single-turret monitors were
susceptible OF fair use as harbor-defense
vessels if they could quickly be made
seaworthy, and one of the most notable
engineering feats was in connection with
this work This consisted in the actual
cutting out Of the old and worn-out boil
ers Of the monitors Manhattan, Mahopac
and Canonicus at League Island, and
erecting new boilers in their places with
cut cutting the decks, and all within the
space OF thirty days. The boilers as cut
I'D were passed out through the smoke
pipe opening and the new sections put
down the same way, the results proving
most satisfactory.
"By far the greatest amount of labor TO
the bureau was brought through the ne
cessity of fitting out the auxiliary navy.
consisting of some 10 vessels added to
the regular force by purchase. charter or
transfer. This comprised vessels OF every
Imaginable style OF craft, from tug and
ferryboat to ocean steamers. Very few
OF these ships had evaporators and dis
tillers, items most necessary for their
continued service at sea; neither had
they proper outfits of stores and tools
all OF which needs had TO be supplied with
the greatest expedition. The task of over
hauling and fitting up the machinery Of
these new ships, in addition to keeping
the regular naval ships in order, was
stupendous. especially as many Of the
purchased vessels required extensive al
terations and additions.
Noted Lack of Casualties.
Barring the torpedo boats the report
continues, there was a remarkable alb
sence Of casualty in the machinery de.
partments Of the vessels of the fighting
squadrons during the period of the war
Even in action, when forced-draft condi-
lions were in operation, and the excita-
bic natures Of the men most wrought up
on by the surroundings, the report shows
that the machinery not only worked weIl
generally, but that in no case was it
greatly distressed. This is as fine a COM
mentary on the personnel as on the ma
chinery.
''It is greatly to be regretted that the tor
pedo boats cannot show the same excel
lent records for their machinery, but IL
Is sad fact that nearly every one has
had some accidents. and the machinery
OF some at the close Of the war was in a
condition which can only be described as
horrible, where boilers were burnt, cylin-
der covers broken, pistons and valves
stuck and everything in bad shape This
condition Of affairs seems attributable to
two causes; the absence of trained engin-
eering supervision, and the use of the
boats for duty to which they were not
adapted"
Washington Navy Yard.
OF the navy yard at Washington the
report says:
Naturally out of the reach of the larger
vessels Of the navy. and indeed convenient
TO none, the steam engineering work of
this yard has mainly consisted in the
manufacture of parts and fittings of spe-
cial machinery for all the torpedo boats
and for the new ships building Repairs
or minor character were made to the Hell
ena and Triton.
Expenditures were as follows:
Expenditures for work upon ma
val vessels. SO, ,167.S7
ONCE expenses -...............-....- 56g7
Superintendence, care and repair
OF shop machinery and tools 2.247.O0
Care and repair of yard steam
launches ........................... ISS.4O
Holidays Si51
Blueprint apparatus for bureau. s5l.13
1OlA S25. $50. IS
The Norfolk navy yard stands next to
New York in Importance as a repair sta
ton, and in many respects it has natural
advantages superior to the latter, al
though not situated as close to the great
manufacturing interests. Under the man.
agement OF the present chief eDpinear ad