New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-13
TrR1-LAR BOILERS IN THE NAVY.
ADMIRAL MELV1LLE's WATCHFVLNES9 TO "hi
THE BEST AND LATEST IMPROVEMENTS

ADMIRAL, NFIVII1E'S WATCHFrLNESS TO GET
THE REST AND LATEST IMPROVEMENTS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir read with much interest this morning tho
interview with Rear Admiral Melville. the hngl-
neer in Chief Of the Navy. with regard 70 the pro-
posed improvements in the designs for the war
Sims Of the future From the day that Admiral
Melville hcame the head OF the Bureau Of Steam
Engineering about eight years ago. he has made
improvements Of sort or another in the ships OF
the Navy 50 as to make them the superior IN speed
and in other qualities of those Of any navy IN the
world II ne had not done all this his record dur
ipr the war with Spain. in 1895. would be- enough
N commend him 10 the world the right man I'm
the right place" He was at his post day IN and
DAY out and much of the time night Tn and nieht
out Whenever he was away from the Navy de-
partment ID was only for day or perhaps Two
DAYS and at those times he would be- found at
some one ~ the naval stations. making personal
inspection Of the condition Of the ships ana tho
progress Of the work upon those being fitted for
service
Not only did he keep himself busy. but he kept a
staff Of faithful assistants busy, too This staff
was reduced 10 a minimum in number, and each
requested be sent TO active duty on the ships
engaged 10 actual work with Dewey or Samp-
son Schey: but they were intimate With the
condition Of every ship In commis,io or out %
| commission their services were more valuable 10
the United States In Washington than by d!splacug
!
the Steam Engineering Department Of the entire
| Navy Hence this Bureau was KEEP, at its highost
/ state Of efficiency.
Admiral Melville speaks Of the tendency toward
tubular boilers This innovation in other nayics
has not been overlooked by him. the contrary Ic
has given II practical study and watched refIlly
| the results Of experiments in foreign navies. OK
! periments which In many cases. have met with
| disaster. have proved some boilers TO be hope
lessly inefficient Had Admiral Melville followed
the practice OF some engineers abroad. the United
/ states would have expended a vast sum on Eek
perments II Is true that several OF the vessels
or our Navy have tubular boilers but there have
not been such failures In the use Of them as have
been reported In the English and the French and
the Russian naNes
In the recent manuuvres Of the English SQUAD
Tons much complaint followed the thickness OF IN,
Belleville boiler. part 81 which complaint wa
doubt due 20 the fact that is still sonethiu
Of a novelty. and that comparatively few OF M
old time iiremen understand how to work IT, OF II.
steam raising capacity there be lliile DOUBT
but among the engineers there many who con
slider Il very defective from severa points Of view.
There other tubular boilers about which n1ucl
fault has been found. especially on IN. grouTd IN.
they are eXtravagant coal burners But ono thin,
car be depended upOn-that whatever fmurovemar
is nut into the United States warship viii not h.
put in until its merits have been proved
New-York. Sept. II, 1888 H. E r