The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-26
REAR ADMIRAL MELrrLLE,s Rnponr
One Lesson of the War Was the Adoption
of the Wnter.Tube Roilera in Shins

One Lesson of the War Was the Adoption
OF the Wnter-Tube Boilers in Ships.
WAsHtNdToN, Oct 24.-The annual report OF
Rear-Admiral George W. Melville Engineer.
in-Chief OF the Navy and Chief of the Bureau
Of Steam Engineering. shows that during the
fiscal year ending June 30 last the bureau ex.
pended S3,4eb,o2B In connection with the
machinery OF naval vessels. leaving balance
In the treasury on Sent. l, but unavailable for
current expenses. S2.75O473. Admiral Mel.
vile briefly summarizes the lessons oi the war
az applied to the machinery OF the vessel.
which participated In it, lie saws:
The general lessons from the war vera In
no way indicative OF any desirable change in
the machinery Of our shins with the exception
Of increasing tho evaporatlng plants and the
adoption. with all practical and economical
promptness, OF tho water-tube type OF boiler,
The matter OF increasing the evaporatinr
plants has been expeditiously accomplished.
and at present these individual plants on shin.
board arc about equal to any ANTICIPATED
emergency As regards the adoption OF tho
water-tube typo OF boiler. the bureau is pro.
crossing with such proper speed as liz ncces.
sary to avoid mistakes and to obviate sacri.
fee OF still useful boilers Of the older type As
fast as the present outfit Of Scotch boilers be.
comes unreliable or inefficient the new type ia
being substituted"
This has been done already. he says on the
Alert. Atlanta and Chicago. and work on tho
Cincinnati and Raleigh Is in active progress
Considerable space is devoted by Admiral
Melville to the subject OF the personnel of the
naval establishment He expresses dissats.
faction with the results obtained from the pass.
age Of the Naval Reorganization bill. which
transferred the Engineer Corps to the line He
says:
My belief In the spirit OF the bill was that IL
contemplated most earnestly vast additions to
the numbe Of officers who would give earnest
attention to engineering matters. and in no
way imply desire to augment the forces
available for merely former limo or deck duty
The comprehensive union Of the limo and
engineering vocations l still hope will be the
result OF the personnel change. and l earn estly
request that no departmental regulations may
in any degree tend TO destroy this belief OF.
prevent such construction Of the intention OF
OF the personnel hinges upon the provisione
made for future and continuous supply OF
efficient engineers in the Navy.
The only plausible scheme. therefore. 10 to
insist upon the present line officer adapting
himself as soon az possible to the new cond-
tons, and increasing., where lacking. his
mary instruction has already been, given
TO every graduate OF the Naval Aea-
upon alterations, for the present watch
officers in deck and engineer room duties will
accomplish the latter end. Efficient and com;
enable tho future line officer even more rapidly
than now 20 grasp the new work and control it
successfully. The practical instruction Of the
present watch officer, as above suggested. 10 a
fundamental and vtaIly necessary feature.
which: in my opinion. should govern the ruiz
inRs OF the Department from now on"