The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-01

SAYS. Except the Oregon and GIou-
.e.tcr-WOrIS Below Decks.
From the New York Times.
,r,bur Warren has an article in the cur
-.ot number Of the Engineering Magazine
an .The Fighting Engineers at Santiago"
In the course of his article Mr.. Warren
saws ii is strange that not one of the cor
r4srondenrs at Santiago mentioned the i'm
n,rf7nt fact that when the Spanish fleet
broke out of the harbor of Santiago the
American fleet was unprepared to make
mick movement of any kind in the face of
the enemy In this regard Mr. Warren
says:
For the navy the war with Spain in
American waters was an engineers war.
The man behind the gun gave splendid
ssryice-none betIer-and won glory for it.
so much praise was used up on him that
the supply was inadequate for distribution
among ali branches of the navy. Jackie
reserved his honors. But even American
varships do not move by wishing or by
eunfre The engineers put the ships
where the man behind the gun could give
an account of himself. Admirals and cap
uias are brave enough, and keen tact-
clans. no doubt, but the best part of the
Spanish fleet would have slipped through
s0mebody's fingers that Sunday
morning at Santiago if Ameri-
cas- lighting engineers had not,
by the hardest Of work. over
come the obstacles imposed upon them by
orders from the bridge.
IF the fighting had been against men
more nearly kin-say English or German
under conditions identical with those off
Santiago on the Morning of July g., some
American hulks might now be rusting at
the bottom OF tropic seas. For engines
were uncoupled, and many fires out, and
steam so low that all the energy of the
stokers was required to get il up again.
"The American ships had been off the
coast for weeks, waiting for the enemy
TO come out. When the enemy came out
the American ships were ready to shoot,
but not to give chase. This was no fault
of the engineers. Ii was not the effect of
over-confdence. 1t was the result of
condition The condition is peculiar to
naval practice. 1t was long ago discard
ed in the merchant service. In the mer-
chant service a chief engineer controls his
department. In the navy the captain con-
trols the engineers, and is in turn con-
uoied by the commanding officer of the
feet
THE chief engineer of an Atlantic liner
looks to his captain for starting and stop
ping signals only, for the rest he takes his
orders from his owners, and reports 10
them. The chief engineer alone is respon-
sible for the care, operation and economy
Of the machinery. In the navy the ships
captain decides how many BOXERS shall be
4 used how much coal shall be burned
what pressure shall he carried. And the
American captains at Santiago had every
thing in readiness except their boilers and
engines. There were two eXceptions-the
OREGON and the Gloucester.
Tribute to the Oregon.
The whole world, not excepting the
Spanish officers, has praised the Oregon $
wonderful work-cruising and fighting.
What The Oregon did other Amrican ships
could do with similar men. The Oregon
4 record is a tribute to the fighting engi-
neers 1t is a tribute TO the good sense of
the commanding officer WHO permitted his
chief engineer control the engine.
Ii is tribute to the engineer-in-
chief Of the navy Commodore Melville.
who designed the engines. 1t shows the
Iedtion of the engineer to modern sea
fighting
From Bremerton, on Puget sound, to
Jupiter inlet, on the Florida coast, is "A, 800
nautical miles. The Oregon steamed this
Instance in 29s hours, including stops
Tor orders and COAL she burned 1909 tons
OF coal; her highest speed was LAG knots.
Her lowest 10159. her average Ills. For
tae most part she suited her pace to that
o. the little Marietta, which she convoy
ea. She arrived at her journeys end,
joined the blockade. and entered the fight
"'"oul having to make a requisition for
repairs Eternal vigilance is the price of
5ood engines. Robert Milligan, fighting
engineer, and the men under him, put the
oregon whore the men behind che yuma
'ou'a destroy the best ships Of Spain"
Mr' Warren tells of the hard work done
NY 'ne Oregons men. The vessel, he SAYS.
was 'Wenty-seven short in the engi-
''cIS force, and siXty-seven less than her
.u''e'S furnished on her trial trip When
'"e eoaIng was especially rapid the Off
OeiS ana men of the engineers force
WORKED twenty-four hours on end" and
"' CITES as an evidence of their spirit that
4" uIe STRAITS of Magellan they wanted
TO- Try the forced draught.
Forced draught practice" saws Mr.
warren, answers 10 Gen. Shernan's de.
p'lon OF war. 1t is hell. Every shin
~ '1' United states service is supposed
'Ae regulations to have a forced
III test twice year. Only the COM
..''"'r OF a ship can order it. But some
we ships have never made forced
Ii"uSnt run since their trial trips. Per
'l9 'ne captains do not believe in il. Al
''' rate their men have not been trained
'o Use it in emergency.
Nlnhgan declined to ask the captain for
mission to use forced draught. He
nue." mat his short-handed crew were
mo'Ang hard enough. and half their work
SUI before them, and a fight at the
ol H. Or the fight might come any
t'. Hut the men had caught the spirii
lHeiF chief; their pride was to keer
llnlhg in readiness. The difficulty was
' 10 get them 20 work, but to prevent
''sn from overworking. When the CHIEF
'" mat they really wanted to try forced
o5 ~usol for the ships sake, he persuad.
'Ne captain to let them do ii. Il was
mem what gun drill is to the men OF
leek and in the turret SO they di6
w. ava they did it again, and at Santiago
r, handed the forced draught like a
'hDreDnred for the Enemy.
ia Not an ounce of salt water was allowed
.'e oregon's boilers. Milligan. writine
IN ff.