The Washington times., 1901-10-19
FEW EXPERT ENGINEERS.
RetrogressiOn In The Mechanical
Personnel of the Navy.


Chief. United States Navy. and Chief of
the Bureau of Steam Engineering. The
most important feature of the report.
| made public yesterday, deals with the
personnel of the navy. Admiral Melville
strongly urges the strengthening of the
navy along engineering lines, upon which
subject he says:
1T is because II is much more diff
cult to solve questions relating to the per-
sonnel than of the material that the prob
lem of securing a trained and efficient
organization continues to command the
thoughtful attention and study of distin-
guished naval authorities. This interest
in the development and maintenance of
an efficient and satisfactory personnel is
not confined to commissioned officers of
the navy, for from many outside sources
l have received important communica-
tions concerning the necessity and man
ner of best securing an efficient engineer
ing personnel for the future needs of the
service.
From both within and without the ser
vice suggestions have reached me urging
the imperative need for strengthening the
navy along engineering lines. 1t is the
requirements of the future rath II than the
demands of the present which should be
there are available for Immediate need a
large body of young officers who have
been carefully trained in the guiding prin-
ciples of engineering science. AS these
young men have also had considerable
practical experience in professional en-
gineering work their services are in readi-
ness for emergency. 1t will not be long.
however, before they VIII lose interest,
aptitude, confidence, and even efficiency in
engineering duties II they should special
ize in other directions. From this and
other causes engineering efficiency in the
navy is rapidly decreasing. With such a
state of affairs the outlook for securing
a trained engineering force for future
needs can hardly be regarded as salts
factory.
1T should not, therefore. excite sur
prise when l unqualifiedly assert that
there has been retrogression rather than
an advance along engineering lines dur
ing the past two years. This fact is so
well recognized that numerous critics
have even gone so far as to suggest that
a separate engineer corps is again ne
cessiiy and that the time is opportune
for the enactment of such legislation.
Such a suggestion cannot be entertained
at the present time, for l believe that it
only requires a more liberal and different
Interpretation of the personnel law to Sc
cure many of the advantages that were
contemplated by its originators.
1t may be urged that the work of the
navy has greatly increased since the pas
sage of the Personnel bill, and that there
has been an inadequate number of Off
GERS available for all kinds of duty. This
is a fact; but for every three commits
stoned officers taken from the engine room
and transferred to deck, only one com
missioned officer from deck has been
sent below. This does not completely de-
scribe the extent Of the depletion in the
engine room supervision. The officers
Sent from the engine rooms were trans
ferred to The deck for permanent duty,
while in most cases the junior officers
transferred from the deck have only
done engine-room duty for short periods.
In explanation it has been stated that
100 warrant machinists have been appoint
ed and detailed for engEle-room duty. 1t
must be remembered tnat all these war
rant machinists came from the enlisted
force of the engine rooms and had very
little experience in handling large bodies
of men. Without ,s-detracting, therefore
from the merits and capabilities of the
warrant machinists. they are not alto
Sether fitted by previous training or ex-
peTience TO take charge OF an important
in many instances. were petty officers
whose experience at sea was very limited.
The gain in the engine rooms from this
source has been more apparent than real.
If, however, warrant machinists are
for such duty. it may be peril
nent to enquire why the boatswains and
=
are not equally competent to carry on the
routine deck duty. Such arrangement
would permit some of the junior officers
OF the line to receive engineering instruc-
tion, even If it were not deemed desirable
that they should render service beneath
the protective deck. In the British ser
Vice boatswains and gunners carry on
such deck duty on small ships. aud 1t is
to be presumed that our warrant officers
would also be competent for the task If
such assignments were made"
Considerable space in the report is de-
voted to discussing the needs of the naval
stations at Cavite. San Juan. and Homo
lulu. Referring to the Naval Academy
Admiral Melville says:
The bureau has included in its esti-
mates the sum of S250.O19 for the purpose
or erecting a building to be used for an
experiment station and testing laboratory
AZ the Naval Academy, in the department
struction: this building to be two stories
high. about 10 by $50 feet, and to con-
form In design and construction with the
new puildlIgs now being erected at the
also been estimated for to equip this
building with all the necessary appliances
ana apparatus as an experiment station
and testing laboratory.
AN establishment of this character will
be of the greatest benefit to the service
al large, and afford means for securing
nuch valuable information that cannot
pc obtained In any other way. Besides
this II will be of the highest value III
training the cadets and instructing them
n the method of conducting physical and
Mechanical tests and obtaining trust
worthy and reliable results. II will also |
lnord the means for advanced and orig |
nal research in many serious engineering |
problems still undecided serving the |
iane useful purpose in steam engineering |
matters and questions that the expert |
mental tank does which was lately erect |
ID at great cost in the Washington Navy !
ard, and Is now in practical use. in the |
determination of best forms of ships |
lulls."
Admiral Melville refers to the naval bat
ng of the efficiency of the men on board |
ship:
The difference between an efficient and |
Inefficient force on board a warship was |
shown at the battle of Santiago. The |
act of that victory was the |
pvertaking of the Colon by the Oregon. |
n this chase battleship of sixteen knots |
speed, manned by an efficient engine |
room force, overlook a twenty-knot arm |
,red cruiser whose motive power was in |
handi y, since only about one |
lalf the boiler lower was developed on |
BOARD the ColCN that could have been |
md firemen directed by trained and ed |
icated complement of engineer officers.
The bureau has reason to eventually |
sXpect efficient service from the young |
inc officers sent to engineering duty if |
such Junior officers are made to under |
stand that promotion only awaits those |
who qualify in this direction The great |
eSt good that must come from such de- |
ails will be manifest in the future
1t cannot be expected that immediate |
-esults will be secured from this change |
n the future engineering training of the |
laval personnel. Satisfactory progress can |
,nly be secured by development. The ex-
,erience of the cadet engineer system, |
whose aboIlshmeut cannot be too deeply |
egretted. showed that perfected sys-
en- of training engineer officers could |
,nly be secured by progressive experience
md observation. Although the system
vas established at the Naval Academy in |