Evening star., 1901-10-18
Retrogression Along Engineering
Lines in the Navy.
MANY TORPEDO BOATS DISABLED
Marked Decrease in Machinery
Efficiency.
ADM'L MELVILLE'S REPORT

That there has been retrogreSSion rather
than an advance along engineering lines in
the navy during the past two years is the
most significant statement contained In the
annual report of Admiral George Melville,
engineer-in-chief of the navy. Therefore
he devotes the longest chapter in his report
to a statement of the evils Of the present
and suggestions for improvement in the
future. He says that this is not the time
to entertain the suggestion that Is fire.
quently made that a separate engineer
corps should again be created But he be-
lieves that more liberal and different in
depreciation of the personnel law will do
much to meet the needs of the engineering
service.
Why Engineers Were Abolished.
Ever since the passage Of the personnel
bill' says Admiral Melville, II have con-
tended that the measure of success to be
secured from the law would be altogether
dependent upon the manner in which it was
interpreted 1t was certainly the expecta-
ton of the Congress- and also of the per-
sonnel board, that the status of engineer
ing in the navy would be advanced by this
law. In fact, the controlling influence
which made possible the passage of the bill
was expressed by the then Assistant Secre-
tary Roosevelt in his report to you upon
the subject, when he stated that every
officer on modern war vessel has to be a
fighting engineer This statement so sue
cinctly stated the fact that 1t received the
widest approval as soon as it was pub
lished. The reason for it's ready accept
ance was because thoughtful men had for
a considerable time previous recognized
the present as an age Of engineering. Par
t1cularly In respect to naval matters had
the public at large come to the conclusion
that the modern battle ship Is floating
tort, hiled with complex machines. whose
efficient care and maintenance can only be
lntrusted to trained mechanical force,
and the best efforts Of this force can only
be obtained when directed by trained off,
GERS. This applies to every department of
the ship, and is only more applicable to
the engineer department because that de-
partment comprises not only the most i'm
portant but the greatest number of me-
chanical appliances.
Fewer Expert Engineers
Il am simply stating fact when 1 as
sert that the number of trained and expert
engineers in the navy is being steadily re-
duced. The practical working of the ANAL
gamation scheme thus far has been, in
great part, to take the junior half of the
old engineer corps and transfer them to
line duties. Individual officers of the old
line have conscientiously striven to per-
feet themselves in engineering duties, but
up to the present time systematic meas
ures have been taken to train officers for
the engineering needs of the future
The work Is too important and the needs
OF the future too great to depend upon in
dlvidual effort to secure sufficiently numer-
Gus and trained officers for such duties
Herein has been the radical weakness of
the system that has been pursued since the
passage of the bill:
"As a result of this inadequate super
vision in the engine rooms there has been
perceptible decrease in the efficiency of
n nd aScix j,,or
In the cost of repairs. Definite data upon
this question are difficult to secure, since
this retrogresston is progressive in charac-
ter, and the full extent of the evil cannot
be determined without searching investiga-
ton The condition of the machinery of
the torpedo boat flotilla shows the trend of
affairs.
Many Torpedo Boats Disabled.
During the past year the disablement of
torpedo boats has been of such frequent
occurrence that the majority of the boats
have been under repair great part of the
time. Many of these mishaps are serious
in character, and the present condition of
the f1otilla affords an incontrovertible argu-
ment in favor Of the proposition that prac-
teal engineering ability of high order is
required for their successful care and op
Grafton In my opinion, the machinery Of
the torpedo boat craft would not be in its
present deplorable condition if engineer off,
GERS of experience had been detailed for
supervisory duty in connection with the
boats.
1T is strikingly significant that the de-
crease in machinery efficiency has been
most marked in the case of the torpedo
boats With this type of craft it has been
attempted to practically maintain the ma
chinery in operation without the super
vision of trained engineer officers. With
such a system in operation it is not sur
prising that inefficiency should be the rule.
Upon official trials the builders of such
boats find 1t necessary to fill the engine
rooms with supervising engineers of abl-
tty and experience, who command high
salaries. After such boats are turned over
to the government it cannot be expected
that an insufficient and unskilIed fol ce
will be capable of operating them. The
at rapid rate if either an inadequate or
inefficient personnel is to be intrusted with
their care and maintenance
Need of Efficient Engineers.
THAT efficiency beneath the protective
deck is no less important in naval warfare
than efficiency above it cannot be doubted.
The boiler plant is the heart of the vessel
and any weakness in that direction will be
followed by general decline everywhere
else. The difference between an efficient
and inefficient force on board a warship
was shown at the battle of Santiago. The
crowning act Of that victory was the over
taking of the Colon by the Oregon. In
this chase a battle ship of sixteen knots
speed, manned by efficient engine-room
force, overlook twenty-knot armored
cruiser whose motive power was inefficient
ly handled, since only about one-half the
boiler power was developed on board the
Colon that could have been secured by
skilled force of mechanics and firemen di-
rected by trained and educated compile
ment of engineer officers.
The bureau has reason to eventually ex-
pect efficient Service from the young line
officers sent to engineering duty If such
Junior officers are made to understand that
promotion only awaits those who qualify
in this direction. The greatest good that
must come from such details will be mani
fest in the future.
"It cannot be expected that immediate re-
suits will be secured from this change in
the future engineering training of the naval
personnel. Satisfactory progress can only
be secured by development. The expert
eIce Of the cadet engineer system, whose
abolishment cannot be too deeply regretted
showed that a perfected system of training
engineer officers could only be secured by
progressive experience and observation AL
though the system was established at the
Naval Academy in 1866, 1t was fifteen years
from that time before satisfactory course
Of instruction had been outlined that was in
keeping with the needs of the service. 1t
will require time also to perfect the pres
ent system.