The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-27
HOW THEY DID HATE STEAM!
PREJUDICE OF THE OLD SEA
DOGS AGAINST IT.
Gave Many Cautions to Commanders Not
to Overdo the Thing. That They Nigh,
he Children Tempted With Matches
They Also Had 10 Count the Goals.

he children Tempted With Matches
They Also Had 10 Count the Goals.
Any one who would realize what strides
have been made in steam engineering in
the United States Navy in the last forty
years needs only to turn over the pages
of the regulations for the government Of
the navy, issued in April, 1855, at the close
Of the civil war. Steam began to be "A
factor in the navy long before that, but
1t was used sparingly, and-as one reads
the old regulations he reads between tho
lines-grudgingly. The old sea dogs of
previous generation. who were old enough
to be on boards drawing up rules for the
handling Of ships, were still sceptical as
to the real practical utility Of steam on
warship, and they made rigid rules gov
erning it's use, partly, no doubt, because
it was very expensive when compared
with sails, and partly because they did not
know very much about steam anyway.
II they had had their own way many OF
them would have known less.
"As material saving in the consumption
OF fuel, read the regulations Of 1855, may
be produced by reducing the engine power.
without reducing essentially the speed.
and as occasions for this exercise Of economy
may frequently occur, the commanding
officer is to make himself acquainted with
the principle and effect OF the expansion OF
steam, and to require that the expansion
gear should at all times be brought into
play when the engines are not worked up
to their full power
sIn order to ascertain the capabilities
Of the ship under his command. he is, as
soon as he proceeds to sea, to make careful
and repeated trials by using steam ex-
pansively, under every variety of wind
and weather, draught Of water, and other
circumstances, so as to be able at all times
to apply the principle Of expansion. accord
ing to the nature Of the service on which
he may be engaged, and to calculate with
accuracy the number OF days the ship can
be under steam without being obliged to
put into port for fuel.
Except for experiments ordered land
which will be necessary only when the
information cannot be obtained from the
reports of the performances and capabilities
of the ship on former occasions) he is most
carefully to avoid getting up. or keeping
the steam in any case where the sails alone
would enable him to perform. in satis-
factory manner, the duty on which he is
engaged For the slightest neglect of
this part of his instructions he will be held
rigidly responsible.
In the last sentence quoted above, you
have the voice of the old salt speaking
unmistakably. You can hear him saying
hard things about steam under his breath.
In the next regulation he wants the COM
mander to count the Goals.
AS to the Use of sails, either with or
without the use Of steam, or as to moderat.
ing the steam when running head to wind
and sea- each commanding officer must
be guided by his own judgment, but with
the understanding that ne must be prepared
to justify every expenditure of fuel Tor
steaming purposes. if called upon to do
so. His Judgment will necessarily be based
upon a consideration of the urgency and
nature of the service to be performed. Of
the wind and weather, and upon the diff
ficulties of navigation, and the qualities
of the vessel: but he is to take care, first
that steam is not used at all where the ser
vice may DE equally, or nearly, as well per
formed without 1t; secondly, that sail IL
never dispensed with when it can be en-
ployed to advantage to assist steam; and
third, that full steam power is never en-
ployed unless in chase, or absolutely neces-
sary, the cause for which must be reported
to the Department in writing
The idea seems to have been If you va
got to use steam, do so; but be sure yoll
have to, for If you get into the habit OF
turning on the steam whenever you feel
like it, and thus tending to make its use
more general, why We'll come down on
you so hard you'll see stars.
The old sailors were<mortally afraid OF
the boilers, as they had many sad and
serious accidents from bursting boilers
fresh in their minds from the war then clos
ing. To order full speed with steam, there
fore, meant court-martial, unless the need
for such an extravagant and reckless course
was fully apparent to all the navy after
ward.
What would these men think could they
plunging down the western coast line
bound for Cuba? What would they think
Of the recent naval manpuvres, when NtnII
speed ahead" was more frequently tine
order than the call to mess.
THE commander" reads another rule,
ais carefully to inform himself OF the usual
daily consumption of coal, and to obtain
all information in regard to the most eco,
nomical and efficient use OF the engines and
their appendages."
A few months later, in fact in August
OF the same year, there was begun series
OF United states Navy regulation cHcu-
lars. In these the rules governing the USE
OF steam underwent numerous changes
In Circular No. is to be found this change
Steam will only be used in entering or
leaving port, when the vessel cannot I've
managed under sail alone, and under other
circumstances where an urgent necessity
may exist, which renders ii necessary Tor
| the performance Of the service, if speclfetl
| time for its performance has been directed
| by proper authority
This was putting the screws on even
tighter than before. Next comes this altera-
| ton
Whenever steam is used the commanding
| officer OF the vessel must enter in he steam
| log book, in red ink. over his own signature,
| the reasons why he ordered it. and II" VIII
| be held to a strict accountability Tor 'N'
| sufficiency of his reasons. In no case WIZ
he Use steam without a necessity so strong
| that the public interests would obNlouSN
be materially injured by not using II Ina
Bureau of Steam Engineering will exann''
| the steam log books as they arrive. ah!
report to the Department the amount %
steaming done and the reasons given th"rN-
| for"
One might think from the almost tedious
/ AS little as possible that the Dspartns1
had feeling that officers would use u "s
! sort of plaything, and that there mus.
be endless cautionh &, even as ChIICrfl' aus
eXhorted not to play with matches, S'GN
| used as motive power seems to h"N" 10"
an element of mystery about ii sl.'' "'