Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-27
RAE'S REPORT
WORK OF THE BUREAU OF STEAM
ENGINEERING.
Value of the Exhaustive Tests Of
Liquid Fuel-Work at the
Navy Yard.

Rear Admiral c. w. Rae, who succeeded
Rear Admiral Melville as chief of the
bureau of steam engineering, has submit
ted a detailed report of the operations of
that bureau for the past fiscal year, which
involved total expenditure of S3,216,17I,
most of which was expended in labor in
navy yards and In the purchase of ma
terials, machine tools, etc. He says there
has been gratifying increase in the
amount of material for warships inspected,
and that the bureau has been able to
handle the increased volume of work with
out serious complaint or delay and without
an increase of the force of inspectors, by
promptly shifting the assistant inspectors
from district to district as the work in the
various districts fell off or increased.
The bureau again earnestly requests the
detail of junior line officers as assistants
to the naval inspectors Of material. in or
der that the training they would receive may
fit them for the important duties of in
spectors in charge. Admiral Rae says that
the important work of following through
every process the making of condenser
tubes, boiler tubes, boiler plates, steel cast
ings and steel forging for machinery should
always be in the hands of those most in
terested In getting the very best results in
the finished products.
Value of Liquid Fuel.
pleted the extended series Of tests projected
by the bureau for determining the value
of liquid fuel for naval purposes. The fact
that these tests were made under a boiler
capable of being forced to 2,OOO horsepower,
and that an extended series of experiments
had been previously made under the same
boiler, with coal as a fuel, made it possible
to secure comparative results as to the rel
alive economic and practical values of the
two combustibles 1t is hoped to have the
complete report of the board ready for dis
tribut1on within few months. Attention
Is called to the fact that through the lib
erailty or individuals, combined with the
appropriation available for coducting ex-
detrimental work probably over 500, 900 was
expended in carrying on these tests.
Report Awaited With Interest.
Admiral Rae says that the report Of the
board will be of inestimable benefit to the
manufacturing, maritime and naval world,
and will show the far-reaching benefits of
careful. conscientious and extended expert
mental investigation. The demand for the
preliminary report and the favorable no
tees of the work of the bureau in the in
vestfgation of the liquid fuel problem clear
ly shows how appreciative the country at
large is of scientific investigation conducted
under government auspices. Tests were not
only made with the Texas and California
products but with practically every form of
burner illustrating a distinct design or prin-
ciple
Neither in extent nor in character" says
Admiral Rae, have these tests been equal
ed either at home abroad and the bureau
feels assured that when the results of the
experiments are made known that the
necessity and advisability of conducting ex-
tended investigation in other directions will
be made manifest"
At Washington Navy Yard.
Regarding the Washington navy yard,
Rear Admiral Rae says that the bureau of
steam engineering has no plant of It's own
at that yard and that all repair work under
its cognizance has been done by transfer
from ordnance. Repairs have been made to
the machinery of the Dolphin, Mayfiower,
Triton. Tecumseh and a number of tugs
and steam cutters. The expenditures during
the year for all purposes at that yard in
Guiding craftsmen, employed on designs for
new vessels, amounted to 1880.