Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-01
NEED OF ENGIN EERS
A CAUSE OF GRAVE ANXIETY IN
THE NAVY.
Admiral Rae Suggests a Means o.
Remedying the Defect-Annual
Report Presented.

report to the Secretary of the Navy shows
that So 434, Oo4 were expended for the oper-
atoms of that bureau during the past fiscal
year and that there ewhs a balance of
$57O.975 in the treasury September 1 to
meet outstanding obligations The total ex-
penditures during the year at the Wash
ington navy yard amounted to $53,377. This
money was expended in making repairs to
the machinery or boilers of the Dolphin,
Mayflower, Oneida, Rocket, Sylph, Tecum-
sch, Triton and various yard launches.
Annapolis Experimental Station.
Referring to the experimental station to
be established at Annapolis, Admiral Rae
says it is the desire of the bureau to start
as soon as possible with tests of turbine
machinery. He mentions the corrosion Of
metals on shipboard as a subject which
urgently needs investigation by practical
experiments and asks for an appropriation
so that that line of research can be begun
in temporary sheds pending the erection of
the permanent experiment station building.
With the prospect of the Introduction of
turbine engines in naval vessels in the near
future Admiral Rae says that the bureau
is confronted with the problem of designing
screw propellers of a suitable form to run
at much higher speeds than have been used
heretofore.
THE first requirement Of the case says
Admiral Rae lis a mass of accurate data
which can be obtained only by testing pro-
pellers in suitable tank designed for the
purpose where the speed can be perfectly
controlled and the action closely watched.
With these facilities there is no doubt that
the resulting improvement in the design of
screw propellers will be as great as has
been the improvement in the design of
ships huils since the establishment of the
experimental tank at Washington navy
yard.
An Assistant. Desired.
Recommendations are made for the detail
of an engineer officer of experience as as
sistant to the chief of the bureau of steam
engineering, with rank and pay as provided
for similar positions in other bureaus; that
the number of warrant machinists be In
creased so that they may enjoy the same
proportion of shore duty other warrant
officers and that they may be made eligible
after six years service to promotion to
chief rank. with, but after, ensigns; that
the title and rating of the engineer force
be raadjusted to remedy existing unsatis-
factory conditions.
The bureau also recommends that when a
vessel is newly commissioned at least one
half of the detail of engineer force be men
of some experience, even If 1t is necessary
to take men from vessels In commission
and fill their places by recruits. In MAX
ing these recommendations Admiral Rae
says that the bureau has in mind the gen
eral efficiency of the engineering personnel
on naval vessels, and expresses the hope
that the recommendations wiltshe~ carried
out at the first opportunity.
Engineer Officers Needed.
In a special chapter resarding the en-
gineering personnel of the navy. Admiral
Rae says that its present condition is the
cause of grave anxiety to all conversant
with the subject. the problem being How
to obtain properly trained engineers when
<xf7o ic
exhausted?"
There is no Doubt says Admiral Rae,
"that an insufficient quantity of engineer
ing duty has been performed by the
younger line officers to- properly qualify
them for filling the higher engineering po-
sitions at sea, and none whatever for quail
flying them to fill the more exacting posi-
tons on shore.
of officers.
so vital, however, do Il consider the en-
cheering outlook for the near future that,
in order to obtain suficient number OF
officers in training for sthese shore posi-
tons / would change, for the time being,
the naval policy Of the government, or so
much of that policy as lrenders necessary
the keeping in commission of such large
fleet.
'If no other way can be found, it would
be to the advantage of the country to place
out of commission the requisite number of
vessels now in service. In order to obtain
the officers for this vital necessity.
Solution of the Problem.
1.-The problem of obtaining an efficient
engineering s,ersonnel would, in my opin-
ion, be solved by the following:
"All officers of the line to be given a
sufficient quantity of engineering duty on
board ships in commission, at first in a
subordinate capacity, tosrender them quail
flied to take charge of the engineering de-
partments of any and all ships.
THE making permanent Of that class of
line officers who are now designated as
for engineering duty only
THE selection each year from the list of
midshipmen who have completed their two
years service at sea, otherwise from the
list of ensigns, of certain number of off,
GERS for engineering duty, who shall not
perform duty at sea after attaining COM
mand rank
These officers should not be removed
from their classes, except for cause. and
should differ in no way from other officers
of the same class except that their profess
sional duty both at sea and on shore would
be engineering
THAT, for the needs OF the service in the
near future, the department authorizes q
predetermined number OK officers In the diff
ferent grades to elect to be assigned to the
list of officers borne for engineering duty.
The fitness of the officers so electing to be
determined by an examination prescribed
by the department.
THAT the number of Officers so selected
be so arranged that nd congestion in any
one grade may occur abut that a proper