The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-03-31

Wa AN% ue4dyeu Trip 10 Europe you
%TSt8 perhaps noticed, when
@NVH sauntering about the deck,
wv trim, strong looking man
in blue coat, with the
words Chief Engineer" on the front
of his cap. He was apparently a man
without work to do; for he strolled
about the deck summing himself, occa-
sionally stopping to exchange word
with passenger, and evidently didn't
have care or responsibility in the
world. And he was only about thirty
five or forty.
And yet that same man was one OF
the most alert on board; for on him d.
rectly rested the strain of getting the
huge vessel across the seas on sched-
ule time and with due regard to the
safety Of the passengers. The rumble
Of the engines six or eight stories be-
low was as familiar to him as the
tones of your boys voice, and was
noted constantly
1t is fine occupation, that of mar
Inc engineer, and one that offers almost
unlimited opportunities for advance
ment to the young man possessing
ambition and energy. AS in all other
occupations, there are many who do
not appear to get ahead very far; but
the rewards are adequate for the one
who works and studies to increase his
efficiency.
Yes, your boy can be marine en-
gineer. 1t Is simply up to him to get
at it, no matter what his age or edu-
cation, so long as he Is at least four
teen or fifteen and is in good health.
Strangely enough, the best way to
make the start, If one has high am
billions, is not in a vessel at all, but in
a machine shop. To be sure, the logt-
cal way would seem to be to get job
as fireman on a tug or ferry boat or
other small craft and SO work up, and
many have begun in that very way;
but a full knowledge of machinery
must be attained somehow before the
worker can get very high, and it is
difficult to do so in any other place
than where the machinery Is made
and put together Your boy is looking
at the end rather than the means, and
prefers getting as much experience as
he can before, at FL, he takes his ex-
animation for engineer. (Under gov
eminent regulations he must be of age
before he can do this.)
So, at the age Of IA or Is, he goes to
the foreman Of shipbuilding or re-
pair plant and applies for job. When
he gets it he will be nothing, for
time, but machinist's helper. and
will do only the most ordinary kinds
of manual labor, such as wiping off
pieces of steel for the machinists, run
ming errands, carrying things, etc.,
and will be paid only $3.50 or 81 a
week.
After a while he begins to get &C.
quainted with the different tools in
use at the shop learns what they are
used for and how they are operated,
and in course Of few months will be
doing some Of the less important
work Of the regular engineer. And so
he goes on advancing in capability and
pay until, at the end Of the fourth
year, he will be earning 50 or SO
weekly
This completes his period of appren-
ticeship, and he Is full-fledged jour-
neyman machinist. entitled to SO or 81
day. Now, he should not go at
once to a vessel expecting to make
an engineer, but instead should re-
main in the machinfst's trade, for two
or three years more to gain expert
ence. Furthermore, it will be better
for him to go to other shipyards and
work, so as to become acquainted
with the different methods OF con-
structing engines, boilers, etc. In this
way he will broaden his knowledge
until he can meet any mechanical
emergency that Is likely to occur.
BY the time he is p or Whereabouts
he should go to the chief engineer OF
some steam vessel and ask for job
as fireman, water tender, or oiler, to
gain the practical experience aboard
ship. Under Uncle Sans regulations
he must have year Of this work be-
fore he is qualified to take the exam
1nation for third assistant engineer.
OF course, he passes the test given
him by the local government inspector
Of boilers, and Is then ready for his
first regular job at engineering. His
pay at once expands from the $45 a
month and board he received as oiler
to $40 or $s5, also with board, and he
stands one Of the regular watches of
four hours. Engineers work four hours
and have eight of in regular service.
He also helps at making repairs to
the machinery and watches the
pumps, dynamos, etc.
A year of this. and he may take tho
examination for second assistant en-
gineer, at $50 to $115 month, and
this work will be a little more i'm
portant, particularly as he has had
the great advantage of thorough
mechanical training. Perhaps he will
have charge of the boiler room and
most of the ordinary repairing on his
own initiative.
At the end of that year he is quail
fed to be examined for first assistant,
who draws $50 to 1925 a month. This,
of course, is the most important Job
in the engineering department, next to
the chief himself; for the first assist
ant is really the acting chief when tho