The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
Promotion to Oiler First
Step, After Which Ad.
vance Is Rapid if As.
pirant Perseveres

plTdnC feTSeVercS
lie watches his engine as a motbar
would tend "A sick child. No bearing
gets h slightest chance to warm IN
Although the engineer does not An.
pear to notice him, he has his eve on
him all the time. II he is cunscien.
tious the boss hears of it IN tim.
II he isn't-well, the oiler hears abo,,
it at once.
When in port the cadets haven't a
great deal to do. Their principal occu.
patton is lodging work. But the y:--s
help the engineers to make rci.aiis On
any of the machinery that may require
ii. That Is the way In which they
learn the practical work about an en-.
gine. a year spent as an oiler VII
assure the incumbent of that berth a
chance at almost every kind Of Ion
hat can be done aboard a ship In
the engineering department.
ON the first pay day after he has
been promoted he finds in his hand A
young fortune. Instead of the SIS
Of the preceding pay as a cadet there
is s45. And he has beer trying 10
exist on fifteen per for some months.
With s45 he feels like a capitalist.
Then the world begins to look rosy
indeed.
Now he begins TO think seriously o,
a license. One of the first things hs
does IL to get one Of the engineers
to recommend some books to help him
In fitting himself for the examination,
I fla1N annttuh thaU usin ha ptEgba..I
| out of his first oilers pay. Then he
| sets to work to study. The practical
side of marine engineering he geti
every day, but the theoretical he mus,
| study for himself.
While the engines are undergoing
the repairs in port he learns all he
can. Engineers who see that he ia
in earnest about trying To- get on
help him, and explain the interior
workings when the cylinder heads are
| Of. Aboard ship IT is not hard 10 And
some one who will take an intcrcs, IN
a young chap who is making an cF,r,
10 get ahead.
Perhaps for two years he has been
an oiler. During that time he h4t
becn faithful in the performance u.
his duty and la gained the conf.
dence of his officers. One morning 10
goes to the chiefs office to have mat
gentleman sign his application for no
examination. lie enters with some
%trepiuation. for he has observed tie
chief to be a rather crustv old man
In a slightly V voice ~ makes
known his request. The chltf .puhs
the application over. leans back 70
his swivel chair and then s;arcs a. the
applicant. Mental shivering on ''r
part Of the would-hc engineer FOR fear
he will refuse to sign the form
Let me see. you've been W.. IS
about i've years now, haven't YOU.
smith,"
Yes. sir" responds the rersp.' ~
youngster.
THE frs assistant tells me yoirs
been entirely satisfactory and sober
On the job az the time. y" s.tph
work. Gmmnl Well, I'll sign YOU,
application VITA %pleasur- my hoy"
Whereupon he astNes his signature %
the document and hands 1t t. -
owner. Good luck 20 YOU In the
exams. Smith. When YOU get through
I'll give YOU a place here as a Junior
( YOU a it. Carol is leaving -
Good morning
At al this unexpected kindness ne
youugster nearly faints. He shakes
hands with his chief and leaves That
trip he lays of and goes down 70 tho
Custom House to appear before he
local hoard Of steamboat inspectors
for the district NJ New York" once
the license has been granted. he gets
the promised berth as a Junior. He
is o "A licensed engineer. n third
assistant. But he goes on watch with
a third who is preparing 10 stand ex-
animation for a seconds ticket He
eventually gets the chance 10 60 as
junior second and SO prepares for that
grade, That is how he goes NJ the
ladder. Five years as a first assist
ant entitle him to try for the chiefs
ticket. the ultimate aim Of every en-
glneer.
Such is the system now in force IN
the United States. But in Europe !;
is different. The English Board ~
Trade requirements are more exact
ing. There the engineer must he a
Skilled maChinist before he ever
touches a throttle or takes charge u
a watch.
The lads who intend tn become ma
rine engineers are apprentice 70 "a
engine building firm AT a Shilling a
year. They pay "A premium i'r ne
privilege Of working in tho shops
and the yard. some instructor s
included OF course, and they are rlre'
fully trained as maChiUists.
taar - Snnnf IN u.,rkHnlf .f OPT