The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-09-14
MARINE MEN GO TO COLLEGE FOR SHORT PERIODS Henry Howard of Boston Originated Plan and It
 Was Adopted. GRADUATES OF OWN
 ENGINE ROOMS Make Turbine Engines and Diesel Oil Burners For
 Ships.

 that a bridge of ships was necessary to keep the men "Over There" SUD- piled with the things they needed for winning the war and determined to build and equip 1000 merchant ships for the purpose, a further problem faced them than that of getting the yards, materials and men for such construction. This was, the manning of the ships with seamen, officers and engineers especially marine en- gineers.
 The Board, at the outset, proceed ed on the theory that there was plenty of material in the country for an adequate supply of marine en- gineers. It believed that all that was lacking was a bit of training, after such men had been made to see the necessity for their adopting such work, at least for the period of the war. It estimated that there were several thousands of such men in the engine rooms and firerooms of exist ing merchant ships-oilers water tenders and f1remen,-who could be made into capable engineers by lit tie encouragement and instruction. It estimated further that there were many hundreds of marine engineers following other callings ashore, who could be interested in returning to sea. Finally, it was estimated that there were thousands of stationary engineers, locomotive drivers and ma chinists who had worked on marine engine construction of repairs ashore who could be quickly trained to be- come marine engineers. The big necessity was making them see that their services were needed in the emergency, to give them some point CTS about saltwater practice in en- gineering and to give them "sea legs'' before starting them off on voyages across the Atlantic.
 Here the college came in and a plan, originated with Henry Howard, of Boston, the Boards Director of Recruiting was adopted, under which men of these three classes are sent to various colleges for brief, inten- sive training in marine engineering before being sent to sea.
 The idea of a college education was a novel one for marine men. There tofore marine engineers were gradu- ates of their own engine rooms, be- ginning as oilers or water tenders or even coal passers-and learning how to handle a ships vftals by watching their chief do it and profit ing by his often not-too-plain instruc- tions. The idea was so novel that the grimy-handed mechanic who had followed the sea was, at first, inclined to shy at it. College stuff" seemed a bit too much for him and he gen. orally believed that it was not worth much to a man sea. But the plan was carried on nevertheless; and it had not been in operation long before the mechanics began to see some thing in it. The firemen and oilers took to it; and they came out of the courses with second or third assistant engineers licenses in such surpris- ingly short space of time that the ] method of their advancement com manded respect. Now the Board is able to train plenty of engineers to handle it's ships; even men who are equipped to care for the delicate tur- pines and Diesel oil-burners that are part of the equipment of the most modern type of Construction.
 Prof. Edward F. Miller, head of the engineering class of the Massachu- setts Institute of Technology, holder of marine engineers license and an authority of marine practice, was named instructor of the first class, which was assembled at the Massa- chusetts college. The first class had not been at the college a week before | the value of the course was demon strated and the seamen had set seal of hearty approval on their instruct | OTIS.
 Some of these schools hold both day | and night sessions, the students of the night classes following their custom ary occupations during the daytime. | They are first tested in mathematics and, if competent, receive thorough ] course of instruction in handling all | the special apparatus in the engine room of an ocean going vessel. They I also get instruction and labratory work showing them the action of water-especially salt water-under l heat and abstract details of the rela- ton of coal consumption to speed and other things they must know to be efficient
 l Turbines are the most difficult of marine engines and a new type re- gently adopted is specially geared and is very delicate. To make the men on ships carrying this class of engine | thoroughly familiar with the ma chimes they are to handle, the board has been sending the best of the en-
 gineering graduates to factories where the turbines are built, so that they may watch the entire process Of building the engine. They follow this engine to the ship it is to drive and superintend it's installation and | thereafter are in charge of the work
 of running it. The same practice has been adopted with relation to the Diesel oil-burners and instrnet!o:: cf l engineers in the special needs of this
 engine will be begun soon along the l same line.
 In order to reach the men it wishes
 for training, the Shipping Board Re
 cruiting Service employs omclals in various parts of the country known as
 section chiefs" who supply informa-
 ton to applicants and has prepared a
 pamphlet telling how to become an
 officer in the merchant marine Ma | tiona1 headquarters of the Recruiting Service are in the Custom House, Bos- l ton.