The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-27

ready demonstrated their ability as menu
hers of some branch OF the engineering
profession
From the day the school was organized
there was q race against the completion
OF the first coats. First tho production
ana then the training would be in the
lead. but by the time the first boats wei :
completed their engine room crews. COM
pceed OF six men each, the two engineer
ing officers in charge being Columbia
School Of Engineering graduated. were
sent to the various plants inland. where
the building WAS going on
Here the acid test was applied to the
entire system Of training. The crews pi-
loted the chasers to the coast. running
/ them without . single hitch from tie
first day on. to the surprise Of naval Of
ficers who Witnessed the trials.
Although the school functioned effic-
iently from the start. the organixers were
working under difficulties. One of these
was the shortage Of INSTRUCTOR. which
was intensified by the fact that the or
sanizers were stiil teaching Columbia en-
gineering classes. task which shared
their attention until May. 1918.
In the fall Of 1917. Lieut.. Thurston was
transferred back to instruction from hts
inspection work and William b. Edison. a
former assiotant, was commissioned and
added to the staff. AZ executive duties
began to demand their attention exclu-
tired from instruction and trained as
sistants from among the best students
were selected to take their places. An
other motive In adopting this procedure
was the constant expectation of being
sent to France or England to operate
submarine chasers and later aviation
bases. Thus. az old activities grew and
new ones were added. an organisation
distinctly military and yet flexible enough
to adapt itself to changing conditions
was built up.
Tho value Of the provisions for expan-
sion which had been made by DR.. Locke
was soon made evident. At the begin
ming Of 1918 the pretentious naval avia-
ton program demanded in the near flu
ture . considerably larger number Of
officers trained in aviation engineering
than were then available. At the re-
quest Of the bureau of navigation a course
In aviation engineering was formed to
run parallel with the submarine chaser
course. The latter became four weeks
course. whereas the aviation course H.
cluded six weeks at Columbia and three
weeks at the Packard plant In Detroit
Mich.
AS was the case with the submarine
chaser school. the bureau, having no ex-
perts of its own. left everything In the
hands Of the gas engine school. Dr.
Locke mapped out the work. and gave the
first lecture, using assistants some
OF those trained In the submarine chaser
school. The bureau sent all the aviation
equipment necessary except Liberty mo-
tors. which came later.
Candidates for this school were selected
fIe m men who In civil life had gained ex-
perience with gasoline engines, or in en-
cheering or manufacturing lines. and
from men at the aviation mechanic
schools throughout the country nominat-
ed to the civilian director. DR.. Locke
ard his assistants passed on each appli-
cant personally. making flying trips for
this purpose to the Pacific coast, to the
Great Lakes station. to Pensacola Fla,
and numerous other points. Thousands
of men were examined from time TO
time and the very best chosen for this
special course. AS before, some of the
most proficient graduates were kept as
instructors at Columbia or sent to the
aviation mechanics schools which were
soon to be organized by DE- locke. And,
like their predecessors In the .chaser"
schools, the men turned out by the avia-
ton school more than proved their worth
as mechanical superintendent Of naval
air stations here and abroad
No sooner had the aviation school at
&C lumbia been firmly established than
Pi OF. Locke was asked to tour the coun-