posed a Melville-McAlpine gear reducing the propeller speed to 136 revolutions per minute. Tests have been completed during the year at the Norfolk NavyYard of 19 representative types of internal combustion engines for launches. Of this number 9 proved to be suitable for the naval service. Considerable progress has been made on shore in the development of bituminous producer gas-power plants. Owing to a lack of funds the bureau has been unable to do its part in the development of the internal combustion engine for large naval vessels. As stated in the bureau's last annual report, we can not afford to delay this development, and the recommendation is renewed for authority to expend as much as $250,000 under "Steam machinery" for the purchase and installation of an internal combustion-engine plant in a naval collier or other suitable hull, in the event that it is thought wise to experiment along this line. Designs have been prepared for a proposed repair ship of 13,500 tons displacement and 14 knots speed. The acquisition of such a vessel is believed to be of vital military importance to the fleet, in that it will in time of war enable the fleet to repair damages sufficiently to render the fleet seaworthy, or enable it to renew action. In time of war or peace it will render the fleet self-sustaining as regards repair work of machinery, except that necessitated in general refitting. It is therefore earnestly recommended that two such vessels be included in the next naval appropriation bill, one for service with each important fleet. CONDITION OF MACHINERY OF VESSELS CONSTRUCTED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT PRIVATE SHIPYARDS, JULY 1, 1910. The machinery of the following new vessels has been completed during the year and the vessels delivered to the Government, viz: Battle ships South Carolina, Michigan, Delaware, and North Dakota. Torpedo-boat destroyers Smith, Lamson, Preston, Flusser, and Reid. Submarine torpedo boats Stingray, Tarpon, Bonita, Snapper, Narwhal, Grayling. Colliers Mars, Vulcan, and Hector. The following are the percentages of completion of the machinery of the vessels named, now under construction, viz: Battle ships: Utah, 81.52; Wyoming, 13.3; Árkansas, 26.57; Florida (New York Navy-Yard), 66.59. Torpedo-boat destroyers: Paulding, 91.68; Drayton, 88.71; Roe, 92.4; Terry, 80.1; Perkins, 79.77; Sterett, 71; McCall, 83.29; Burrows, 79.11; Warrington, 73.92; Mayrant, 74.44; Monaghan, 33.5; Trippe, 64; Walke, 41; Ammen, 30.94; Patterson, 41.64. Submarine torpedo boats: Carp, 47.52; Barracuda, 47.52; Pickerel, 47.52; Skate, 47.52; Skipjack, 35; Sturgeon, 35; Thrasher, 2.43; Tuna, 11.6; Seal, 28.6. Colliers: Cyclops, 89.32; Neptune, 11.35. ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION, ANNAPOLIS, MD. During the past fiscal year 58 tests were ordered of which 23 were completed, 22 are still under way, and 2 canceled. The tests include one of 500-horsepower turbine engine, one rotary engine, circulation of main boiler; auxiliary machinery such as blowers and evaporators; friction clutch; engine room apparatus, such as gauges, grease cups, reducing valves, revolution counters, steam traps, steam pipe and insulating device, boiler fittings, safety valves, baffles, water gauge glasses, feed regulator, whistles, tube cleaners; engineering supplies, sheet and rod packings, gaskets and gauge grommets, illuminants, metals, disk valves, boiler compounds, and fuel briquettes. Included in the above there are 11 tests ordered which can not be begun until some of those on hand can be completed. A number of the above tests have been made for private corporations or individuals, who in such cases defray all expenses. Sixty-two varieties of sheet packing and 79 of rod packing have been submitted, a large number of which have been tested. In most cases, owing to the pressure of other business, tests have to be brought to a conclusion as soon as a satisfactory answer is obtained to the specific questions asked by the bureau or by the applicant for the test. In many instances, however, during the progress of the work other interesting questions have arisen, and it would have been very profitable to pursue the investigations far beyond the point originally intended. One of the most pressing needs at present is to frame better specifications, which can readily be done when sufficient data are accumulated from the tests in progress, and some important changes have already been made based on the information obtained in these tests. The work of extension of the bulkhead, appropriated for last year, is nearly completed, sufficiently so to allow of the dredging of the ship basin and coal dock. This work will materially improve conditions, as the present small basin is often crowded and it is difficult to arrange berths for all the various crafts desiring to enter at the same time. PERSONNEL. The engineering personnel of the navy is at present in a very efficient condition. The best sign of its healthy condition is the fact that we are still making progress. The department has indicated its appreciation of the part that engineering plays in naval efficiency, and has thus developed general interest in engineering work. The present system of organization has opened up to officers of the line who develop engineering talent positions of responsibility and authority, and furnishes a field for the exercise of such talent after reaching high rank. This has encouraged officers who have a pronounced liking for engineering duty to continue in such work and further develop their talent for it. The department has established periods for repair and overhaul of vessels in the fleet by their own crews, which not only encourages self-maintenance of the fleet, but further develops the all-around ability of engineer officers. The new fleet organization requires of engineer officers a degree of ability and foresight that were not essential when semiannual visits to navy-yards for repairs were the rule. The establishment of the School of Marine Engineering has carried out the intent of the personnel legislation of 1899; has provided for an ample, though small, number of designing naval engineers; has promoted an interest and established engineering in the navy on a plane that is distinctly higher than it has occupied before. There is a widespread effort among young officers who are eligible for selection as students at this school to make their records of service, which alone. govern their selection, so thoroughly good as to secure to them this desirable detail. The curriculum of the school has been arranged to take advantage of the assured individuality of officers thus selected. No school can make designing engineers, but this school gives officers that have proved their interest and ability, an opportunity to develop their technical ability along theoretical and practical lines somewhat different from those ordinarily found in naval service. Though as yet it has turned out no graduates, the school has promoted this spirit of emulation, and the graduates will soon be able to replace the older engineers as these latter pass from the active list of the navy. The system of engineering competition that has recently been introduced has placed all engineer officers on their mettle. By including engineering efficiency in the calculation of the battle efficiency of our vessels, the professional reputation of all officers in the navy has been made to depend to a certain extent upon the engineering efficiency of the vessel upon which they may be serving. Defects in the machinery handicap a ship, and every reasonable effort is now being made by officers to eliminate such defects. This is a great assistance to this bureau in leading to more complete and exact information as to defects in machinery than could otherwise have been secured. The improved efficiency of the engineering personnel has affected greatly the economy of operation of the machinery plant on naval vessels. The bureau has recently introduced a new steam log that furnishes data in a more complete and accessible form than heretofore. This new log has caused a more thorough investigation of the details of operation of the machinery plant of naval vessels, and will probably serve to bring to light defects that would otherwise pass unnoticed for a considerable time. The expenditures for engineering stores have been materially reduced due to improved methods of purchase introduced and extended by the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts. It has been the policy of this bureau to use a part of the saving in its appropriations, that has been effected by improvement in the operating efficiency of the machinery, for the purchase and installation of improvements to the machinery plants of naval vessels. By this means the facility, economy, and safety of operation of machinery has been improved and the power and value of the fleet as a national asset has been increased. Among the improvements to the machinery plants that have been more or less completely installed throughout the navy may be mentioned new boilers of improved design, new propellers of increased efficiency, improved evaporating plants for making fresh water, improved pumps, forced lubrication, gasoline engines in motor boats, improved furnaces for water tube boilers and improved piping and valves. Full-speed trials under strictly service conditions have been successfully carried out on most of the vessels of the navy, and every im provement in the machinery plant that was shown to be necessary by these trials has been installed. It is the desire of this bureau to continue installing improvements to machinery plants on naval vessels as far as possible. These improvements are expected to further reduce the cost of operation of the machinery, to materially improve the steaming radius of the fleet, and to decrease the danger of casualty. The number of possible improvements is extremely great, and it is not always sound economy to install devices that lead to decreased coal consumption. It is undoubtedly wise to install such devices as will, through the economies that they effect, pay for themselves within the assured actual service of the vessel on which they are installed, provided they increase the military efficiency. Devices intended to improve the safety and facility of operation of the machinery have been installed as occasion offered, but those merely tending to improve the economy of operation of machinery have been installed only when the economies effected by their installation were believed to be such as would pay for the entire installation, including the cost of maintenance, within three years. It is understood that in commercial practice engineering improvements are generally installed when their cost can be covered by the saving they effect within ten years. Evidently such expenditures for improvements such as this bureau has been able to make have been commercially justified, and it is probable that if a larger appropriation were available for the improvement of the machinery plants of naval vessels the total cost of operation of the navy might be still further reduced. The work done at navy-yards during the last year has been more satisfactorily accomplished under the existing system of yard organization than hitherto, and one of the principal advantages of the present system lies in the aid and encouragement that it offers to successful engineer officers. From the point of view of this bureau the improvement in the engineering personnel is principally responsible for improvement in operating efficiency. The present condition is satisfactory because, while everyone is doing his utmost to make the machinery work well, no one is content with the progress made, but all are working earnestly to secure improved designs and methods of operation. Very respectfully, H. I. CONE, Engineer in Chief, U. S. Navy, Chief of Bureau. The SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. 83933°-Ab. 1910-vol 2-22 REPORT OF THE PAYMASTER GENERAL OF THE NAVY, CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF SUPPLIES AND ACCOUNTS. NAVY DEPARTMENT, BUREAU OF SUPPLIES AND ACCOUNTS, Washington, D. C., September 26, 1910. SIR: I have the honor to present the report of the PaymasterGeneral of the Navy upon the operations of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910, accompanied by tabulated statements showing in detail the cost of maintaining the fleet, the navy-yards, and stations: These statements cover all transactions involving expenditures for the naval establishment, and show, in principal items, as follows: Amounts drawn from the Treasury.... Expenditures on account of construction of new ships, including Cost of repairs to ships and equipage at home and abroad.. Cost of maintaining receiving ships, including pay of officers and en- Of the Light-House Establishment. Of the Fish Commission..... Of the Naval Militia of the several States.. A.-Table 1. Cash account, by appropriations. Table 2. Summary of appropriation account. $120, 424. 97 $120, 961, 535. 08 24, 736, 599. 47 8, 612, 297.56 32, 157, 061.82 5,626, 596. 45 Table 3. Advances to disbursing officers, "General account of advances.” Table 5. Analysis of payments. Table 6. Statement of differences, balance "Appropriations" and balance "Re ceipts and payments.' Table 7. Analysis of cost of the naval establishment during the fiscal year 1910. B.-Table 1. Total expenditures for all purposes, by yards and stations. Table 2. Total expenditures for all purposes, by appropriations. Table 4. Cost of repairs to vessels at shore stations (Title D). Table 5. Expenditures on account of improvements to real estate and chattels (Title E-Industrial) and machinery plant (Title F), by yards and stations. Table 6. Expenditures on account of improvements to real estate and chattels Table 7. Expenditures for maintenance of yards and stations (Titles E, F, and Table 8. Expenditures for maintenance of yards and stations (Titles E, F, and Table 9. Expenditures for repairs to equipage of ships in commission (Title P). Table 11. Expenditures for improvements to real estate and chattels (Title R— Table 12. Expenditures for maintenance of real estate and chattels (Title S— Table 13. Expenditures for maintenance of real estate and chattels (Title SMilitary), by appropriations. Table 14. Expenditures on account of tugs, lighters, fleet supply, etc., (Title T), by yards. Table 15. Expenditures on account of tugs, lighters, fleet supply, etc. (Title T), by appropriations. Table 16. Expenditures on account of leave, holiday, disability, and incidentals (Title V), by yards. |