Show iw LD 68 SS what wh at shall st it be jy iii IN MARINE ENGINEER an occupation within the reach of any boy with a liking for machinery and sufficient ambition and perseverance to make himself master of at it it demands a long and faithful ap but the outcome Is most satisfactory how a bright and energetic boy of 14 may become head of a big engineering department before he Is middle aged by C W JENNINGS REN HEN you made that long d delayed trip to europe europa you y perhaps noticed when sauntering saunter illg about the deck ta s a trim strong looking man v in blue coat with the words chief engineer on the front of hla his cap lie ile was apparently a man without work to do for he strolled about the deck sunning himself occasionally sio nally stopping to exchange a word with a passenger and evidently have a care or responsibility in the world and ho he was only about thirty five or forty and yet that same man was one of tho the most alert on board for on him directly rested the strain of getting the huge vessel across the seas ou on schedule time nad and with due regard to the safety of the pas passengers the rumble of the engines six or eight stories bolow was as familiar to him as the tones of your boys voice and was noted constantly it ib Is a fine occupation that of marine en engiber engl gIner ner and d one that otters offers almost unlimited opportunities for advancement to the young man possessing ambition and energy As in alt all other occupations there ire 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 effic efficiency lenci yes your boy can bo be a marine engineer it to Is simply up to him to get at it no matter what hla his age or education po EO long as he ha Is at least fourteen teenor or fifteen and la Is in good health thea baad yay ito make the start it one has high ambitious bilious bit ious ions Is not in a vessel teasel at all but in a machine shop to be sure tho the logi cal way would seem to be to get a job as fireman on a tug or ferry boat or other email craft and so work up and many have begun in that very way but a full knowledge of machinery must ie be attained somehow before the worker can get very high and it Is 1 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 bettt getting alg as aa much experience as he can before at 21 he takes his examination for engineer under government regulations ho he must be of age before he can do this ihla so at the ageos age of 14 or IS 15 he goes to the foreman of a shipbuilding or repair plant and applies for a job when he gets it he will be nothing for a time but a machinists helper and will do only the lacal Acts ordinary kinds binds of manual labor such as wiping ott off pieces ot of steel steal tor for the machinists running errands carrying things etc 4 and will be paid only or 4 1 a week after a while he be begins to get acquainted quain ted with the different tools in fir use so at the tha shop learns what they are used for and how bow they tire aro operated and in course of a few months will be doing come of the less important work of the regular engineer and so he goes on advancing in capability find and pay until at the end of th the fourth year he ha will he be earning 9 or 10 weekly this completes his bis period of apprenticeship tice ship and bo be Is a full fledged journeyman machini machinist sf entitled to 3 or 4 a day now he should not go at once to ft a vessel expecting to make an engineer but instead should remain in the machinists trade for two or three years more mora to gain experience furthermore at it will be better for him to go to other shipyards and work so BO as an to become acquainted with the different methods of constructing ting engines boilers etc in this way he will broaden tie ls knowledge knowledg 0 until he be can meet any mechanical emergency that Is likely to occur dy by the time he be to is 21 or thereabouts he beo should go to the tha chief engineer of sope some steam vessel and ask for a job as fireman water tender or to gain the practical experience aboard ship ulder uncle sams regulations he must have a 0 year of 0 this wor war before r he be Is qualified to take the examination tor for third ass assistant latant engineer of course he ha passes the test given i him by the local government inspector of boilers and la Is then ready for his fret first regular job at engineering ills 1111 pay at once onca expands from the 46 45 a month and bo board ho be received as gilar to 70 or 85 also with board and he arands one of at the regular watches of four hours engineers work four hours boura and have e eight off in regular service lie he also helps at mit kint repairs to tho the machinery and wa watches talles the pumps dynamos dymas etc A tw jw of thief and his may take tho the examination for second assistant engineer at SO 80 to a month and orl this w wort will bo be a little more important por tant particularly as he has haa lad bad tho the great advantage ot of a thorough mechanical training perhaps ho he will havn haeft charge of tho the botler boiler mom and most of 0 the ordinary repairing rUg on his bis own initiative at theand ot of that year be la is qualified to be examined for fop first assistant who draws 30 90 to A i month this of course Is the most important jo job in tho the engineering department next to tho the chief bim himself self for tho the first assistant to la really the acal g chalot when the tha latter la Is uway away and has the of the tha men and the overhauling of machinery after n year as aa first assistant your boy any will ha be qualified to take the final j examination for fop chief en engineer gincer and as aa far as aa regulations are cowcer concerned ned will vill be eligible to talce entire charge of the engine department of any american steam vessel in the merchant marine the pay of chief la is generally from to a month and board llo however it would bo be almost unheard of for so young a chief to be given one of tho the largo large atlantic liners even though lie he might he be competent tor for there must first be a vacancy aln and a the seniority rule obtains pretty generally there are chiefs on liners in their early and one of the large larga companies has haa as to superintending super intending engineer on shore a man of only 35 the next step Is to this position of superintending super intending engineer who 1 la s chief of the engine departments of 0 all vessels on the line lie he Is s bons eons consulted bulted by the vessel no as to sit all important repairs and alterations in machinery the installation ot of now new equipment and to la the companas comp anys highest authority on a all 11 matters in this branch of the business his pay when first arst appointed la Is usually about 50 per cent more than lie he received as an chief but lie he b bao t to pay his own living expenses ashore which lessens the difference to that extent advancement beyond that point rests entirely 1 upon your boys boya capability in many instances alir almost lost innumerable ones those these marine engineers s have gone cone into special work as aa and ed high positions lons in shipbuilding plants some of them earning very large salaries the writer knows one who was waa taken from a liner on the tha pacific ocean and made mada head of the engineering department ot of tte the largest iron works and shipbuilding plant on the pacific coast I 1 this particular young man he was under 35 36 when he received this advancement van cement was waa not exceptionally brilliant naturally but bu he was a hard worker and neglect a single op port unIty during all the 16 15 or 20 years of hla his work to learn anything and everything he could about all phases a 0 f engene encino ding ile he studied at odd hours and evenings took up several special courses of 0 study that he could work at nights and when off duty and in short made ills his work tits his pleasure and had a real joy in accomplishment generally about tho the time one takes his first examination before the government ha be becomes a member ot of the marine engineers beneficial association composed entirely of marine engineers gi which gives him a test and certifies an aa to hla his capability when he applies to uncle sam the advantage of this Js Is that lie ho la is thus endorsed by men of experience exper lenca and standing who know what ho he has haa done and how cap able ho he Is and this endorsement indorsement Indor counts for or a great deal copyright UK 1310 by the associated arary rea |