Show id D D li fesco VV r h USE what wat sh shall I 1 ii if bea e i as 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 it it demands a long and faithful apprenticeship but the outcome Is moat 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 HEN you made that long delayed trip to europe you perhaps noticed when sauntering about the deck a trim strong looking man in blue coat with the words chief engineer on the front of his bis cop cap ile ho was apparently a man without work to do for he strolled about tho the deck dech sunning himself occasionally sio nally stopping to exchange a word with a passenger and evidently have a care or responsibility in the world and lie ho was only about thirty five or forty and yet thal that samo same man was one ot of the most alert on board for on him directly rested the strain of getting the huge vessel voss el across the seas on schedule u almo and with due regard to th tho 0 safety of the passengers the rumble of the engines six or eight stories below was as aa familiar to him as the tones of your boys voice and was noted constantly it Is a alne occupation that of marine marina en engiber engl giner ner and one that offers almost unlimited opportunities for advancement to the young doting man possessing ambition and energy As in all other occupations there are many who do not appear to get ahead very far but the rewards aro are adequate for the one who works and studies to increase his efficiency yes your boy can ho be a marine engineer it is simply up to him to got get at it no matter what his bis age or education so long as he Is at least fourteen or fifteen and Is in good health strangely enough the best way to inako like the start it if one has high ambitions bit ions Is not in a vessel at all bt but t in a machine shop to be sure the logical way would seem to be to get a job as na fireman on altug or ferry boat or other small craft and so eo work up and many have begun in that very way but a full knowledge of machinery must be attained somehow before the worker can got get very high and it la is difficult to do so BO in any other place than where thi the machinery made and put together your boy la ja looking at the end rather than the means and prefers getting as aa much experience as he can before at 21 he takes hla his examination tor for engineer under government regulations he be must be or of ago age before ho he can do this 1 so at the age of 14 or 15 16 he be 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 roost most ordinary kinds of manual labor such as wiping oft off pieces of steel for the machinists running errands carrying things etc and will bo be paid only or 4 a week after a while ho be begins to get acquainted quain ted with the different tools in uso use at tho the shop learns learna what they are used for and how they are operated and in course of a few months will be doing some of the less important work of ab b regular engineer and so lie he goes on advancing in capability and pay until at the end of the fourth year lie ho will be earning 9 or 10 weekly this completes his period of apprenticeship tice ship and ila ho Is a full fledged journeyman machinist entitled to 3 or 4 a day now lie ho should not go at once to a vessel expecting to make an engineer but instead should remain in tho the machinists trade for two or three years more to gain experience furthermore it will be better for him to go to other shipyards and IV work ork so as aa to become acquainted with the different methods of constructing ting engines boilers etc in this way be will broaden his knowledge until lie he can meet any mechanical emergency that Is likely to occur dy by the time he Is 21 or thereabouts lie he should go to the chief engineer of some steam vessel and ask for a job as aa fireman water tender or to gain the practical experience aboard ship under undo uncle sams regulations lie ha must have a year of this work before he be Is qualified ned to take the examination tor for third assistant engineer of courso course ho he passes s the test given hini him by the ideal government inspector of boilers and to Is then hen ready for ills his first regular job at engineering his pay at once expands from the 45 a month and board lie ho received as to 70 or 85 also with board and he stands one of tho the regular watches of four hours engineers work four hours and have eight aft in regular service lie he also helps at making repairs to the machinery and watches t the he pumps dynamos etc A year of this and he may take the examination for second assistant engineer at 80 to a month and this work will be a little more important por tant particularly as he has had the great advantage advant ago of a thorough mechanical training perhaps he will have charge of the holler boiler room and most moat of the ordinary repairing on his own initiative at the end of that year he Is qualified to be examined for first assistant who draws 90 to a month this of course la Is the most important job in the engineering department next to the chief himself fo for r them the first assistant Is really the acting the latter Is IB uway away and has the handling of the nien men and the overhauling of machinery after a year as first assistant your boy will be ba qualified to take the final cor or chief engineer and as far gi ilat lations lons are con concerned cernel will be leto le to take entire charge of the alne department of any american steam vessel in the merchant marine the pay of chief Is generally from to a month and board however it would be almost unheard of for so BO young a chief to bo be given one of the large atlantic liners even though lie he might be competent for there must first be a vacancy and the ho seniority rule obtains pretty generally there are chiefs on liners in their early and one of the largo large companies has as aa superintending super intending engineer on shore a man of only 35 the next step Is to this position of superintending super intending engineer who la Is chief of the engine departments of all vessels on the line ile ho Is consulted by the vessel chiefs as am to all Im important repairs and alterations in machinery machine the of new equipment and la Is the companas comp anys highest authority on all matters in thle this branch of the busu nesa his pay when first appointed to la usually usually about 60 per cent more moke than he received as chief but he has hall to pay hla his own living expenses ashore which watch lessons lessens the difference to that extent advancement beyond that point rests entirely upon your boys capability in ninny many instances almost innumerable ones these marine engineers have gone into special work as consulting engineers and have racela ed high positions in shipbuilding plants isome of them earning very large salaries the writer knows one who was taken from a liner on the pacific ocean and made head of the engineering department of the largest iron works and shipbuilding plant on the pacific coast this particular young man ho he was under tinder 35 when he received this advancement van cement was not exceptionally brilliant naturally but lie ho was wad a hard worker and neglect a single opportunity port unity during all the 16 or 20 years of his work to learn anything and everything he could about all phases of engineering he studied at odd hours and evenings took up several special courses of study that he could work at nights and when off duty and in short made his work his pleasure leasure and had a real joy in accomplishment accomplishment generally about the time one takes hla his first examination before the government he becomes a member of the marine Eng engineers association composed entirely of marine engineers gi which gives him a test and certifies as to his capability when he applies to uncle sam the advantage of this Is that ho be Is thus endorsed by men of experience and standing who know what ho he has done and how capable he be is and this indorsement endorsement Indor counts for a great deal copyright 1910 by the associated literary press |