Engineers, in the Royal Navy, are the class of officers who attend and manage the machinery on board vessels of war. On the first introduction of steam into the service engineers were obtained from private engineering establishments, or from merchant-steamers, and their exact status was undefined and ambiguous. In 1847 and 1848 their position became more recognised, and the higher grades were raised from the rank of warrant officers to that of commissioned officers of a civil branch. This introduced a higher class of men into the navy. At the present day the use of steam for every purpose has so enormously increased in war- ships that the engineers' position has become one of the first importance, and high emoluments, with enhanced rank, have induced some of the ablest men to serve afloat. There are now the grades of chief-inspector of machinery, inspector of machinery, fleet-engineer, staff-engineer, chief-engineer, engineer, and assistant-engineer, ranking with colonel, lieutenant-colonel, major, captain, and lieutenant in the army respectively, and with salaries varying from £638, 15s. to £109, 10s. Some ten officers are borne on the Navy List for temporary service. All these are commissioned officers, and are strictly examined before admission; their rank and promotion being by selection, and dependent on skill, character, and length of service. A chief-engineer is expected to be able to make notes in the log of every particular concerning the engines and boilers; to draw rough sketches of the machinery, with figured dimensions fit to work from; to understand and manage everything relating to engines, boilers, and furnaces; to understand practical mechanism generally, and the principles of theoretical mechanism. The engineer and assistant-engineer are expected to possess, in a smaller degree, the same kinds of knowledge and skill. By an Order in Council of June 29, 1888, the rank of engineer student was established, vacancies to which are principally filled by open competition. Candidates must not be less than fourteen, nor more than sixteen years of age on the 1st day of May in the year in which they are examined. Applications for forms to be filled up by persons who wish to compete must be sent to the Secretary, Civil Service Commission, London, S.W., on or after the 1st of January in each year, and care must be taken that such filled-up forms are returned before the 15th March following. The Educational Examination is held annually, in April, at London, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Devonport, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dublin, Belfast, and Cork, the subjects being arithmetic, handwriting, accuracy and intelligence in writing from dictation, composition, grammar, French, German or Italian, geography, algebra, including quadratic equations, Euclid, and mechanical drawing. A fee of one shilling is required from every candidate, and successful candidates will be entered as engineer students at H.M.'s dockyard at Devonport. The parent or guardian of each engineer student is required to make six annual payments during the six years of the student's training—viz. £30 each year for the first two years, £20 for the third year, £15 for the fourth year, and £5 each year for the fifth and sixth years; also to provide uniform, clothing, &c. Board and lodging and medical attendance will be provided by the Admiralty. The weekly pay of students ranges from one to ten shillings, and they are examined as to proficiency once a year.
The Navy Estimates for 1899-1900 provided for 1050 engineer officers of all grades. The changes in this branch of the service are more frequent than in any other, and have all been for the better, as recognising the estimation in which the engineers are held and the importance of the position they occupy in the public service of the country.