ENGINEER'S CERTIFICATES,

Under the Merchant Shipping Acts, &c. Amendment Act,

1862.

1. After the 1st June, 1863, no 66 Foreign-going Steam Ship," or Home Trade Passenger Steam Ship," can obtain a clearance, or transire, or legally proceed to sea, from any port in the United Kingdom, unless in the case of a foreign-going steam ship of 100 nominal horse power or upwards, the first and second engineers, and in the case of a foreign-going steam ship of less than 100 nominal horse-power, or a home-trade passenger steam ship, the first or only engineer (as the case may be) have obtained and possess valid Certificates either of Competency or Service, appropriate to their several stations in such steam ship, or of a higher grade.

II.-The Certificates of Engineers are of two descriptions, viz., Certificates of Competency, and Certificates of Service; and for each description of certificate there are two grades, viz., "First-class Engineer's Certificates," and "Second-class Engineer's Certificates."

Qualifications for Certificates of Competency.

III.-SECOND-CLASS ENGINEER.-A candidate for a Second-class Engineer's Certificate of Competency must be 21 years of age :(a) He must have served an apprenticeship to an Engineer, or prove that for not less than three years he has been employed in some factory or workshop on the making or repairing of engines; and must also have served one year at sea in the engine-room; or (b) He must have served at least four years at sea in the engine-room. (c) He must be able to give a description of boilers, and the methods of staying them, together with the use and management of the different valves, cocks, pipes, and connections.

(d) He must understand how to correct defects from accident, decay, &c., and the means of repairing such defects.

(e) He must understand the use of the barometer, thermometer, hydrometer, and salinometer.

(f) He must state the causes, effects, and usual remedies for incrustation and corrosion.

(g) He must be able to state how a temporary or permanent repair could be effected, in case of derangement of a part of the machinery, or total break down.

(h) He must write a legible hand, and understand the first five rules of arithmetic, and decimals.

(i) He must be able to pass a creditable examination as to the various constructions of paddle and screw engines in general use; as to the details of the different working parts, external and internal, with the use of each part.

IV.—FIRST-CLASS ENGINEER.—A candidate for a First-class Engineer's Certificate of Competency must be 22 years of age.

In addition to the qualification required for a Second-class Engineer, (a) He must either possess, or be entitled to, a First-class Engineer's Certificate of Service; or in the event of his not being so possessed or entitled, he must have served for one year with a Second-class Engineer's Certificate of Competency.

(b) He must be able to make rough working drawings of the different parts of the engines and boilers.

(c) He must also be able to take off and calculate indicator diagrams. (d) He must be able to calculate safety-valve pressures, and strength of the boiler.

(e) He must be able to state the general proportions borne by the principal parts of the machinery to each other.

(f) He must be able to explain the method of testing and altering the setting of the slide valves, and of testing the fairness of the paddle and screw shafts and of adjusting them.

(g) He must be conversant with surface condensation, superheating, and the working of steam expansively.

(h) His knowledge of arithmetic must include the mensuration of superficies and solids, and the extraction of the square root.

V. The examination will be partly vivâ voce, and partly by examination papers. It will be specially directed to the above points, and to the duties and business of an Engineer generally.

If the candidate passes the vivâ voce examination creditably, a set of questions will be given to work out.

He will be allowed to work out these questions according to the methods he is accustomed to use, and will be allowed five hours to perform the work; at the expiration of which time, if he has not finished, he will be declared to have failed, unless the Local Marine Board see fit to extend the time.

N. B.-Notice of the times and places at which the examinations for Certificates of Competency are to be held will be published.

Qualifications for Certificates of Service.

VI.-Every person who, before the 1st April, 1862, had served as either First Engineer in a British foreign-going steam ship of 100 nominal horse power and upwards, or who has attained or attains the rank of Engineer in the service of Her Majesty, or of the East India Company, is entitled to a First-class Engineer's Certificate of Service; and every person who, before the above-mentioned date, has served as Second Engineer in any foreign-going steam ship of 100 nominal horse-power or upwards, or as First or Only Engineer in any other steam ship, or who has attained or attains the rank of First-class Assistant Engineer in the service of Her Majesty, is entitled to a Second-class Engineer's Certificate of Service.

Application for CERTIFICATES OF SERVICE must be made on the printed Form Exn. 22, to be obtained at once free of charge of the Registrar General of Seamen, Adelaide-place, London Bridge, London; or of the Superintendent of any Mercantile Marine Office.

BOARD OF TRADE, Nov. 24, 1862.

THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

Are required to be answered by those Masters and Mates who present themselves for Examination for Certificates from the Board of Trade for their practical knowledge of the

STEAM ENGINE.

Explain the nature and use of the principal Valves and Cocks connected with the Boilers and Engines, commencing with the Boilers.

BOILER VALVES AND COCKS.

Safety valves.

Reverse or atmospheric valves.

Communication or stop valves.

Feed valves.

Kingston valves.

Blow-off cocks.

Communication cocks.

The water-gauge cocks.

The glass water-gauge.

Steam gauge.

Hand-pump for Boilers.

ENGINE VALVES AND COCKS.

Throttle valves.

The slide valves.

The expansion valves.

The escape valves on top and bottom of cylinder.

The blow-through valve.

The foot valve

The delivering valve.

The air-pump bucket valve.

The injection valves and cocks.

Bilge-pump valves and cocks.

Stop or sluice valves to discharge pipes.

Jacket cocks.

The sniffling valves.

BOILERS.

1. If the safety-valves were set fast, how would you relieve the pressure on the Boilers, if steam was up and could not make its escape.

2. How do you ascertain the saltness of the water in the boilers. 3. How would you manage to change the water in the boilers, if the blow-off cocks were set fast.

4. On examining the boilers, and they are found to be thin, what measures would you adopt to prevent accidents.

5. How would you keep the boiler free from salt and incrustation.

6. Is it requisite to have a hand-pump fitted to the boilers; if so, for

what purpose.

7. Explain the use of the gauge-glasses and gauge-cocks fitted on the

boilers.

8. If the mercury was blown out of the steam-gauge by the pressure of steam in the boilers, what would you apprehend was the cause.

9. What would you do to relieve the pressure of the boilers.

10. How would you regulate the height or quantity of water in the boilers.

11. When the steam is up, how is the feed applied to the boilers.

12. When it is not up, what is necessary to be done before the fires are lighted.

13. When the engines are stopped, what precautions are necessary with regard to the water in the boiler.

14. What is meant by boiler priming.

15. How would you prevent it doing so.

16. If the water in a boiler is suffered to get too low, what may be the

consequences.

17. What height should the water stand in a common boiler above the flues.

18. What height should the water stand in a tubular boiler above the

tubes.

19. If any of the tubes were damaged by the fire or leaky, what would you do, supposing you could not shift them.

20. How do you detect the pressure of steam in a boiler.

21. If the water in a boiler is suffered to get too high, what might be the

consequences.

22. How would you know when the water in the boiler requires changing. 23. Explain the use of the thermometer and hydrometer.

ENGINES.

24. Explain the use of the cylinders.
25. Explain the use of the air-pump.
26. Explain the use of the condenser.
27. Explain the use of the eduction pipe.

28. Explain the use of the hot-water cistern.

29. Explain the use of the piston, and how fitted. 30. Explain the use of the stuffing box and glands.

31. Explain the use of the parallel-motion rods.

32. Explain the use of the eccentric, and how fitted. 33. Explain the use of the starting lever.

34. Explain the use of the barometer.

35. Explain the use of the steam gauge.

36. The vessel is alongside the wharf, proceed to get the steam up. 37. When the steam is up, how is it applied to the engines to set it in motion.

38. What precaution is necessary before the engine is set in motion.

39.

How do you start the engine.

40. Is it necessary to move the engine by hand a turn or two before starting.

41. The engines being started, regulate the injection-cocks, so as to keep them going at full or reduced speed.

42. What is the use of the injection.

43. How is the vacuum maintained in a condensing engine. 44. How do you know when there is too much injection.

45. How do you know when there is not enough injection.

46. If the injection was not shut off when the engines are stopped, what would happen.

47. If the condenser reject the injection, what would you do.

48. Would it be advantageous if an injection-pipe was fitted so as to take injection from the bilge if required.

49. If water should get into the cylinder, what might be the consequences. 50. In running free with a heavy sea, and a jump upon the engines, what precautions would you take to endeavour to prevent damage to the engines.

51. If one engine was damaged, what would you do in order to proceed. 52. If the eccentric should break, could the engines still be worked. 53. If a bearing becomes heated, what would you do.

54. How would you slow an engine.

55. How would you stop an engine.

56. Wherein does a high pressure differ from a low pressure engine. 57. How do you admit tallow into the cylinders, when the engines are at work, for the purpose of lubricating the pistons.

58. What is meant by working the engines expansively.

59. How would you disconnect the engines if there was no disconnecting gear fitted.

60. What is meant by throwing the engines out of gear.

61. Why have two feed-pumps fitted, say one to each engine.

62. Is it requisite to have branch-pipes fitted to the feed-pumps; if so, for what purpose.

The Engineer Examiner should provide drawings and working sections, on a sufficiently large scale, of the various parts of the Steam Engine, and of the valves and slides, &c. as may be necessary, and should require the applicant to make use of them in giving his answers to the various questions put to him; and, if an opportunity offer, the applicant should be permitted, under the guidance of the Engineer, to start and stop an engine of some vessel which may have her steam up.

[Those Masters and Mates who intend passing for Steam should study Main and Brown on the Marine Steam Engine, an invaluable book, which treats on all the necessary points requisite for answering the preceding Questions. This, with practice in an Engineer's workshop, or on board a Steamer, will suffice to prepare for Examination.]