Pages

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Wordless Wednesday- Great Grandfather's Engineering Certificate

The front of the certificate for John Peter Bowden Roberts, dated June 6, 1918 in Beverly, Massachusetts.


The back of the certificate has his birthday in Leeds, England as May 12, 1864. In England he worked as a stationary engineer in a brewery, like his father before him. After coming to America he worked at the United Shoe Machinery Corporation in Beverly.
----------------
Post Update!
The first person to comment on this post this morning sent me the following link to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Safety website. He said that in 1918 it was only an oral exam. Today it is both an oral and written exam.

"Brief Description of License:
This license allows the holder to have charge of and operate a boiler or boilers not exceeding, in the aggregate, one hundred and fifty horsepower when solid fuel is burned or not exceeding, in the aggregate, five hundred horsepower based uon the relieving capacity of the safety valves when steam is generated by the use of liquid, or gaseous fuel, electric or atomic energy or any other source of heat, and an engine or engines not exceeding fifty (50) horsepower each.

Who should have one?
Anyone who is in actual authority as the "Engineer-in-charge", of any boilers or boilers not exceeding, in the aggregate, one hundred and fifty horsepower when solid fuel is burned or not exceeding, in the aggregate, five hundred horsepower based uon the relieving capacity of the safety valves when steam is generated by the use of liquid, or gaseous fuel, electric or atomic energy or any other source of heat, or engines and turbines not exceeding 50 horsepower each, who is held responsible by the owners as well as the proper authorities for the daily operation and maintenance of the steam boiler, engines, and/or turbines. This person is also the person responsible for all persons operating these boilers, engines, and/or turbines.

What are the prerequisites?
To be eligible for examination for a Third Class Engineer’s License a person must be a citizen or furnish proof of having filed a declaration of his intent to become a citizen of the United States; must furnish evidence as to his previous training and experience and must have been employed in a boiler or steam power plant as a steam engineer, fireman, control room operator, water tender, auxilairy operator or engineer’s assistant for not less than one and one half years, or held and used an equivalent license in the United States Merchant Marine for one (1) year or held and used a equivalent license from another state for one (1) year, or held and used a First Class Fireman’s License for not less than one year. A strenuous written and oral exam must be passed."

-----------------

Copyright 2010, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

No comments:

Post a Comment