On the _Leviathan_ there are three operators and a messenger on duty at all hours of the day and night when at sea. One operator supervises the watch, two are constantly “listening in” with telephones, and one man does the messenger work. Both “listening in” operators copy signals practically all the time when on watch. Each has an antenna and a receiving set of his own and listens on different wave lengths. Two messages may be sent simultaneously, or two received simultaneously, but it is not possible to send and receive at the same time. The two receiving operators sit within a foot of each other, yet it has happened more than once, that while one operator was copying a message from Rome, Italy, at the same instant the other man was copying a message from Balboa, Canal Zone. It is a common occurrence for one operator to be copying a European station while the other copies a United States station. The radio force at present consists of one radio gunner, one radio officer, one chief radio electrician and nine operators. [Illustration: _Upper Row_, Left to Right— LIEUT. COMDR. J. W. FORD LIEUT. R. S. SKEAD ENSIGN H. B. ROWEDDER _Bottom Row_, Left to Right— LIEUT. COMDR. J. FOSTER LIEUT. COMDR. J. J. JONES] _The Engineering Department_ By COMMANDER VAUGHN V. WOODWARD, U. S. N. On July 26, 1917, the Commandant ordered me to report to the _Vaterland_ for duty, which I did, and on the above date the vessel was commissioned. When I arrived on board, the engineering department was in charge of the Shipping Board Engineers and personnel. There had also recently arrived about 200 Navy firemen and a few petty officers; this was the total of Navy engineering personnel on board. In company with one of the junior engineers I went below for an inspection of the department. During the next three days all my time was taken up getting my bearings below and the layout fixed in my mind in order to make out a station bill so that I could determine as quickly as possible the personnel required. [Illustration: THE ENGINEER OFFICERS LT. WATSON LT. MILLER ENS. LEVENTHAL LT. KEESER LT. KIRK ENS. WILSON LT. BRIGHT LT. LAU LT. EDWARDS LT. R. H. JONES COM’DR. WOODWARD LT. ANDREWS LT. SCHLUTER LT. PARKER]