Charles Harding Loring was born on December 26, 1828 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the son of William Price and Elizabeth (Harding) Loring. He was a descendant of Deacon Thomas Loring of Axminster, Devonshire, England, who emigrated to America in 1634 and settled at Hingham, Massachusetts.
Charles received his early education in the public schools in Boston. Later, since technical schools were not established at that time, he became a machine-shop apprentice.
On February 26, 1851, Loring formally entered the navy by a competitive examination, in which he stood first in a group of fourteen. During the next decade, he laid the foundation for his subsequent career, passing through the various naval grades and becoming chief engineer on March 25, 1861. Among his assignments had been that of assistant to the engineer-in-chief, and as such he had had charge of the experimental work, particularly the testing of steam-engineering devices.
The outbreak of the Civil War found him in active service, and he was first made fleet engineer of the North Atlantic station; later, he became general inspector of all the iron-clad steamers that were being constructed west of the Alleghanies, his duties including supervision over the famous "monitors. " After the Civil War, the question of supplanting simple with compound engines arose. In 1872 Loring and Charles H. Baker were appointed a board to consider this subject, and after an exhaustive study, they recommended the use of compound engines. For several years, Loring conducted thorough investigations in various phases of engineering details and the recommendations in his published reports have become standard engineering practice the world over.
In 1881 he was a member of the "First Naval Advisory Board, " significant because it brought about the abandonment of the old wooden naval ships and started work on the modern steel fighting ships. President Arthur in 1884 appointed Loring engineer-in-chief with the rank of rear admiral. The following year, he came into conflict with departmental politics and resigned this office. Thereafter he served on important experimental boards and contributed much to their researches up to his retirement from the navy on December 26, 1890. During the Spanish-American War, he was recalled to active service and made inspector of engineering work in New York City.
Charles Harding Loring was well known throughout the engineering world and served with distinction during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. His career spanned the period of progress in marine engineering from the side-wheel engine to the triple-expansion engine and steam turbine, forced draft and the water-tube boiler. In nearly all of this progress he played an important part.
Loring was a president of the Engineers' Club of New York, and of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers from 1891 to 1892, the highest honor which his profession could offer him.
In 1852 Loring married Ruth Malbon of Hingham, Massachusetts, and they had one daughter.
