What is meant by and many of those present avowed themselves of the engineers mind?

The phrase "and many of those present avowed themselves of the engineer's mind" suggests that a significant number of individuals in the group acknowledged or claimed to possess the analytical and problem-solving abilities typically associated with engineers. This could imply that they were thinking logically, critically, and methodically like an engineer would. It highlights a collective mindset or approach characterized by rationality and technical proficiency.