The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-02
TIE RoBnSON INVESTIGATION.
Ct Commodore Csse-The Torpedo
Boat Engine Contracts-The Fowler
Wheel-The Eecor Claims.
WASHINGTON. Apvll l. 1872.

WA-HINGTOS, AptlL let-.
The Select Committee to investigate The charges
against Secretary R0bcson met tonight at seven
O'Clock. They decided not TO receive the testimony
OF Colonel William p. Wood whom Mr.. Dana had
on FRIDAY called 10 show that Mr. Simon Johnson,
deceased, employed OF sought TO employ The wit
ness to proven. a disclosure Of tho true character
OF the seeor claims, and that he admitted to Tie
witness their iranduent character.
COMMODORE CASE,
Chief OF tie Bureau OF Ordnance, testified that IN
December, 1871, he did not make the contracts for
the construction Of two engines Tor two tornedo
boats With John Roach Il sons. Of New York,
bul ne signed them By order OF the Secretary
OF the Navy; he requested the Secretary
70 have the contracts prepared ana nave
DC no complications he wanted the contracts pre-
pared by experts. No PROVISIONS OF law were vlo-
Hnreau or Construction The witness was pres-
dent % tie Board which selected the models for me
torpedo boats. lie recommended the boats should
be bait al the nayy yards. This recommendation
DID NOT COVER THE ENGINES.
The depar sncnt ala not want the public TO know
ANYTHING about Tue building OF these boats. yals
investigation was defeating thc objects OF the ORG
secret, AMI IL was important the Office should keep
its own knowledge.
N response 20 an inquiry ~ hr. Bartlett, whether
the use ol engines WIN the Fowler wheel attached
was not rather an innovation. the witness saii:-
Ii takes the place OF tho ordinary paddievheel,
directlon as another; he CID MOI Know who fTea
INC prices for the engines; one OF the boats was dc.
signed by Chief Constructor Hanscom and the other
by Admiral Porter rs The Admiral Designed enc VI
them ne had right TO say what engines he would
pat In the boat; 50 with the chieI Constructor.
Secretary ROBSON asked the Commodore manner
Gus questions, to which he responded that he mad
IN THE SERVICE roRrY.rouR YEARS,
ami had heen Chief Of the Ordnance Bureau since
August, 1902 as 10 advertising Tor supplies, ne
had Been informed that Admiral Dahlgren While
Chef OF the Bureau OF ordnance, acted on the prin
cipe that tho law cid not apply TO that Office, be-
-
know wnat II was doing. After the torpedo boats
Were authorized
10 the Board ny different parties. lhe Board was
appoln,el by tie Secretary Of the Navy. i con-
Sisted Of Chci CONSTRUCTORS HaNscom, Deiano,
Lenthal, cantatn Amazon and the Witness inc
board selected TWO models those OF ilanscom and
description d the necessary speed ana the power
TO DC obtained. Both parties were perfectly salts
flea me; me engines won1a give the results re.
revoluilons. There s'' could nave q nosa no
at the navy yards. II IN the navy yards results are
missed there - no remedy hui 10 make new efforts
The Treasury Department was building two revenue
propellers with the Fowler wheel, anu the Navy De-
pertinent delayed good Wnle TO ma out about
that wheel. IL was considered that the
TORPEDO BOATS WERE EXPERIMENTS.
The witness considered u torpedo boat an exreri
ment; he wanted five, thinking that one good one
could be got ont Of tnem as to iron for these boats
he satl nc wrote 10 Moorehead Co., OF Pll.sbarg,
by order OF the secretary OF tho Navy, aud asked
population. They, However, could mol do the work.
asked him whether 1t was necessary 10 adrertise,
thai iJ was not necessary.
Mr. 8AHTIaIr callen Jle attention OF the witness
70 The laws OF ls4s and lsd which REQUIRE all naval
supplies TO be advertised, winch the witness aX-
planned HAD been construed not 10 apply % the
ordnance Bureau, ana 50 approved by secretary
"elles. II was under this construction that tic
great transactions OF the war were carried on.
ar. ARCHER asked the Witness opinion as to the
relative quality or WORK done at the navy yards ana
by private contractors, when witness replied that
ne considered they got better work at the navy
yarls.
Chief Clerk OF the Bureau or construction AMI Re.
ton with Lenthall about the law OF 1868; he came
INTO his room ny accident, when Ienthai told him
ne had O written order to nay the secor extra
claims, ana that this order was recciN cd out OF
once houra.
WILLIAM II. ALLYN
testified that he engaged Tor eight wears in tho
Bureau OF steam Engineering ana left IN August,
1870. While the cniei of the bnreau, Mr. KING was
him by Mr. Snook, including the Bogas report on
the secor CLAIMS. Alter looking at them the witness
longcd TO tire Bureau OF Construction. lie looked
over the report concerning the three vessels aud
.hererboats. f1e witness then made statement
rs 70 what the Board reported, ana closed by call
ing the attention Of the secretary OF lac Navy To
THE LAW or 1868
or the secor Claims, which gave $4,000 in full
sat.slact'on OF all claims lie c."S ,n,s stn'
= =. Shock, "sini anxious Tie seyTetary; snSsS
Know tue provisions u IN w Nm nf afterwards
been sent 10 the bureaa by mistake. When MIR.
King returned he brought to him the s,s.e..
il meant. Mr.. King seemed quite angry at
the action taken by the Witness and turned abruptly
ana lett nm. Witness did not know whether Shook
has returned the papers 10 the Department or TO
the Bureau Construction. The opinion OIL the wit.
ness was that the law OF 1858 estopped the Sec0rs
from further Claims Among the papers was q let
ter from KING 70 the Secofs. stating the items or
these CLAIMS mad not been considered by the former
~ n
question witness said 1t was the custom OF the Bu-
real to
STATE THE TERMS or TIE CONTRACTS WITH
FULNESS
and care and with great particularly.
In response 10 the questions By Secretary E0bcson
witness SAID contracts were not always advertised
but sometimes notice was gwen 10 contractors, and
that during the late war contracts were made TO the
extent OF SS,000,000. The witness wished II to be
understood nc had given no Information, directly
or indirectly TO the New York san.
Tne committee, at nall past nine, adjourned until
tn.IaarrA1 evening at hulf- mast SeYeu n,c