The sun., 1872-04-08
THE GREAT NAVAL FRAUDS.
THE ALaONoUIN AND sICo ENGINE
SWINDLES.


Again-Even Worse than the secor Fraud.
| Correspondence of The Sun.
WAsHINGToN, April 3.-Fabulous sums of
money have been stolen from the National
| Treasury through the medium Of fraudulent
| claims during the past three years. large pro-
| portion Of this money has found its way into
| the pockets Of men who had contracts with
| the Navy Department during the war. In al
| most every instance the accounts Of these con-
tractors had been finally settled 10y the previous
Administration. and every claim which thcl have
| succeeded in getting approved by Robson was
| time and again rejected by Mr.. welles
| As have heretofore abundantly dCihonstra-
| ted, and rs has been clearly proven by the evi-
| dence already adduced at this early stage OF the
| "Nobeson investigation" the most stupendous
| frauds have been unblushlngly sanctioned by
| the Secretary Of the Navy Claimants who were
| dissatisfied with the decision Of Mr. Wellcs In
| regard to their claims, and who had time and
again appealed without success To Congress for
relief. have found no difficulty whatever In get
| ting their accounts reOpeued and additional al
| lOwances made under Robeson.
From time mmemoria it has been the ostab-
| lished law Of the Navy Department to refuse to
| reopen accounts which had been considered
| and settled 10y previous Administration. unless
some new facts were alleged aud proven. II the
| claimants were not satisfied with the action Of
| the Department they could only obtain relief by
| the action Of Congress. But the present head
| OF that Department seems tO have n supreme
J contempt for lune-establi-hcd customs aud
| rul 's, rs well rs recent acts of ConVresa He
evidently considers his judgment. as wc'l .> bis
| powers, superior not only tu those Of H. prrdc-
| cessors, but to Congress also.
FounEs AND CuuLiss.
\ curious history is connected with two OF
| the claims which, he has allowed, notWith-
| Standing tho fact that they were settled 10y MIR.
| welle~ according 90 the spirit as well a. the let
| ter OF the contract II II cirous because It IL
| h-tratcs SO appo. .ltcly the .upsemc folly ~ un-
profe ~sional men, t.pecially Cungrossinen. intcr-
fcclng with thc professional details ~
ncrartncnt the .lmplcst principle ~ which
| they do uut uud"r tand.
During the ycnt las ur l. while tho war was
"a ;ng aud the Na,y Department was stranine
| every nerve g. increase the navy tn the hiihe 4
point Of efficiency possible. two private engine
| builder were pcrsi-tcnly urging upon the Sec
| rotary two different plans which they had
originated for the construction of marine en-
gincs. These two cntcrpri-ng manufacturers
| were Paul :. Forbes. uf New York. aud George
II. Corliss, Pre- -idont of the Corli-s steam En-
ginc Company of Providence. Il. 7. They each
claimed q a, the principle on whic' thryapplicd
the "cut-od would cause Il revolution In
steam engineering; that IL would civ, a greatly
increased power with a greatly diminished cost ;
that the saving In coal would alone bc a grcat
item. Mr. wtlle- uniformly replied tu all their
arguments that he was not an engineer, aud was
therefore incompetent to judge a. TO the merit
| ur dcmcrts ~ their thcorys; that hc had re-
ferred the subject tn the Chicf 81 the Bureau Of
Sterm EpgiueeriuI-a gentleman In whose s,i-
cnt nc attainment aud practical knowledge be
| had t.., utmoat clnndpntr. and he had cou-
domucd Il. Failing to m Ike an lrnpre-s ion here.
| these gentlemen went to Congress ana brought
all thoir pre- ,urc to bear vn the Committee on
NayM Affairs, aud finally succeeded in getting
the gentlemen composing that committee won.
dcrfully Interested Va their theories and
pans. The committee waited on Mr..
Wellcs and urscd upon him the proprlety
of at least tc-tlng the theories in which
thee gentlemen seemed 20 have such perfect
confidence Ait~ bringing all tnc inhucncc
they could command t1 hr4rupou the Secretary.
they at length offered to contract 20 build en-
riu,s # certain power. wEi'h were t. hc
thoroughly tested, and u they failed Ia any f"-
,pcct 10 equal th1tc designed by the bJretu ui
steam EnClncerin,they would take them out oi
the vessel, aud I, iuud the money tu the Govern
mcnt. The Committee on Naval Affair and q
number Of COngressmcn called upon the secre-
iary ~ The Navy aud urged the acceptance 0l
thi- proposition. Finally. the proposition OF the
gentlemen was accepted by Mr. ~enes, and the
contracts were drawn up under the direction ol
the Chief Of the Bureau Of Steam Engineering
They were drawn with all the care which s fi,
actcrlged the Department under Mr.. Welle- aud
Mr Forbes. and the Corliss steam Engine Conr
pnny oblgn:cd themselves TO build engines u
; certain power for these vessels. which were &
, give equal power on fair trial with encnCs o
similar -ile aud capacity designed hy Nr. l-h"r
wood, the chief of the Bureau of Steam Engi
nccring. In order that the experiment could b,
f,irly made, ships of similar model and -le {,
those which contlined Mr. lshcrN ,ods ,ngin0'
were ordered tn receive the engines lh'i h'
, | FORBES aud Cur'iss.
THE TWO FNtLUIEi.
Mr. Forbes built two cngine- one fpr tho Ida
} | ho and one Tor the Agn nuquin while thc tor
Has steam Fuaine Company built ono for ~,
. | Sacu. The Idaho was e. tctlS similar 10 ever
respect to the Mnmuanua', which was supplied
| with ono Of isher1NoOds lW-inch cncincs. :
| thorough competitive test wa made of thr tw
. | engines in an eNhaustiy. trial ~ New lork, ,whe
| Furhrss engine vignnlly failed. Tie ldah
never made hut single trial titp with Ei. -n'
{ | and the he 4 speed she could make under th
, | most favorable circumstances was Only Hhou
| seven and half knot4 m hour. while the VAIN
- | pauOag In stormy wcath'r actually aNerggei
r. seventeen and three quarter knots Az hour IN
| greatest speed ON rCrord.
. | The engine huilt faPtAr htnnduln was a.