The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-22
SECOR ROBESON'S GUILT
Corruption Unearthcd by the Com
mi,tee on Naval Affairs,
POOR MAN SUDDENLY RICH
some Very Profitable Contracts Win
the Secretary Of the Navy

4.Lsn nv the Committee on Naval Anairs in ro-
htion to the Philadelphia Navy Yard has ooon
printed, and makes book OF i~ pages A'"o''
every psge Of II reveals some new pnase VI W.
corruption that has been practiced tnere III uo
letting of contracts, the sale OF olu na'e''"s'
the purchase Of supplies OF every klnu III open
market. and above all, In the sale OF the o'u yaru
and the removal OF the buildings ana materials
20 League Island. In regard to contracts the
t.,tlmony Of Edward llartt, Naval Constructor
With the rank of Capttin. who was formerly
stationed at the Philadelphia yard, throws much
aeht On the system practced under Secor Robe
,op'. administration Of the Navy Department
Harit testified that he was detailed to 20 to
iouisir ma and inspect and receive quantity Of
Hye o * timber which s. y. II own had the con-
n ct to deliver at the Mare Island Navy Yard,
difornia. The contract had been sublet TO 1.
Bieler, who bad cut the timber from the Gov
srnmeut land In Louisiana. The price at which
ths timber was to be delivered was $50
q foot Hartt said It was unusual for
abe Government TO inspect and receive
ths timber ia the swamps. and that the
aoing this was a great advantage to che con-
tractor, because he got his certificates and rc-
seived his pay six months in advance OF the de-
Syery Of the timber. There was about sixty
thousand feet in this contract, and the amount
There WAS disposition on the part Of the con-
tractor to deceive the Inspector, and In one in
stance he detected him 10 an outrageous attempt
% cheat the Government. Until within the last
few years MIR. Hartt says he never knew Of an
instance OF an ofiicer being sent away from bis
post TO inspect timber before II was delivered,
and he regarded this instance As q gross piece OF
favoritism to the contractor HaItt also testi-
aed that It was only In a few instances that the
hw which requires q Board Of Survey to ssti-
mate the costs Of repairs when they will amount
10 more than 5000 has been obeyed.
In the cases Of the Ossipee. Nantasket, Lacka-
wanna and Saginaw, repaired at Mare Island,
there were no boards OF survey. At the Phila-
delphia yard there had been very extensive
repairs to ships, but several had been entirely
rebuilt by contract. There had been vast guam
titles Of material bought aud stored there In the
past year or two, ana after the sale OF the old
yard there was p aciicaily no use for 1t, because
would require a long while and the expendi-
ture VI vast sums OF money before League
Island could be placed In condition to enable
ships to be Guilt there or even repaired. Con-
tractors who were given contracts 10 build
ships and to tear old ones to pieces were allowed
10 use materials belonging to the Government.
and he tools and other appliances belonging to
Sbe yaId, In many Instances the tools were lost
snd injured. and the contractors were not held
0spOusible.
now UsKLKss MATERIAL WAS MADE USEFUL.
In regard to the Quinnebaug and the Consti-
tuition being rebuilt IN Philadelphia, HaItt tes-
pned that he protested bRainst their going out
81 the Yard to contractors, out he Wa over
two snips are allowed to select from the low
eminent supplies, and they were not careful
about their selections. For instance, iftbey lad
appended a eood deal of labor on u stick OF t'm-
Der before discovering a defect In II, they would
ry to hide the defect In order not to lose their
"A N q
cost Of these two vessels made, aud this open
cd the door TO fraud. In the plumbing Of the
Quinnebaug, there was no detailed csti ate
Of tDs cost required. A contract was let by
Hanscom. chief OF the Bureau Of Construction,
% W. y. Steele, the son Of Naval Constructor
Steele, for sl2,OJO and the use OF the old mate
rial IRON nve YES ses. Responsible parties in the
ssn naw mater. .1s Tor Tsx ss M eng A.r fa
nsinR all the old material he wanted for the Job,
Steele sold tN,ss6.5l worth to latham & Bros.
nontractors for the hull OF tue QuinnebauR,
and Wood, Dialogue & Co. Of Camden, N. j., for
she Constitutions engines, the Government 10
both cases furnishing all the materials. Hartt
tsstiped that he knew that the IRON clads Am
phil rite. Terror, Puritan, and MiaDt onu man lad
seen torn 10 pieces, and the iron traded on TO
Bsyfert, NcManus 4 Co., Psnnock 4 Co., and to
1ohn Roach. In r.gsrd to this destruction OF
Hart was asked
9uYou are an old pay constructor senior upon the
o"ss.,s to the Committee COZ mi wh., Is the wisdom or
POD poaSJ 81 the depsr,msn! IN MAKING these con.
ihere Is any wisdom or good policy In 1t. Ny impres
o.-Are you from your position OF experience and
cS, Standing n me me c9n.I9c,Gn Department q me
% faos mott s.'si
itno. hs. i been UNDERSTOOD .mops i. in former
6si could not De destroyed and new vessel built
Without the authority OF an act OF Congress-; Nearly
SRs yard was unatT eipres. ofdsrs from wsshnstOn
The former command mt there, Commodore
Preble, testified that he knew nothing about the
purch ases. They were all made on orders from
washington, aud he received orders to receipt
Tor The articles. he bad no authority In ths
matter.
OWL GRANT TURNING UP AGAIN.
In the case Of the ships knees furnished by
Jos. Savage Of Washington and Bashor & Co. "
Baltimore, Orvl Grants firm, Preble knew
nothing ABOUT IL until they were being delivered,
ana lnen he sent for the assistant con- raotor
Mr.. Hoover. anu told him that he could not ap-
prove the Iequisition. that there was no need
Tor them. Hoover told him he had received a
private letter about the purchase from Wash
ington, but TO this Prebls said be paid no atten-
non: lie relurLed the req usitiOn TO the bure u
~ Warrington without his approval, and STATED
b.. reasons for his course, but II came back ap-
divided his profits with Nurtagh Of the National
hepubttcdn, was also ALLOW cd to deliver a large
mt OF pine lumber at tue yard when there was
no neeo for II. 10 der to make AurtaRh's in
terest certain, the constructor was required by
telegraph from Warrington TO make out the
bills, SO thai one third Of the amount would be
IN sep rate oil.
Hart, the Naval Constructor, testified also
that b. 7. Brown was allowed, by order OF the
aeosrtlent at Washington, about SIS thou
Sand more for 2500O feet OF OAK Lumber than IL
sould be bought fJI In the market.
lh regard 10 the three new sloops OF war, the
Huron nd Alert bHilt by John Roach, and the
hAnser ant by Harlan q HolliDgsworth, Hsrtt
testln-s IN neither OF them is up TO naval
stan ard that hey are from rs to 30 per cent
Delow ihet anaar1. Tue Ranger Is the best Of
~ three and she ID fully rs per cent. below ma
In egard 70 League Island a. site for a navy
yhu hTtt te,iinc = that, before IL can be put IN
koou condition. Tor yard purposes as the old
ssu, AZ e 81 &5.OOO,UO viii have TO be speDt. 10
out Tue biaL Cunteu plated, II will require,
s. ~ says, ~ lea &jO,00O,0O0 The whole tern
NJ h ,ntE'y LOO acres, has to be nlled
spp 'uiy Yen feet with earth brought
hssn dlslauce, and sea wall will
rs,t a, 20 10 70 u.lIt around the island. lhs will
80, a, oast UO'OCO. hen the buildings will
COST Il least tl,UO.JO more, and tns piers aud
snaIVs, another million. The destruction Of
p"peitt W lhe removal OF the buildings and
V~Ilhs aud stores fiom the I'D yard To League
- ~ Lusl nave Ueen frRhtful. A PHOTOGRAPH
svahs nv old yard after tho work was done,
Hos rant notion Uf It's appearance. II a
suusahd sapDuIs aud miners had been set to
m ,s 70 pull down aud blow up tho buildings,
EoIo obstruction could not have resulted, No
ulheht cnud have caused one half tue
SemuI'sbment. he condition OF lie igue Isl nd
arr ISlnlIy poitfayeu g. a pho oRraph. Great
Srd VI sup stores are beaDed IN the mud,
Smehoe and Iron mingled In a confused
nnef hnd machinery pllsd up without any
soksiu 10 orosI. Only tfirty days were allowed