New-York tribune., 1878-04-02
THE METROPOLIS DISASTER.
CAESE OF Tile WRECK.


INSPECTOR DUSBAR's REpoRr-rHE NEW TnBERs
NOT PROPERLY PUT IN-THE OLD IlMBERS ROT
TEN.
The following report Of the visit made 10y
James A. Dumont, Supervising Inspector-General Of
steam Vessels and Local Inspector James T. Dunbar, to
the wreck of the Metropolis Currtuck Beach, n. c.
about the middle of February. put in evidence be-
fore the board which appointed TO investigate the
cause OF that disaster, but not heretofore been
printed. IL throws light the subject than any
thing previously published:
NORFOLK Va. Feb 10, 1873.
OFFICE L. s LEGAL INSPECTOR OF STEAM NEsstLs
JAMES n DUMoNr esp Supervising i'spectoT-Ge"eFdf or
steam Vessels
SIR: In pursuance OF your verbal directions. and ac-
companied by YOURSELF started on Saturday. the l6th
for turrituc Beach examine the wreck OF the steamer
Metropolis for the purpose OF settling the many CON
nciing statements regarding the condition OF the sup,
and Soundness OF the material Of which she was
constructed. We reached tne wreck at 1890 q. NJ Oh
distance OF two miles, consisting entirely OF the light
joiner work OF the deck HOUSES wh ocoasonafy portions
oi tae main and lower deck frame, inei,Iig beams.
ception OF the latter which considerably dccayed
the tiInbers and siding, either sound or un-
9ad d the iet @ tas Ss had r Been 70 pa5saea thai
tnbcrs OF the sup strewed the beach, broken 80
hned Upon getting abreast OF the ship the matter
fully eNpaIned by ndin upon the beach tue whole star
OF the represented By four pieces only instead
being ground up line as lad been represented which
pieces. could they have been placed ia their original
position, wonid have been represented as III the oiow-
Here a diagram is introduced showing the four
pieces, which III together ana arc 0f the following
dimension rsspSctWeX no. l, TO iettj No. :, l-y
No. and the topot No. h. are straight lines Of black
dots which represent the ends OF tmOers put
into the vessel when she rebuilt
The black dots iyiw the horizontal Zines representing
the butts of tihbeis that had been placed between
tho old frames probably when she was rebuilt, which
al upon one hn just Is here represented. COnse-
qucntly there nothing tie the top the ship 10
the bottom but the old tmbers that had been allowed
to remain, and which were all rotten WHEN tact would
seem PLAN tie OF the leak II the stern, wnich
finally caused the captain to beach the ship The ship
having the part OF aer load below her watelne,
caused bottom the ship remain inert when the
heavy s,as struck her cOuutcr, which caused heavy
motion Ia the latter, w1ich could not long
continue without starting the batis somewhere,
anG. naturally, the relief was fonnd at the stern
posts which need not necessarily have been unsound,
To have produced this effect Tins fact goes prove
that the longhenu of the snip had produced The
weakness for had that been the case the ship through
started her butts at the splice. The stern OF ship. next
to her bow, is always the strongest, aud the
centre of the ship As a further proof that
Ihs theory Is forree rect t, 700 only Of needs s to t,
the ship Is intact, while only about fty feet was put in
her middle which is proof positive that the spleings OF
the ship had been made really stronger than the naiur
ally strong parts OF tnc ship namely the bow and stern
which strength mad been obtained by the hce keelson
deck through the greater portion Of the ship AZ any
rate the large piece OF se numbered No. In the da-
sIuded srid the top rail Of the bulwarks down to
tne noor-headS, WAS fastened, and maintained
lug OF the ship being upward. That fact easily
demonstrated. also found one piece Of the port bow.
twenty-five feet long, extending in width irod- the
| bulwarks down to the bends, and filled in with
new linbefs in the same manner as shown IN
! the description Of the sarboard bow III the
diagram preceding and also part of the portquarer
only fifteen feet long, with the same Indication OF new
tmbes between the Old all Dnttng ON the line OF prok
leaving nothing but the latter, as tie to the bottom Of
| tho ship. and the latter In every case more or
with the exception OF the small piece OF bow and
stern referred TO- be still intact quite oag piece
| OF the bnlwarhs was IN sight 0nt OF water
extending from abreast OF the steam chimney appar
emily to the ses OF sS SS SST Oras 3Rs na M
Ia conciuson would give lt ~ my opinion that there
were enough new mbcrs In t pieces ot bow and stern
that ashore To have neutra1ed the unsound TIM
ber had the buts extended BY each Other so AS TO have
broken joints and reached from plank shear 10 keeso
| aud frames. As they were put IN they were
| simply a sham. and the shp carpenter VINO pun
them IN knew it to be Whether ihe owners We're were
cheated or not Is not Tor me TO say. but te n to
ers agents who superintendent the rebuilding ongnn ~
have detected the cheat Inspectors VINO suYssq.ss m as
examined her might easily nave oet aeeeea ng 10 " was
strength OF the ship even though hsr s Ran1 na1 aSen
low enough to show the line butts ot the new timber
JAMES L.. DUNBAR,
United states Local Inspector OF HUNS
IL ia customary when an old ship Is repaired ny put
ting new timbers into her sides between tho o" au"
cayrd Ones To make the alternate timoeis eA'euu w e
M than the Others so to " break JOINTS A"' va"
nv, o IN the ease OF the Metropolis, but the ends OF
' ,,,hrs were on straight line along the water
,o y, ,ho sb,p when she loaded The heavy rail-
.oaa iron which was put in the hold of tho ship
Kent the portion Of the vessel which contained IT, and
yh,cb was under water almost stationery when the
heavy seas struck the ship Therefore, tne strain ca
M tS ~oriion above the waterne, and the part OF
The vessel uf OF load. But all the tmbers above inc
acrue were decaye and the result that the side
sp broke IN two the line that divided the part
| Uat contained the timbers from that which hao
none The leak hrst appeared IN tho stern' ior s"'
| rcason
TO HAVE AND TO KEEP.-Landlady: Pm
sure hope you're comfortable. SRI ! 90 80 asnxs
rl4la. Iarofn nil