New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-04
THE MIANTONOMAHS PLATES
MKAY,s ATTACK ON THE CONTRACTS.
A LETTER TO THE NAVAL coMMrTEr-hXrLANA'
TONS By THE AGENTS.

TONS By 1HE AGENTS.
William II. Wallace & Co., iron merchants
of this city, as representatives OF John Brown Co., anu
Charles Cammen & Co. OF sheffield, England were
awarded by Secretary Chandler in November
the contract for furnishing the COMPOUND
turretarmor ana pilot-houses Tor the uo"On ~
turreted monitor Miautonomsh' Oh "n ~
resolution was introduced in Congress ana reioIf'
the Committee Naval Affairs calling TOR an
ton of the rumors that the contracts were liregua'
o,varlea and that the Government was about 10 lose
LARGE amount OF money Copies OF the contracts were
readily furnished to the committee, hut Na'hahe' ch"s
who has figured largely in navy contracts, anu VINO
formerly represented Charles Canmel ~ Oo' anu IT,
Gently brought suit for the recovery OF commission o
per cent from that firm on these same conuac"' yes
terday sont the following letter to Congressman CO%
Bon s. s. Cor Chairman Of The Nara CoomHtee -,
SIR: Following you will find an estimate OF the steai
monitor Mantononah. Copies OF this cohGac' 49,, 49,
given the senate by the secretary OF ~ - ne
senate of March 90 1894 calling fer copies OF conirac
with English manufacturers etc, etc lthnk You VIII
agree with me in tue opinion that the combination of
William n Wallace CO.. or TINS cry Jonh prov =" a.
and Charles Cammell Co.. OF Sheffield England parties
OF the first part. thrifty concern In IL Chaites
Cammel Co.'S prices to furnish the armor plates i9r
the turres of the monitors as gwen TO me III proposals
which now hold. were as follows;
Plates hes to nche9 in thick , per pound sd
plates IL inches 4 inches in thcEness per pound
The foregoing prices given fr IRON inaeial anu
to them 10 be added penny per pound f ior Peu1E
and 80 per cent Tor tue c9mP9iiIh f me p,
ioy of plates that these gentlemen are now Iin'n
Ing for the Mantouoma's turrets un9ef contract u4
Novctnher III 1883 as can IN the contract Is 10
inches TAXING this thickness In the foregoing slunf
Sammen CO., offered in 1873 10 furnish these plates
no per pound. which offer thcy made again W. ~
after iul details the turrets mai been given iheh oy
me. This last proposition OF Charles s1ninl, % G U
made ~ letter 10 lne IA" I'2 o,ni armor wilson's
PATENT twelve inches thick accu atcly htfu 10 cp,n
other With the port holcs cna to br In strict hcro
vii thp urs
mud tn deliver them or board snip ~ any Poi w ihh
ror these plates they wanted then Tlgt or hteen Geh
n,,,td fThav nGorpd ri the same time. to arm nll
h6es ior fifteen slinss hole. aud to furnish oil bolts
II, he prescni contract made last year Il when too
~ Ion matea ha flen ~ % vii cot 81 10 psr
tom or with exchange ~ " No. Hhaa PEI ,'n tap
rsued@ was Of Tho Fate 1T s9ib per ton " you hdd to
this price hs eea' oi tlsha ,nas9'H w" Va , hnvs
the fair cost OF tia hihui' hhhef f'in yer w. "t n
| cred here to n can bn hnrh we, VIZ MN
| hustIon of Wallace, iifawn aud thnmrl nav" W"'
OF Hua pei ton on The steel plates lhet n' 90 now n"w
furnishing Gt uessmTn, n"is Ibe , market ~ tic
pIasanl lime nor The greater pfopolunals pom Not
vii get Tor he bolts aud thinner plates Of ne smoke
stnot ana plo house. IL is based solely on the prices
That were given 10 ME III hYo ahd $50 ana lh3se wn
our Government have contracted 10 pay W. 'n '.raI
the turet plates, The whole amount OF inc IRON aleIa5
thai il comprised IN these contracts - NOT IN " ai
| produces the nice little plum OF J,iOl' rms sum
large as may appear a. rst slgnG ~ 10y o"n ~ ne
der the im OF the piOit IN lnesc contrae's YIN ~ m
drilling oil the holes there II fLi,t or h't si'G> III
| pTiC %
I'M, material has moi bosn delivered, and In fact tho
Government has not vet deifauded, hut SO plainly
that the slightest Investigation must not only defeat MS
thievinc attempt hut must bring 10 li-hl aso tne enThs
and decree of deception that has been piacncen wheh
price 80 obviously cXtortonae was obtained or tn,o
Messrs Clmmc q Co.. together with the price list OF
John Brown Il Co, given in 1850 wmch cover a.. 'iS
foregoing statements and which are at yOir 'erNce d.
wei a. am ~" yours resbectruy. NATHANIEL MCKAY.
| W. II. Wallace commented severely upon MT Mckay
| statement He said
| Mr. Mckay does not seem TO kno" what ne Is
talking about Tbs not the same nnd o. mateTl tnat
was TO have been furnished N iS.8 OF a o :, and
ask the price OF tn"t truck IN IRON h Nj como 70
and want an elegant carriage; 90 you 'n,Hn VA 10,
the price should be the samet We are DONG WIN ms
stun best and intend to give ihe gr1ateSt
siaction to the Govern 80 thSt when theY WAN
for the other eight monitors W. wiz Stlhu az go '
a chance of furnishing IL any one else we gave nohus
to carry the conditions of Our contract ana we menu
| doing rs We agreed
william Bispham. the second member OF inc nm Vi
| W. II. Wallace & CO., said
| The prices which the Government has agreed 70 p'f
for these tuIrei-pate, iiOhOGee cONcrl, ana Doi1
oib,r 5iIcs or The same kind OF goods plus tho
charges for tauspor aton Insurance ana hanhnhg OF
""r'apf iteIH and ir i only steam tug in this har-
Dor that cnertans the proposition to trans e. le
from tLe Steamship piers to Navy Yard. because f
their great sizes aud weights tI IN rom H t :"
twenty wo tons No vessel will bring over more lh4
halfdozeG plates at time; hence they VIII ne DiouSn
over ANA transferred to the Navy Yard III small ot a
absurd to make any comparisons OF the present pate'
,y"cl 81 I'M " hat The Navy wanted in 1873 and 1880
The Navy Department has changed IL plans seven or
| e,"bt times since then. and the plates are
| NOT alike i'll lengths thicknesses, Widths or
| ANYTHING else. They entirely different from
anythng of the kind ever before. for any govern
1ut m fbe world There certain parts OF the WORK
10 be done by hand entirely and for winch no estimate
meat lad not felt certain that we could DO ths Detlcr
than anybody else would not nave secured the CON
| tract ana the Government may depend upon one thn2
| al least that material aud WORK VIII come up IuIy 10
the conditions undert md mat MI Mckay ana ChGIaes
! Canned & Co have had some business disagreement,
| fO do wi