New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-09
THE MICHIGAN INQUIRY.
WHAT Mr.. wHlrNEY's BOARD REPORTS.
WHY IT THINKS THE REPAIRS WERE ExTRAvA-
GANT-A DISSENTING OPINION

construction United States ship Mohican and the
organization Of the Mare Island Navy Yard. California
has furnished for publication The board reports s
follows:
The original Mohican placed out Of commission ut
the Marc Island yard on July 70 ISL survey was
made of the vessel and the OF SlsJ50O was esll
mated necessary to repair her No action was takD
upon The reports and estimates surveying boards
but OF $6323 which had already been expended
authority OF a letter signed by Naval Constructor l.
Hanscom. chief OF Bureau OF Construction ana Repair
and all subsequent orders and references the Mo-
hican, laid down from plans and specifications eli
spect from those OF the old ,Mohlcan
Twelve years subsequently, the!old Mohlcan laid at he
Navy Yard hulk aud finally sank upon the inuh
mats The order by which the preset Mohcan was begun
pratOn that the Board could discover. ana wa. Simply
an order the Chief OF the Bureau of Construction
aud Repair to the commandment OF the Mare Island
Navy Yard. This directs the rebuilding OF the
from the Bureau at the same time designed vessel
differing from the original Mohcan to the extent OF Pc
ing feet longer, feet more beam feet deepGr anu OIL
different form to he furnished with compound engines
and cylindrical boilers This vessel was aIiuded 10 III
Tho keel of the MOhican was laid in November
1891. In the meantime the records show, that
S52O7S 81 were expended Tor labor and mIeria, anu
labor and material have been charged against the MOh
can continuously up to the GATE Of completion May,
II appears from the records kept in the office Of tho
Naval Constructor and which are hereto appended that
ruary, 1Ss5. were charged to the approralL9n l1r
construction ana repair anu 's MN Whicon yer
carried forward and added together the items charged
against former being various, such as pumping snip
out, repairing closets. taking down bulkheads,
The rebuilding of the Mohican carried on at rreg
Intervals and varied force from september lS72 to
December 1879 During this period S,i, the begin S!
lated by letters from the chief of the Bu-
Of Work and was sp macn and mped iai
by such orders which frequently directed the force TO
vessels. Up TO 1877 the total amount charged IN me
Construction Department AGAINST the Mohicau was
ensuing nothing appears to have been done by the
Construction Department toward completing the Mohi-
The vessel was launched December p, lss3
at which time there had been expended
i'm construction Si77, 035. In letter dated April =
issi Naval Constructor Much submitted, In reply to
from T. d. Wilson, chief OF the bureau 81 Constrc
the Mohean. chief Constructor wilson IN letter dateu
March 20 ioo2; Informs 1omo1 t rsUm ,, ny If
Moican not be exceeded forabor ana material
must work done on that vessel Dc charged 10 con-
The Mohican Was completed in May, 1885, and It ap-
pears from the records that the total amount expended
under jurisdiction Of the Bureau OF Construction and
Rcp,r on the Mohican amounted to S59I29I In re-
gard 70 the alterations IN the Mohican the Board mos
the substitution OF new snip OF different proportions
new engines and boilers OF a different type, and
that after the work on tho MohIcah as new
ship had ibegun. the following changes were made .
The rig OF the vessel changed from that OF ship
bark one set OF boilers partly con tructei were
practically condemned and part used Tor other pnr-
we'll closed up; live oak hllngs were used To re-
place the original white oak filings; deck frames
account OF decay and the keel renewed once ana
party renewed second time.
In regard the necessity OF the alterations tho Board
Is Of the opinion that as new ship was under c0hsruc
all the alterations were udicon, and Ia the interest
the work tho Mohican was done IN workman
likc manner ana s9Tiaetoiiiy; ana 'nat I,,, tns
OF the total amount expended on tho Mohican under
cognizancc OF the Bureau Construction and Repair
SGl O2l was incurred Tor extra work In taking out
decaycd frames, Filings and replacing the same snoring
up frames, roofing over the hull hlng up mo propeller
well originally ia the design OF the ship made necessary
by decay from long exposure on by change
in the design OF tie hull Tho amount :" 800 lound
10 have been expended the old Mohlcan before the
In the opinion Of the Board the cytrayacnnt Of tho
Mocan IN the Department o. Construction and Repair
is to be attributed 10 the following causes:
FIRST tine high price OF iaboI which during tH con
strGioH q" the Moi 6 r a.. c u ra,cr than paid To-
the same class OF labor III the NewNOrk Navy Yard,
amounting 10 more than ~ 5000
-ccond-Ihe high price OF material when entered into
Thlrd-To the alterations made obedience 20 orders
FourtGETo the Intermittent maunor in which tho work
conducted the intervals OF suspension being pro
ducye Of decay. The amount OF Increased expense due
Is fully shown on the tabulItci form accom-
These enumerated causes were beyond the control Of
any OF the Navy Yard authortic- and what were the IN
nucuces which prompted the vacillatng action OF th'
department IN suspeudlng and rc-uming Noik from TIME
to tmc shown 10y the papers submitted, the board
cannot determine. beyond IN" Tact mat thcr' vas 10
Legitimate appropriation to draw upon 10 prosecute the
work ana until the fOfty-clENtN 'ou-IfrN
10000 for the completion "f the Aohlcah thtI9 was no
law authorizing the construction or new vessel OF mat
The Board /, Of the opinion that the fact that
Naval Constructor George ". Much, under whose adj
ninistralou the Mohican was almost entirely built was
unable to estimate 10 within reasonable inartn the
amount needed for work In anticipation. Is sufficient
evidence that funds supplied werer udicousy expended
by him. The record, show the total cost oi the Mohicah
In the various department. TO be rs follows: ,,
Construction S59l ,2G5 81; engineering r2l5oIO 'b
e33Sil44SS%a5 g. 7'''0 Oh 0'"'""'0 -''O''' ''
ftc describing the organization OF the Navy Yard
"a q wards and docks
Joiner shops 20 tho construction department and the
machine shop 20 the steam engineering department;
that when work Ia I'm PROCESS in the construction
repair OF vessels the WORK IN all departments should be
go directed as to be carried on and completed
near the Same time. That expenditure for
labor or material should be made IN advance OF necessity
for the same also that when wOrs begun should
bo pushed to completion TO have reasonable results In
reasonable time that the practice Of employing on half
time than actually required be discontin'
ned That forcmrn in the different departments Of the
Navy Yard, after being duly appointed In accordance
with tho rcgulation- should understand that their
places secured during capable end faithful per
Torrance Of duty.
Assistant Naval Constructor j. dsscnts from
the majority Of the Board in its opinion that tho
rayagant pursued by the Bureau OF Construction
and Repair I'm reference the work the Mohican,
especially prior to $685. mainly tho cause OF the
excessive expenditure the vessel to tnat time"
On this point Of the opinion that the Navy Depart
ment rather than any particular bureau, Is responsible
for the carrying VI work not provided for by Con
gress The causes he says which leI tho apparent
excessive of tho Mohcan should include in addi-
ton to the drawbacks OF SOL 73i TO- reduction OF at
least 100000 as the difference In cost OF labor for an
Marc Island Navy Yard for the period during which
the MOhican being constructed. This sum total OF
nearly SI9j 900 deducted the reported of the
vessel In the Bureau Of Construction and Repair, re
ably with the cost Of similar vessels built In Eastern
navy yards.
OPERATIONS OF THE PATENT OFFICE.
WAsmNGroN, Oct. S.-From statement
ou,iu ,hc