The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-08-08
THE uNcoMPLETED WAR SHIPS.
Secretary Whitney Declares the Con-
tract with John Roach Forfeited,

WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. 7.-Secretary
Whitney yesterday sent the following letter
to John Roach and his assignees and sure
ties on the contract for the Chicago
By the seventh clause Of your contract with the
United States, dated July 26, 1888 for construc-
ton of one steel cruiser of about 4500 tons dis
placement, it was agreed that the hull, machinery
and fittings of such vessel should be completed
and ready for inspection for the purpose of deiv-
cry on or before the exprationI Iof eighteen
months from the date of the contract 1t was
further provided in the eleventh clause that in
case of failure or omission of the contractor at
any stage of the work prior to final completion,
from any cause other than the order of the secre-
tary of the Navy to go forward with the work and
make satisfactory progress towards its compile
ton it should be optional with the Secretary to de-
clare the contract forfeited.
More than six months have now elapsed since
the expiration of the limit thus fixed, and work
upon the vessel has been stopped while much re-
mains to be done before she can be finally COM
pleted At the same time it is evident that the
public interests require the vessel in question,
known as st the Chicago to be completed with all
necessary for the department to take immediate
and definite action Hooking to that end Under
these circumstances aud in consequence of the
failure of the contractors to proceed with the
work have to inform you that the contract above
referred to is hereby declared to be forfeited on
the part OF the contractor and that the rights of
the United States under the contract, and espe-
ciaIly under the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth
clauses are therefore now operative. You are
further Informed that it is the intention OF the de-
partment, after an inventory and appraisement
Shall have been had, to take steps for the prose
cution of the work and completion of said vessel
In accordance with the conditions expressed in
the coptract and that in the meantime the chiefs
of the bureaus of steam engineering and con-
struction and repair of this department will take
charge of the vessel, machinery, materials and
fittings.
Similar letters also were sent in regard to
the Atlanta and Boston, and an order was
issued by the chiefs of certain bureaus to
take charge of the work. In issuing the or
DER Secretary Whitney says
"The order issued today with reference to the
Boston, Atlanta and Chicago, is made in pHrsu-
ance of my duties uuder the eleventh clause of
the contract, and under that section there is to
follow an inventory showing to what point of com
pletiOn the vessels have come, and what material
is on hand and in contractors yard which has
been provided for the ships, and how far the
work has progressed, to be followed by valua-
ton of these things. There is then provision
the department shall decide whether to complete
the ships. AS the matter now stands there is no
question of my duty to go on and do this, and it
works an incidental benefit of course to the con-
tractor and to his employees. The government
steps into the yard takes possession of the ships,
plant ETC., pays for the completion of them, and
has an accounting with the contractor at the end
and if there is any profit the contractor has it, and
if there is any loss he pays it. Under these cir
cumstances it is entirely fit for the heads of bll-
reauS having supervision of the work, to use the
contractors force and his plant for the purposes