The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-08
Report of the Doings Of the Internal
Revenue Bureau for the Past Year.
POstmaster-General vilas's Compliment to
Inspector Sharp-The Suspended Land
Patents-General and Personal.
THE UNFINISHED CRUISERS.
The Navy Department Will Take POSSESSION
and Finish the Work.


WAsE1TGToN. Aug 7-Secretary Whitney
yesterday sent the following letter to Mr.. John
Roach and his assignees and sureties on the con-
tract for the Chicago: by the seventh clause
of YOUR contract with the United States, dated
July &c, 1888, for the construction Of one steel
cruiser of about 4, 800 tons displacement it was
agreed that the hull, machinery and fittings of
such vessel should be completed and ready for
inspection for the purpose of delivery on Or
before the expiration Of eighteen months from
the date Of the contract. 1t YVES further prom
Used, in the eleventh clause, that in of the
failure or omission Of the contract or any
stage of the work prior to final COM
pletion, from any cause other than
the order of the Secretary Of the Navy,
to 90 forward with the work and make satisfac
tory progress towards it's completion, it should
be optional with the Secretary to declare the
contract forfeited More than six months have
now elapsed since the expiration Of the limit
thus fled and the work upon the vessel has
been stopped, while much remains to be done
before she car be finally completed. At the
same time it is evident that the public interest
requires the vessel in question, known as the
Chicago TO be completed with all practicable
speed, and it has, therefore, become necessary
for the Department to take immediate and
definite action looking to that end Under the
circumstances and in consequence of the failure
of the contractor TO proceed with the work,
have to inform you that the contract above re-
ferred to- is hereby declared to be forfeited or
the part of the contractor, and that tle
rights of the United States under the contract,
and especially under the eleventh. twelfth, and
thirteenth clause thereof, are operative.
You are further informed that it is the intention
of the Department, after the inventory and
appraisement shall have been had, to take steps
for the prosecution of the work and the compile
ton of the said vessel, in accordance with the
conditions expressed il the contract, and that in
the meantime the chiefs of the bureaus of steam
engineering and construction and repair, of this
Department, will take charge Of the vessel, ma
chinery, material and fittings"
Similar letters, Also were sent in regard to the
Atlanta and the Boston, and an order was issued
to the chiefs of certain bureaus to take charge of
the work. In issuing the order Secretary Whit
ney says: ''The order issued to-day with refer
ence to the Boston, Atlanta and Chicago. is made
in pursuance Of my duties under the eleventh
clause of the contract. Under that section there
is to follow an inventory showing to what point
of completion the vessels have come and what ma
terial is on hand in tho contractors yard, which
has been provided for the ships. and how far the
work has progressed, to be followed by valua-
ton of those things. There is then provision
that 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 contractor and to his employees. The gov
eminent steps into the yard, takes possession Of
the ships, the plant, etc. pays for the compile
ton, and then has an accounting with the con
tractor at the end, and if there is any profit the
contractor has it, and il there is any loss. he
pays it, Under these circumstances, it is entire
~ fit for the heads of the bureaus having the
supervision of the work to use the contractors
force and his plant for the purpose.