The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-25

A Sharp Response to Some of the Dolnb,.
Structures of Secretary Whitney.

| New YORK. June 24-The Tribune win -,
lish tomorrow q long letter from Hon. VIM =
Chandler, ex-Secretary of the Navy. reviav;.-
the letter of Secretary of the Navy Whitney !.
the Attorney general, asking for an opinion /,
regard to the proper course for him to pursna :
the matter of the acceptance or reiec.;o,
of the new dispatch boat Dolnb;r
The letter is very caustic in its world NO ana
charges that the present Secretary of the Nav
while closing the mouths of the naval advisors
board is making the Dolphin matter q pretert
to cast a slur upon the management of the nava,
department under his Mr.. Chandler's MANAGE
ment, for political purposes He aludes several
times, satirically, to Mr.. Whitney's or.
pressed fear lest he be governed
by spirit of resentment" in the case He
says; Mr.. Whitney has already, in his acknowl.
edged spirit of resentment perjured somebody.
The Attorney general can only say which Is the
criminal" Mr.. Chandler adds:
1T is as clear as the sun at noon.
day that Mr. Roach is responsible only
for good workmanship The law Of
Aug. 5, 1882, authorizing certain ships and Gre.
ating the naval advisory board, provided that
neither of the vessels should be contracted for or
commenced until full and complete detail draw
ings and specifications therefor, in all iss
parts, including the hull. engines and boilers.
shall have been provided or adopted by
the Navy Department.. and shall have
been approved in writing by said board or by a
majority of the members thereof and by the
Secretary of the Navy This provision of law
was complied with, and Mr.. Roach bid upon the
designs of the Navy Department and justly and
properly was compelled to guarantee only good
Workmanship. He guaranteed neither speed
horsepower, nor anything else except that the
material should be first class and of the very
best quality and we'll and faithfully put
together, according to the plans and specfca-
tons of the department, and under the inspec-
ton and supervision of the naval advisory board
There is no 1ooseness of the contract nor
absence of effective stipulatons,' as Mr.
Whitney asserts, but all the provisions
are to be found necessary 20 carry out
the fundamental idea upon which the contract
was based, namely: good work on Mr.. Roachs
part applied to the departments designs. II,
therefore, the contractor has built the ship ac-
cording to the specifications of the contract be
has fulfilled his engagements"
Further on he says:
'Iu other words, Mr. Whitney is hunting the
Secretary of the Navy and the advisory board.
who designed the Dolphin and made the con-
tract for her construction His persecu-
ton of Mr.. Roach, however deadly.
is only incidental: his spirit of resentment is
directed mainly against his predecessor in Office
and the advisory board. The latter cannot
speak word of defense, except to Mr.. Whitney
nor make any utterance public without his con-
sent The former, however, can"
Mr.. Chandler proceeds by saying that while
on her trial the Dolphin made fifteen knots an
hour that nor any other definite speed. was
required in order for the vessel to fill the speci
cations, and that the vibrations were to be ex-
pected with the boat going at top speed. He
refers to the nigh character of the naval board
as worth something in considering the question,
and adds:
'The course pursued by Mr. Whitney to dem
onstrate his pronounced determination that the
Dolphin should prove a failure, is wholly with
out foundation, either in law, contract or COM
mon sense 1t was never contemplated by any
human being that the Dolphin, Immediately
on her completion, should be subjected to ex-
treme speed 1t is most unwise and unjust to
press to the top of their speed, at once after
| their completion and the beginning of their oper-
alton, new marine engines, which will last, If
| well used, for from thirty to fifty years.
| He then quotes the stlpulations as to the con !,
dtion of the Dolphins trial, as provided in the
contract First, trial trip; and if hull and fit
| ting are found according to contract and horse
power not below 1890, on account of
defects she was to be preliminary
accepted and paid for, except 49, 600;
Second, at the expiration of four months the
contractor was to repair, at his own expense, any
discovered defects third, final trial at end Of
| three months and full payment if no defects
found These conditions, the ex-Secretary con-
tinues, show absence of effective stipula-
tons, " as charged by Mr.. Whitney.