Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-08
THE MOHICAN INVESTIGATION.
Report Of the Naval Board Appointed
by Secretary whitney.


by Secretary Whitney.
BUILDING NEW VESSEL OUT OF THE REPAIR
FUND-How THE WORK DRA0GED-EsrI-
MATES EXCEEDED.
soon after Secretary Whitney became q men,
Der OF the cabinet the U. g. 8. Mohican was
ready for sea, at the Mare Island, California,
navy yard, after extensive repairs, costing
nearly million dollars. Secretary Whitney
was surprised at the amount, and determined
70 investigate the matter. With this object in
view On May 18th he appointed board, con-
sistlng of Captain John Irwin, Chief Engineer
george r. kutz. Commanders frederick Rod
gers anu Louis Kempff, and Assistant Naval
constructor Joseph Feaster, with Lieut.. ]. G.
McW nerter, M. C., recorder, to Investigate the
Reconstruction OF the Mohican together with
other matters connected with the Mare Island
navy yara. The report of the board, which was
day.
THE OLD MoH1cAN.
Inc board finds that the original or o Id Mohi
can was finally placed out of commission at
the navy yard, Mare Island, CAL, on the 25th Of
June, 1872, having arrived there April 22d,
d l On the oath of June, 1872, an estimate
ior the repairs to the vessel was made, amount
ing to S1S5,59O. No action was taken upon
TINS estimate, but $6.O43S7 was charged
ment for labor and material in April, 1872 and
that increased to sc, 323. 81 in July, 1872. This
amount has been carried forward to the present
time, and charged in the expenditures for COM
pieting the new Mohican.
The board finds that in September, 1872, by
authority of Naval Constructor 1. Hanscom
chief OF bureau of construction and repair, q
new vessel, called the Mohican, was laid down
from plans and specifications entirely new and
the old Mohican. At this time, and for more
than twelve years subsequently, the old Mo
hican lay at the navy yard mere hulk, and
nnally sank upon the mud flats.
The present Mohican was commenced with.
out authority of law or any legal appropriation,
and the order of the chief of bureau of construc-
ton and repair directed the rebuilding of the
Mohican. while the plans and specifications
signed a vessel differing from the original Mo
hican to the extent of being sixteen feet longer,
xf to @ oHf iee AND Of
engines and cylindrical boilers.
THE COST.
The records which accompany the report
show that the total cost for the reconstruction
of the vessel in all the departments to have
been as follows: Construction, S591 ,267 81;
1928.
Mare Island navy yard, in connection with the
rebuilding of the Mohican, it is found that the
work was commenced under the direction of
In August, 1873, by Naval Constructor Geo. w.
Much, under whose direction and charge the
rebuilding of the vessel was carried on up to
the time of completion.
The keel of the Mohican was laid November,
1872, and the framing commenced January,
pended for labor and material, and in the con-
struction department labor and material have
been charged against the Mohican continuously
up 10 the date OF completion, May, 1885. It Is
shown that the funds expended on the Mohican
previous to February, 1855, were charged to the
appropriation for CONSTRUCTION and repair, and
III n 0hor inst fIn
old and new Mohican were carried forward and
added together; the items charged against the
out, repairing water-closets, taking down bulk
heads rSs r s,SriPP 81 decks, etc, ETC.
at irregular intervals and varied force from
September, 1872, to December, 1875. A roof
was placed oyer the vessel in 1877 at a cost Of
Construction department amounted to SIZE 81 s2e
Their was done. In May, 1851, work was re.
pletion of the vessel, IN 1885. 1t appears from
the records that the total amount expended
was S597, 591.1s In a letter dated April 2,
1854, Naval Constructor Much, at Mare island,
made an estimate OF 100000 to complete the
Mohican, which amount was exceeded by S5S,-
O4o.69. and his second estimate OF S45, 900 to
complete her, dated December %, 1884, was ex-
ceeded by S24, 600 The amount of $50, 900 was
legally appropriated for the completion of the
Mohican, which was $4,000 more than Naval
Constructor Much's estimate.
alterations
the Mohican, the board Is of the opinion that as
a new ship was under construction ali the al
terations were Judicious and in the interest of
the government and that the work was done
in a workmanlike manner and satisfactorily.
and that the material used was ali of the very
best quality.
CAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE EXPENDITURES.
The board is Of the opinion that the extrava-
CANT methods pursued by the bureau of con-
struction and repair, especially prior to 1883.
were mainly the cause Of the excessive expen-
ditures ON the Mohican up to that time, viz:
the long exposure of the vessel to the effect of
the weather while upon the stocks, the changes
Of design involving additional expenditure. the
taking out OF material already placed and sub
bad results from had bsea ary a the
it was determined TO cover the vessel with q
roof The board attributes the extravagant
struction and repair to the high price of labor.
the high price of material, the alterations made
nth
was conducted. These causes were beyond the
control OF any Of the navy yard authorities, and
vacillating action of the department in sus-
pending and resuming work from time to
time, the board cannot determine. beyond the
tact that there was no legitimate appropriation
to draw upon to prosecute the work, and until
the forty-eighth Congress appropriated $780,
OOO Tor the completion OF the MOhcan there
no law authorizing the construction of a
new vessel of that name.
FUNDS INJUDICIOUSLY EXPENDED BY NAVAL
CONSTRUCTOR MUCH.
In conclusion, the board is of the opinion
that the fact that Naval Constructor George w.
Much, under whose administration the Mohi-
can was almost entirely built, was unable to
estimate within a reasonable margin the
amount needed for work in anticipation is
sufficient evidence that funds supplied were
1njudiciOusly expended by him.
The board seems satisfied with the expendi-
lures In the steam engineering department, and
is OF the opinion that the substitution of new
type OF boiler after the original had proved de-
fective was u wise measure and win inure to
The total expenditure under cognizance OF
the bureau of equipment and recruiting, in
Cured In fitting the Mohican for service
amounts to 500, 1895. or this amount loss
amounting to $12,541.5S has been involved
by useless expenditure for rigging and sails
deterlorated from long storage; and on rigging
and sails prepared tor the snip, but useless On
account OF the change of rig to o barQue.
The board is OF the opinion that this excessive
cost was due to the vacillating action OF the
department, which was caused by the fact
that there were no appropriations available for
the construction OF q new vessel not authorized
by law; and that it was unwise to tit q new
ship with secondhand wire rigging, known to
be ut least fifteen years old, and originally in
tended Tor a much larger vessel.
FERDINAND WARD SPEAKS.
He Gives a Detailed History OF the
Peculiar Transactions Of the Firm Of
Grant and Ward - Customers who
POcketesl Big Profits and Asked No
Questions.
Ferdinand Ward,c sslor, hohnllD oDy,oors IN