Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-06-25
RoAcH,S DOLPHIN.

| Report Of the Board OF Examiners-Ths:
Declare That She Does Not Fill the Bill
Secretary Whftney's Dilemma-He Sub
mits the Question of the Governm emit
Responsibility to tho Attorney General
WASHINGTON, d. c., June 19.-Th'
Secretary of the Navy yesterday trans
| mitted to the Attorney-Genera copy o
the report of the Board which recently
examined the new dispatch steamer Dol
phin, with request that the Attorney
General advise him what, upon the Law
applicable to the case, is his duty in the
premises. The Board, In their report.
consider three general subjects: speed
strength and general workmanship.
First, as to speed-The Board says the
law authorizing the construction of the
Dolphin called for 'sea speed OF fifteer
knots per hour,' and adds: "That 9
boat of her size should possess this
requisite speed, it is absolutely indis
pensable that she should have great
strength and stiffness. That the Dolphin
has not the requisite strength
and stiffness to enable her TIC
make the speed required
under the conditions she must be pre-
pared to meet, admits of no doubt in
the opinion of the board" They say
that during her trial trips, under most
favorable conditions in smooth water
the speed attained was not in excess
of fifteen knots per hour, a result very
far from promising like speed on the
sea under conditions she must always be
ready to meet in actual service.
AS to strength it seems from the re.
port that the evidence upon this subject
is somewhat meager, and rests consider.
ably upon opinion in the absence of a
sufficient sea trial. The opinion is that
the Dolphin has not the requisite stiff.
ness. This is based on observation OF
vibration of the ship when under way.
and the yielding observed in her floors,
and the effect of an unequal load as seen
when a small quantity of pig iron was
loaded on her forward, causing her ma.
chinery to get out of line and her journal
to heat. The last two trials, according
to the report, were accomplished only
with streams of water pouring upon her
journals during the trip. These facts
seem to indicate to the Board great
structural weakness, to what extent only
a sufficient sea trial will demonstrate.
The general workmanship and finish OF
the Dolphin is criticised by the Board,
but the contractor has been steadily at
work at this, and has made the Dolphin a
much better ship than the Board found
her on their first inspection.
Secretary Whitney, in submitting this
matter to the Attorney-General, observed
that the Government is not securing
what it expected and had right to ex-
pect from the construction of this vessel,
and asks whether the Department has in
the matter bad bargain, simply, which,
as between contracting parties, it must
stand to, or has it broken contract en-
titling it to insist upon something better?
In this connection he inquiries "what is
the effect of the circumstances that the
construction of the Dolphin has
been supervised by Government
officials, who from time to time
have approved the materials
used as we'll as the workmanship. If
this Government supervision and inspec-
ton is bar so that the Department can
not go back and examine work passed
upon and approved by the Naval Advisory
Board, that" the Secretary adds, sends
the consideration of the matter" If it
is not bar, then he asks, how far is the
contractor responsible for speed, strength
and general workmanship, and what are
the remedies of the Department under
the circumstances.