New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-25
The DOLPHIN AND Mr.. WHITNEY
EX-SECRETARY CHANDLER FREES HIS
MIND.
SOME LIVELY UTTERAYCEs AS TO SPEED. sTRUCT-
URAL WEAKNESS. AND TIE RECENT TESTS.

ment should make him unjust, he asks the Judicial
Judgment and advice of Attorney General Garland con-
corning the contract for building tho Dolphin He first
states the question upon which he thus socks judicial
opinion as follows: Whether have my hands what
IL In the nature OF BAD bargain, broken contract =,
Again he states IT in this way: The question which
desire answered is whether the Department has, in the
matter, bud bargain simply. which between the
parties it must stand to- has 1t broken contract
emitting it to insist upon something betterp
II this is what Mr. Whitney does In order to escape
from his spirit o resentment what would he do IL
he let loose his rage instead OF noby restraining It,
Ills submission Of the question is just that OF
the Lecompon Constitution in Kansas. Voters could
they would take the sUonstltuiion with slavery,
that they would take it without slavery but the dose OF
the Constitution itself they swallow. Mr.. Whitney
has already In his acknowledged spirit OF resentment
prejudged somebody. The Attorney General can only
say which is the criminal Mr. Roach the designers of
tho Dolphin One tho other the Attorney-General
must certainly Join Mr. whitney in condennins IL he
his letter. Surely Mr. whtneys of justice
is marvellous his selfconro Is absolutely sanity No
could possibly believe that the good possessed
by spirit OF resentment unless he frankly asserted 1t
himself
MR.. RoACa's RESPONSIBILITY.
1t is as clear the atnoonday that Mr.. Roach Is
responsible only for good workmanship. The law OF
August D. 1892, authorizing certain ships and creating
tho Naval Advisory Board provided that neither OF the
vessels should be contracted for commenced until
full and complete detail drawings and specifications
thereof in all It's parts including the hull engines and
boilers shall have been provided adopted by the Navy
Department and shall have approved In writing, by
said Board. or by 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 anything else except that the materials
should be and of the very best quality AMI
well and faithfully put together, according to the plans
and Specifications Of the Department and under the
inspection and supervision of the Naval Advisory Board
There is looseness the contract" absence
II effective spulatons Mr. Whitney asserts, hut all
the provisions be found necessary to carry out the
fundamental idea upon which the contract.wassbased.
namely good work Mr.. Roach's part applied to the
Departments designs.
IT, therefore, the has built the ships accord
ing to the specifications OF the contract he has fulfilled
his engagements On this polntthe general character
VI the workmanshp-Mr Whitney informs the Attorney
General that although the general workmanship and
finish criticised by his new Board yet rs the con-
expresses wn 10 make the details salts
factory sofar he Is able the Department deal
with that matter wi1tom legal ddree. SO Mr. whitney
in edect asks the Attorney General decide thac has
bad bargain hts hands which no cannot get rid o.
but the responsibility for which Will fall upon the
designers of the snip. In words. Mr. whitney is
hunting Tho Secretary OF the Navy and the Advisory
Board who designed tie Dolphin and made the
FOR her construction His persecution OF Ar. Roach,
however dca aly Is only incidental; his spirit Of
is directed mainly against his predecessor
I'm office aud the Advisory Board. The latter cannot
peak a word Of defeuce except to Mr.. wntney,
make any utterance public Without his consent Inc
former, however, can
SPEED AND STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS
Mr.. whtney's points, upon which he really insists,
only two. lack OF speed, and structural weakness
Mr. Whitney says that the act of March 3, 1888,
authorized one dispatch boat recommended by the
Naval Advisory Board in It's report of December 20,
lss2" and that tue Bolri had recommended such
vessel to have speed OF fifteen knots" Tie
Dolphin made fifteen knots her trial trips 10 the Sound
and ON the ocean, but Mr. Witney. having omitted to
order Leavy to prevail. says those results only
indicate twelve thirteen speed that in order
and onehaf knots her trial ps; aud that
therefore contract has been made which does not
secure the results expected by Congress.
Mr.. Whitney says that, although the evidence Is
meagre his Board are OF the opinion that the Dolphin
not tie requisite Stiffness. The Board based their
opinion the very perceptihe Vibration OF the
vessel her trial trips the springng OF the floors OF the
cngte aud the heating OF the after crank pin.
These absolutely all the facts given by the Board to
Justify their charge OF structural weakness!
The foregoing concise but recital OF Mr.. Whit
nrys points its face the absurty of presenting
them 10 the Attorney General the basis Of any legal
opinion. They equally futile exhibition of ine
spirit Of resentment of Mr.. Whitney against the
Advisory Board ana against the Navy Department before
that spirit took possession OF IL.
TIE first law authorizing ships was that OF August
J. lsS2 prescribed that they should have the
highest attainahle iced" The second law, that OF
1883, authorized the dispatch boat recon-
,nended by the Advisory Board The Department and
the Board desired hoped for and estimated fifteen knots
sea speed. aud will probably get It,. But H. no
fundamental Of law that 1t should be reached
II has not been attained. no one should be asshed or
destroyed therefor High speed requires great displaee-
ment unless almost the Whole available space IN Tue
ship Is given up To machinery aud boilers This was
not intended la the Dolphin which Is 10 be small crus-
ing shp, ana such combines other qualities besides
speed. -.,,, 49,,
Commodore Belknap observed her at the highest speed
SO attained Did he eSpect her to stand as ARMY as he
find tta Naval
present masters bidding ! May not Commander Evans
have had vibrations not due TO me motion oi the shp
The Dolphin intended TO be as lightly built as
possible consistently with prudence IN order TO OBTAIN
the highest atanable speed ior cruiser oil ohy LOU
rnacb In without "pcrceptibe vibration II Is possible
that se may require aiIitlon,l strengthening bat it
VIII take evidence than the meagro quantlty con-
tained in the report VI Commodore Beknap show It,
~ she dncs the secretary Navy should again lay
aside his spirit OF resentment and put In such braces
may be needed
THE ADVISORY BOARD AND THE GUARANTEES.
The character of the Naval Advisory Board which
designed and supervised the construction of the Dolphin
and the other seehips or the Navy should count
for something against the attacks Of Mr.. Whitney and
Commodore Beknap. Rear Admiral snufedt, the nrst |
president, arAdmlra Edward simpson. the second,
and the eminent and capable naval officers on the
Board are not DO thus sunnariy disposed Of Dir. |
Henry steers OF tho civilian members OF tho Board
and q reno wned designer and builder Ot ships, gave
special attention to the Dolphin He designed light
neet vessel and did not expect she would make her high
eat attanabe speed without "perccptibe vibration"
Mr. steers aud the members OF the ADVISORY Board will
speak their minds about the Dolphin II Mr whitney |
win take his paddock OH tlior months. Does he intend TO
let them DO larry hoard by himself and tue public, tho
question whether Le has on his hands bad bargain Or
broken contract
The course pursued by Mr. Whitney to demonstrate his
determination that the Dolphin should
prove Il failure Is wholly without foundation IN either
law contract. common sense IL WAS never o0niem-
plated by any human being that the Dolphin, mmedl'
atey on her completion, should be subjected to extreme
speed tests OF her machinery II Is most unwise ana
injurious press the top of their speed ut once after
their completion and the beginning OF their operation
new marine engines, which will last II well used, from
thirty ATTY years. Tho intentions Of the Navy Depart
neut and Advisory Board ths point were clear, anu
carefully oXnessed
! l. Upon the completion Of the Dolphin she was to be