New-York tribune., 1886-03-09
| 4 T. Moss at Pawnee City, Neb. Charles NJ wilson, at
| Tecumseh Neb Joseph 5. Booth, at Mlssoula, Mont
THE NORFOLK NAVY YARD.
WEAK OFFENCE OF THE REMOVAL OF WAX
pp,,cs C,u,,nDnpF TRVxTON's LETTER.

A WEAK Defence OF THE REMOVAL OF WAX
REMCs-CoMMoDoRE TRUxToN's LETTER.
WASHINGTON, March 8 (Spec,dD.-The Sec
retary OF the Navy to Democratic newspapers 'o
night manifold copies of long letter written oy Coi
modore Truxton Of the Norfolk Navy ard In re'y 10
Mr. Boutcle's resolution calling the Secretary Tor IN
formation concerning the removal OF certain Union war
nscriptions from dry dock and from captured can
non and the d sms,a of honOrably discharged Union
soldiers and sailors. When Mr.. wise maze Il arePy W
these charges in the House by taking advantage ol
oubbes he made it appear that the charges were lalSo
and the Democrats were delighted but when the
ouibbles and misstatements made by MI
Wise we're afterward exposed ana denounced
by Mr. Brady and the facts reiterated. Mr wise III"
not a word TO say. Now Commodore lrn1tOh lolio"S !"
the same lino taken originally by Mr.. Wise lie says
that no inscriptions removed from the dry docR'
and that it was only partly destroyed in the war But
he acknow lodges that when he was appointed In com
mand there by the President he found this inscription
on the engine which operated the dry dock;
Destroyed by the Rebels in lsG2 rebuilt by tGe
commandlnt; W. H. Lyon, superintendent OF ma
Chuery.
The plate bearing this inscription had been on tho
engine twenty years. Commodore TrnXton SAYS
that originally there was plate on engine contain
ing name OF the builders, ana that II had been re-
moved and this inscription put up In its place
He adds: searched the records in this Office In vain
for the authority for the removal Of the original p'te
and the substitution or the Otner, anu cOulu lOu
the change was made by any authority Whatever.
therefore had 1t removed" The Commodore does not
explain that the engine destroyed by the rebels ana
that the present engine put up by Mr. Lyon, ana
the plate put in 1sG3 by order of Rear-AdIniral
Smith, Chief Of Bureau Of Yards and Docks. and that
no one ever thought OF removing IL until Democratic
Administration came into power. When II was taken
down local Democratic paper denounced 1t as "oDnoX-
iOus,"
MIR. Tluxton said that he did not remove super
intenden Lyon because he opposed the taking down
o. the plate, though he admits that the plate
was taken down few days after superintendent Lyon
was removed because he offensive PARTISAN
and adds that he "always doubted his loyalty To the
Government" In corronoration Of this suspicion he fnr
nishcs copv ~ n card published by Lyon IN Noriok
paper in -, l~6l In which Lyon @hu 'ntI
!" having LOoh charged with dsloyalty 10 the
Confederlcy, ne wished to declare himself as
good SOuthcrncr any Other Hah,
Mr. TruxtDn does not explain that Lyon had 10 pupSh
the card after voting ~ inst the ordinance OF secession
to save his lite, and that a few weeks after
that card was published lie was arrested ana I'M
prisuued for dI-oydty 10 tn" Cnnfcdetacy'
lie was removed ana un incompetent Confederate
soldier ono Corwne appointed In ms place which TACT
IL not mentioned Mr.. TruXton's letter The charge
that Lyon was indicted smuggling l. made, nut No"
a word is sad fact that Lyon was cX"nerAlcd
hy two naval boards and the udctu urnt qudshed Ihe
reply fun OF similar peculiar statements is hot
denied that Union soldiers were discharged ana Con