New-York tribune., 1886-05-29

he late ana reluctant Itpiy VI tiiN '-NN'''''
of the Navy on May 25 to the Senate resolution
of March asking additional information about
the Dolphin and the other cruisers atoios
striking evidence of the justice OF our recent
warning to the Secretary not to suppress IN
formation concerning the coming trial trip OF
the Atlanta. Certain facts hitherto concealed
by the Secretary but admitted by him III his
reply to the Senate are a serious impeachment
of his fairness aud good faith toward the
contractor for the Dolphin. The six hours trip
under the Belknap Board was made on May
%. On the same day there was sent to the
Secretary this telegram:
Aston HOUSE, NEW. YORK, May %, 1885.
Secretary OF The Nary Washington Dolphin ran six
consecutive hours day withou: mishap OF any sort;
averaging from 70 to 70 turns per minute All condi-
tions very favorable. Steam pressure IRON 81 to 80
pounds Average speed, 15l2 knots. Speed for two
hours 10 9-1O knots per hour; approximate mean
collective horse power, 22i0 AS snp was aground on
reef Wednesday she ought TO be docked before sea
trial G. Z. BELKYAP, President OF Board.
This unanswerable and overwhelming proof
of the Dophins success was kept secret by
direction of Secretary Whitney ard never saw
the light until Tuesday last. The sea trial
took place June IL and was equally successful.
The Secretary was so informed, as follows:
NEW YORK. June II, 1885.
Secretny ofMo Nary, Washington: The Dolphin ran
six consecutive hours at to-day loaded 10 service
TRIM without drawback making from ca to ~ rcyou-
tons of screw per minute natural draft no blowers
usel Average approximate speed 123 knots as shown
by patent log. Approximate speed shown by bearings
influenced by fair tide, I3 40 knots. All conditions
favorable for trial. smooth not admitting OF real test
as to the sea- going qualities OF ship ship probably
| cannot be dccked before early next week.
GEORGE f. BELKNAr President of Board.
This telegram was also suppressed until
| forced to the light by the Senate resolution.
| But the newspapers OF the next day contained
the Sccretary's reply to it as follows:
NAVY DEPARTMENT Juno II.
| To CNTNS GEORGE J.. BEIKNAP, Presidcnt BOard.
! Nnry Yard Nc,r. York Yesterdays trial you
know wholly valuclcss II occurred without my orders
or k1lo Wedge find that the odeis were given here IN
ny absence under mistake To test her strength when
subjected the strain Of heavy sea was tue oeet OF
the trial do not doubt her ability TO ran thirteen
knots an hour in smooth water want TO know whether
She is structurally weak not Putting her into "a
heavy sea al a speed trying to her machinery was
the condition asked for Has yesterdays tal aided
you in determining this matter If not require such
tests to be had within the next week as you may deem
necessary for the purpose. Have the Board stay In
New York until this is settled DO this unless you
prefer to make your report based your present n
formation. W. {. WHITNEY, secretary
1t must here be remembered that both the
fore going trials of the Dolphin, that for six
hours and that at sea, were in addition to the
only trial required by Mr.. Roach's contract.
That had taken place on March 10, and the
Naval Advisory Board had reported that the
mean speed was fifteen and sixtecn-one hum
dredths knots per hour; and that all conditions
of the contract had been complied with, the
1 = l,,,t4 4I,n lot.i N4
1S2-hoIse power not being due to defective
workmanship or materials. Secretary mthey
on May 20 had asked of Mr.. Roach only twelve
knots speed on the sea trial. Let 1t also be
noted that the strength, as well as the horse
power AMI speed of the Dolphin, was cOnceded
| by Commodore Belknap in his kilograms.
There is not the slightest intimation that either
can be called in question.
These conclusions were confirmed by Captain
| Richard w. Meade, who commanded the Dol
phin on her later trip L" i'll search of storm"
! He SAYS: "The vibration aft when running at
full speed was trihng in comparison with
@some steamers Of my acquaintance, and
"neithor myself nor the officers of the vessel
observed any signs of structural weakness III
/" the hul.r He also deliberately ran the ship
in the trough of the sea during a gale to test
her rolling powors,' and he says: During this
time neither myself nor my officers observed
:" any lack Of strength in the hull or machin-
"ery." "Ihc engines lan smoothly and were
only stopped once i'll sixty-four hours and
"thcu only to sound "To sum up, consider
the Dolphin reasonably strong and her
machinery lclablc." Al this took place
during a gale in which she ran under full
| steam power, head to wind and sea, so that she
took in seas which carried away the bridge
ladders started the fiamework Of the bridge
and made the so-called experts, Mcssrs. George
W. Blown, Joseph Steele and John Hang,
| sadly sea-sick.
| Notwithstanding the foregoing facts, which
are proved by records and are undisputed, it
has long been known that on the 17th day Of
June Secretary Whitney asked the legal
opinion of Attorney General Garland, the same
to be based on findings of fact, for which Mr.
Whitney made himself responsible as follows: {:
% that the Dolphin was not :" n dispatch boat
of fifteen knots sea speed; and (2) that she
had great structural weakness. On these
| grossly untrue assertions of fact made by the
Secretary the Attorney General promptly de-
| cided that Mr.. Roach had not complied with his
contract indeed that he had no contract at all
with the United States; the Secretary gave the
! opinion to the public and drove Mr.. Roach into
bankruptcy.
The important question whether the Dolphin
and Mr.. Roach had fair play thus has flood Of
! light thrown upon it by the foregoing Disclosure
of the suppressed kilograms from Commodore
| Bclknap. The Whole course of events now
stands clearly in view. The chairman of Secre-
! tary Whtncys chosen Board by his signature
to two communications certified to his master
that the Dolphin had more than the speed de-
sired and had substantially all the horse power
mentioned in the contract. These certificates
were carefully kept from the knowledge of the
public and of Mr.. Roach while the Secretary
| nnnn,,nnnd tn thu world fhat fhn frinls runro