The Washington critic., 1888-03-16
WASHINGTON CRITIC
THE BROOKLYN BOILER SALE
Captain Cook and Pay Inspector Ste
venson Detached.

captain COOK and ray Inspector Ste
venson Detached.
Secretary Whitney to-day made public
the findings ofthe Court Of Inquiry which
investigated the sale of four boilers and
other property at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard for which Pay Inspector Stevenson
and several prominent naval officers were
responsible.
The case has attracted universal atten-
ton from the prominence of the parties
concerned and the probable scandal con-
nected with it. The history of the case
dates back to August 30 1887, when the
sale of four old iron boilers and other con-
demned materials at public auction took
place at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The
boilers belonged to the construction and
repair department of the yard and had
been condemned and recommended for
sale by n statutory board.
The sale took place and the boilers were
purchased by q. w. Gibson for S400, but
afterward hedeclined TO remove them,
and accordingly $40 of the selling price
was forfeited. The small price for which
the boilers sold caused much surprise
among naval officers and contractors, as
they were considered to be worth at least
$1,000. II was finally decided to hold
court of inquiry to investigate the
sale, and on December 5 IL met at Brook
lyn. Since that time developments have
been anxiously awaited, and numerous
suppositions as to the findings and Secre-
tary Whitney's action have been in
dulged in.
The evidence in the case established
the fact that the boilers had been sold at
private sales early in September TO Ed
ward Driscoll and w. j. Bannerman by
Pay Inspector Stevenson, who was also
general storekeeper, with the approval of
Captain A. p Cook, the acting COM
mandant of the Brooklyn yard, for the
sum of 800, although on the account of
the sale of August 80 they appear to have
been sold to Driscoll alone
Included in this sale was lot of So
called dump" consisting of cast and
wrought iron, which was situated about
the space where the boilers lay and
vicinity. This sum of Sl00 was to cover
the purchase of the four boilers and the
dump" Mr.. Stevenson, with the APP
proyal of Captain Cook, subsequently
declared this sale null and void
because the, amount offered seemed
to him to be too small. A negotiation
with Messrs. Driscoll IL Bannerman en-
sued for about two months, and finally
the boilers alone were sold to them for
$400 on November 10. The wrought iron
in the dump was also sold to the purchas
ers of the boilers at / of cent per
pound, the amount realized being
Sl,12s6s. The cast iron was pur'
chased by q. w. Gibson for S704.1S.
1t was further established by the evi
dence that the boilers were sold at private
sale, in violence of existing laws, for the
alleged reason that it was desirable tc
clear the yard of unserviceable material
and that Admiral Gherardi, the com
mandant; Captain Cooke, the acting com.
mandant,. and Pay-Director Stevenson
considered it to the interests of the GOV
ernment to get rid of this material
though obtaining but low price, A lot
of rope was sold at the sale of August &c
without having been scheduled, as was
also 1850 pounds of cotton clippings
1,725 pounds of woolen cuttings and lot
of salt beef, provisions and duck without
having been properly condemned.
After hearing all the evidence and de
batting nit for some time the court de
livered an opinion, to the effect that Pay
Inspector Stevenson was directly respon
sible for both sales, and that the entire
proceedings were irregular on the part o
the acting commandant and pay in
spector, though resulting in no loss to the
Government.
Secretary Whitney examined the evi
dence carefully, and in letter, dated
March II, states that he believes the dis
crepancies between the quantities Of the
printed schedule and those palC
for after the sale to be salts
that the findings of the court are
somewhat too severe, and sees no suf
ticient ground for questioning the goot
faith and honest motive of the officer,
having the sale in charge. He believes
that the Government has suffered some
what from the unbusness-like method,
on which the auction was conducted, anC
deems it the duty of the proper officers tc
make claim for and to recover thu
amounts from purchasers where practica
BILE. The letter concludes as follows:
"Pay officers are relied upon for knowl
edge and practice of proper bushes!
methods, and by appropriate orders th,
general storekeeper had been made thu
custodian of this property and been giver
charge of the deliveries. Yet prope
discharge of duty by the captain of til,
yard, then acting commandant woulC
have avoided most Of these grave causes
of complaint.
"Thc captain of the yard and the gen
eral storekeeper will be detached
1T is with much regret that the De
partment feels called upon to take thi'
action concerning officers of usually
meIitorious record and conduct, but there
is no other course possible, unless scan
dis injurious to the Department and Il
the service are to be perpetuated and Ell
couTaged.h