Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-11-17
WOULD NOT PASS THE iron
Inspectors Condemn Some
Work Done in This City.
IRON FOR THE GUTTER HUDSON
Made by the Seidel & Hastings
Company.
something That Requires Explanation by
the Man Who .Had the Democrats on
the Run, as Grant Had the Rebels, from
Petersburg to Appomattox"--Inspec
Who Insisted on Inspecting.

Who Insisted on Inspecting.
Work on the United States revenue cut
ter Hudson, building at John Dialogues
shipyard, Kaighn's Point, Camden, n. j.,
has been materially delayed owing to the
discovery of an inferior quality Of iron en-
terlng into its construction. The revela-
tion was made by the inspectors detailed
by the government to personally examine
into the quality Of the material used in
the construction of the vessel.
The iron was manufactured by the
seidel y Hastings Company Of this city
and shipped to Camden about the first of
September. The inspectors subsequently,
condemned it as unfit for government use.
1t was originally intended that the Hud-
son should be constructed of steel, but the
plans were changed at the instance of the
treasury department officials, and iron was
ordered from this city for her construction.
Thirty tons OF the metal had been shipped
TO the yard at kaighn's Point, where il ac-
cumulated and was at first supposed to be
OF the standard test. When ready to be
rlveted TO the frames the inspectors re-
jected it and refused to allow il to be used
IN the construction of the vessel. A more
thorough inspection of the iron was then
made and the result was, the entire con-
signment was promptly rejected. The
shipbuilders purchased the iron for the
best produced in the market and were sur
prlsed on discovering its inferior quality.
In order to ascertain the facts concerning
the rejection OF the consignment Of iron
representative Of TIE GAZETTE went to
kalghns Point, Saturday, and there held
an interview with Mr.. Dialogue relative to
the matter. Dialogues shipyard. as every
one III Camden knows, is the largest i'll
New Jersey. and employs when iii full
operation from 700 to 800 men. Many
dad
nent have been filed at this Shipyard in
the last 10 years. The works are located in
the southern part of the city and stretch
for several blocks along the Delaware
river. The entrance to the shipyards is on
kaighn's avenue.
II was at the office, on Kaighns avenue,
that representative of this paper found
Mr.. Dialogue, Saturday, together with his
son, John Dialogue, Jr. When asked CON
corning the condemnation Of the iron by
the government inspectors, Mr.. Dialogue
said:
The contract for the construction of
the vessel was awarded about July LIST, and
would have been completed had it not
been for the delay caused by the trouble
over the iron. | ordered the material
from Mr.. Hastings firm soon after the
contract was awarded. The iron was
shipped here and placed in the yard along
side the cutter. There were about 80 tons
of it. valued | suppose, at between 800
and $500. 1t is always customary to test
iron used i'll government vessels at the
place where it is manufactured, but as Mr..
Hastings had no appliances for testing the
iron, it was shipped here without being
tested. Iron is generally put through the
usual physical test to discover whether or
not it is up to the standard, while steel
may undergo both physical and chemi-
cal test.
In this case the inspectors found that
the iron vas not up to the standard either
AS to its bending quality or elongation. The
tests were made by Chief Engineer Daniel
Chester of Washington, and Captain Stod-
dard Of the revenue department AT the
preliminary test Mr.. Hastings was here as
was also the case on several subsequent
occasions. He was under the impression
that the iron was good enough for use in
constructing the vessel He so informed
me during his visit here. AS soon as the
inspectors told me that the iron was not
W to the requirements Immediately noti-
fled Mr.. Hastings and lie came to thia CITY
Work has since been stopped on tic
vessel and we cannot go on With Il until
the difficulty is adjusted. It has been
..1olt four weeks since the dist vcry was
made and since that time ouG men have
Ieen at work on other vessels. The cutie,
for the New York service i lOt, fept
nng, y feet beam, and II feet daplh ..
and partly plated. am waiting tr hear
from Washington in regard to the vessel
at the present time
The cutter was seen lying in the slim, on
Saturday, along the river, close by the side
OF the stern-wheeler Trinidad, for the
South American line. The rejected iron
was lying in u pile at the vessels stern, and
had not been disturbed since the tests were
made by the inspectors,
1t was learned from some of the work
men about the yards that there Ind been
some trouble between the inspector and
Mr.. Hastings over the rejection Of the iron
but lust how II had eliminated could not
be ascertaincd. 1t was also intimatcl that
the inspector had been given 10 under
stand that the iron was good enough for
the vessel and further, it was alleged that
the inspector had been informed that Mr..
Hastings stood very near to President TIar.
rison and the inspectors position was IN
Pefii II the IRON was not decided to be IN
o the standard and favorablv passed ,,pon
u is also stated that after this dire threat
he inspector promptly notified the de-
Uartment Of the matter III writing
When asked concerning the trouble be-
tween Mr. Hastings aud the inspector,
Mr. Dialogue stated that he understood
there had been some differences btlt he
was not under the impression that threats
had been made. The condemned iron has
not been replaced by the Wilmington firm
and the cutter is no nearer completion
than she was a month ago.
An effort was made by the reporter to
&c Chief Engineer Chester and CAPTAIN
sfoddufd the inspectors who made tho
tests, but as Engineer Chester had gone n
short visit 70 his home in Connecticut, and
Captain StUddard waSln New York neither
OF them could be interviewed.
WASH sQUIRMs-DOEs THE ABOVE EX.
rLAlN ms ISDIGSATIoH?
hiorning News.
10 tie Edtor ot ne .Norntng NcmS-Srp
In your paper of to-day, reporting An
interview with the Hon. Thomas n
HaNard; the following utterance is 1T.
tributed to him;
Tho sooner the work is commenced ot rn.
storing the stolen property 10 It's owner tIiq
Retler, no continued. Tho treasury yenrns inr
Its Just revenues and the piifering OF tho
pockets OF the farmer and workingman should
ceusc.
am astounded at this outrageous Ian
Euage at this time, even from that source,
and cannot bring myself to believe that il
has been correctly reported. therefore
asks one, perhaps the least important
Of the many i'll this community who art
thereby, by implication, slandercd and
Nlllitied that you will affirm or deny All
thortatively, the accuracy Of your report
! Mr.. Bayarl shall confirm il, | have fol
lie present only to say that, for one, do
not intend to be arraigned as a thief or as
receiver Of stolen goods by him, nor by
any other or larger man, and wear his
false stigma IL silence.
Inc campaign is over and Cleveland is
elected, and it was to be hoped that the III
teAilary speeches, falsehoods and abuse
Whicll seemed 10 be so necessary for til,
presentation Of the Democratic ease duriur
The canvass had ceased, W. HASTINGS.
WlLhiNGToNi NOV 18th, 1882