The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-08-31

at the Contract keprehsn-inis if"h~ NE
sorted To.
WASHINGTON. Aug. -. After several
months Of careful inquiry into the
charges affecting the integrity Of the
armor-plate, bolts and other appurie-
nance> furnished To the government by
the Carnegie Steel Co. of Pittsburgh.
Pa, the special committee to whom the
work was delegated have finished their
report. and il was Land before the
house YESTERDAY This special com
mittee consisted Of MIR. Cummings, of
New Work. chairman; Mr. Talbot. ~
Maryland: Mr.. Money. of Mississippi;
Mr.. Dollivcr. Of Iowa. and Mr.. Nads-
worth. OF New York
The resolution authorizing the inves-
tigation was offered in the house by
Mr.. Dunphy. of New York, anu passed
May - last Two days later the >pc-
cial committee was called together
The work of the committee was per-
formed with intelligence and with
conscientious desire To reach the bot
tom facts connected with the charges
made An immense mass OF testimony
was taken. which was submitted yes
terday with the report. Their >ittings
were wholly confined TO Washington.
with the exception of a few days when
visit was made 10 the works OF the
Carnegie company at Homestead. Pa.
Tne report shows that the contract
with the Carnegies covered period of
two years and three month>-from
November 20. 1890. to February -.
1895. The amount of armor plate con-
tracted for was s.9.> tons. costing in
the aggregate S5.iil,9eO.
In opening his report Mr. Cummings
cites the charges against the company.
eleven in number. These. summarized
show that plates did not receive the
uniform treatment required by the
specifications of the contract: that
false reports of the treatment Of plates
were systematically made 10 govern
ment inspectors: that bolts did not re-
ceive the double treatment required:
that specimens taken from the plates.
both before and after treatment. to
ascertain the tensile strength Of each
plate were stretched without the
knowledge of the government in>pec-
tors 50 as to increase their apparent
strength Specimens taken from other
plates were substituted for specimens
selected by government Inspectors
that the testing machine was manipu-
lated by the order Of the supcrintend-
ent of the armor-platc mill 20 "a 70 in
crease the apparent strength OF the
specimens; spe linens selected by the
inspectors were reiterated before being
submitted to test: plates selected by
the inspectors for ballistic test were
reiterated with the intention of improv
ing their ballistic resistance. without
the knowledge of the government in
spectors: that in violation of the con
tract pipes or shrinking cavities. er
roneously called blow holes. in plates
were plugged by the contractors an,
the defects concealed from the govern
ment inspector; that the government
inspectors stamp was either duplicate
or stolen and used without the knowl
edge Of the inspector: and that tn
government inspector. in inspectin.
bolts. was deceived by means Of falls
templets or gauges.
Following the charges. the repor
gives what is admitted"
Under the first charge Supt Sciwab
stakeholder of the company, admit
that plates did not receive uniform
treatment explaining this by sayinI
that uniform results alone were RI
guired-
The specifications under the cor
tract required that '-all members %
group shall receive a practically un
form treatment"
The second charge is proved by tn
rough records Of the company itseli
which originally gave the actual treat
ment Of the plates. That the origina
figures were correct i proved by thei
comparison with the time books Of tn
matters. in which every operation {
heating was given by them in detail
ing their work each day. Over - ps
cent Of the records examined sho
that ~upt Cline changed the report
to be made 70 the government in>pe
tors, the changes evidently being mad
for the purpose Of deceiving the go'
eminent inspector in making il appes
that the plates had received the un
form and efficient treatment require
by the contract.
In .nleavoring 70 account for thcs
false reports. superintendent Schwa
and Corey explained that supt Gin
had added to the original report Il
treatment the plates had received !
previous times. In other words. whel
a plate had bean heated for bending
for Strengthening. say days. weeks
even months before. this treatment vi
credited and added 10 the treatmel
which il had last received. II is in cs
ience that Cline kept such record. b
he destroyed it after the investigate
began.
The Treatment ofthc bolts, howeve
Thoroughly exposes the falsity IT the e
PLANTATION. All the superintendent a
knowledge that they never receive
but one treatment. whereas. in eve
casr two treatments were reported
the government inspectors. IL was
the utmost Importance that Dol
should receive two treatments. Il
peculiar shock TO which they would
subjected in battle from projectilcs q
frar,, ~, M ming r..tfired H. Experime I