New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-26
THE ARMOR-PLATE FRAUDS.
CAPTAIN SAMPSON TELLS ABOUT HIS IN
VESTIGATION.
HE THINKS THE FULL PENALTY Lew ED III
HIM SHOULD HAVE BEEN COLLECTED

HIM SHOULD HAVE BEEN COLLECTED
BY THE EXPERIMENTATION
THE TESTS ARE MADE.
10y TELEGRAPH TEIBUyE]
Washington May 25-It is rather early to
foresce what Is to be the outcome Of the nvesti-
CATION of the armor-plate frauds by the House
Subcommittee on Naval Affairs, but there were
indications during to-day's hearing that several
members OF the subcommittee are by no means
satisfied with the past and present measures
taken by the Navy Department to prevent such
frauds. and are rather disposed TO hold the
officers Of that department to strict account
Some Of the questions put TO Captain Sampson
OF the Ordnance Bureau. who appeared to-day.
also showed that some members OF the
subcommittee were disposed to think that the
inquiries into the alleged frauds had not been
so thorough and searching as they might have
been.
One member Of the subcommittee took the
ground that under the contract and according
to the assertions Of Captain Sampson himself
that all the armor plate furnished by the Car
negfe Company exceeded the minimun-the Gov
eminent had no legal right TO assess any dam
ages or extort any penalties whatever. captain
Sampson, however, stoutly insisted that mas
much as the contractors were bound by the
contract to furnish armor OF the highest degree
Of excellence practicable with the means at their
disposal and as they had in fact furnished
certain quantity much above the minimum, they
were liable to a penalty for all that Tell Delo"
that degree Of excellence. Just as stoutly ala
he insist that all Of the arnor plate furnished
by the Carnegie Company from the first lou 10
the last was Justly subject to the 10 per cent
penalty recommended by himself and his col
leagues in their report of December l. 1893. and
he added that subsequent investigation had con-
frmed this opinion.
It was evident that Captain Sampson had not
modified or retracted his professional judgment
or opinion on account OF any act OF Executive
c!emency FOR in reply t. question by -hr.
DalI,ver he said that he had never recommended
the remission OF any part OF the penaity' Our
assurption." said he, referring 70 the results OF
the Investigation by the Board Of which ne was
chairman. was that all the armor was ID per
cent less in value than ought 70 have been fur-
nished under the contract" 1t may be remem-
hered that President Cleveland after hearing the
arguments and reading the briefs Of Mr.. Car
neoie nd his counsel decided that the armor was
orIv 10 per cent less in value than ought 20 nave
been furnished and that this should Apply Only
IN armor furnished between November g.
1892. and September IS. 1898. thus making the
total amount upon which the penalty was 10 De
assessed 81 40i $40 instead Of sl.A6,if0 as recon-
,,o,1ed nv the report Of the Sampson Board
dated December I. 1898. The 10 per cent on mo
latter sum amounted in round figures to SZ'soVo'
=, addition 70 that the Sampson Board recon-
rnended the forfeiture Of earned premiums
amounting 70 $7.6s2 70. making the total penalty
sos5 $50 %. which was reduced by Presideht
Cleycland's order dated January 10, ls'f-l"o
DAVIS after the publication in The Tribune OF MT.
Cornegc's letter approving the Wilson tarin Dill
to sl4044 o.
Captain Simpsons description OF the methouS
az manufacture Of arrnor plate ana OK the Hd'-
nor IN which It IS tested before acceptance was
exceedingly lucid and evidently excited 'he ueep-
90, Interest Of members Of the subcommittee
who asked him many questions In regard 70 oo'h'
r-hev were evidently surprised by one OF MS
statements. which was 10 the effect that "biow
holes in arrnor plate are good deal OF a pug
h.or and that while they might be avoided oy
the addition % more silicon TO the molten Steel
the resultant arlnor plate would be less valuable
than that In which blow holes" are found
In reply 10 n question by Mr. Cummings cap
tain SAMPSON gave a detailed account or the uu-
Ties 81 Government inspectors. Their duty was
s,,pposad TO begin when the plate was rolled
Thev had nothing to DO with the selection or as
gambling the metal that went into the pia'e'
This was done after the plate was mace oy "
chemical analysis BLOW holes' we're openings
left in plates by the action OF gases "heh '"e
n,o,e was forged they generally disappeared d.
the pres.nre was 50 great that II closed 'he'' up
roDo,, yare NO, serious defects. and some steel
and ormor EXPERTS held that they were good
s,,ne The materials used in filling them sohle-
ti,oes were not good and lessened the eHec'Ne-
ness Of the plate. The practice Of the Inspectors
WAS to select the poorest plate Tor the o"'iS''0
test This was done. as, In case IL came up ~ -
ouremeuts. the balance Of the lot cou!u oe ue
nepdc1 upon. Those who made the charges o'
fraud named plate $50 as one that had been re-
treated MI T.,
THIS. they said. was done at night. Inc III
spector had selected this plate for baiiisc test,
marked It. ordered 1t shipped to Washington ana
gone away. This plate passed but dia not e'i''
. Uranium After the complaint the plate was
,as,ed with pisces cut from il before TX was re-
treated II was shown that fraud had been piac-
tised This plate was cut In TWO anu tnc low" ~
half tested-the lower half Is supposed 10 Ue r'u
section OF a plate. After the charges the low.
half OF this plate was taken 10 indian lea! anu
submitted to the ballisuc test. II passed. inc
test easily. 49,, ooon
nlate I'm A group was submitted 10 physical test
bv the inspectors. after which one. pTesuiilaoly
the weakest was selec'"i i"I p'''''N III
the one thus selected was retre1ted ne aSheu
If this were So and II II We're whetner tne
rest of the group were Of any value TO the Gov
eminent. r.
Captain Sampson replied that they were. IL
dId not follow that because one plate had been
retreated the rest would not pass. Ihey
had all passed the physical test, ana II was lalr
TO assume that they were good and would come
IN TO the minimum requirements or the Dalllstc
feat Plates were retreated for the purpose or
earning a premium on the whole lot presented.
In his investigation he had found that the COM
pany in three efforts 70 improve Plates 10r YES,
had weakened them The man whom he deemed
most responsible for the frauds practised was
Mr. Schwab the general superintendent OF the
Carnegie works There seemed 10 be various
motives for the workmen and the general super
nlt SrhNvln had 4