The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1894-08-30
Carnegie Company or Its En-
ployes Guilty
ARMOR PLATE MATTER AIRED
IL Has Been ConclusiyeIy Shown That the
Inspectors Have Been Satisfied ny
Most Notorious Frauds.

tutlVe cummings, tnu'riiihh VI INV
house committee OH naval affairs, pre-
sented today preliminary report upon
the investigation of the armor plate
billets furnished by the Carnegie Steel
Company. The committee finds the
charges of fraud sustained, scores the
company severely, and recommends
that the 50 suspected plates in use he
tested as the only method of proving
their fitness or untitness. 1t finds that
the government inspection WAS negil-
gent. but no charge of dishonesty rests
upon the inspectors.
The charges against The company
were that the plates and bolts did not
receive the treatment required BY the
contract; that false reports were made
to the government inspectors; specl-
mems for testing were re-treated before
being submitted; that the testing
machine was traudulenly nanipu-
lated; that substitution was made in
the cnse of IA plate designed tor bal
lastic test, and that Ire government
stamp was either duplicated or stolen
and used without the knowledge of the
government inspectors.
The report states thut the number OF
furnaces used was totally inadequate
to fulfill the specifications of The con-
tract on the amount of arinor plate
turned out. Alter the first investiga-
siol of the frauds the Lumber of fur.
naces was increased from four to 10.
"Jockeying'' of Test Mach mes.
In regard 10 the 'jockeyine" of test
machines, Ii is asserted that the compa-
ny made private tests of the material,
and if 1t was below standard manipu-
lated the machine ut the official test so
1t would show the required testile
strength. The charges of re-treating
and substituting plates designed for
ballistic tests, committee is satisfied
is true.
Not Frauds, but Crimes.
OF the feature of climinulity in
volved, Chairman Cummings says:
"The frauds which the committee
found are worthy TO he called crimes.
The servants of the Carnegie company
whether with or without the knowl-
edge of the company, to increase the
gain, deliberately continued for many
months to commit acts whose natural
probable consequences would be ter
rife loss of men in times of war and
perhaps the dearest to a nation.
In recommending q test of the plate
the committee says: Notwithstanding
all the admissions by superintendent
of the company, they claim that all the
plates paid for by the government are
up to the specifications of the contracts.
The contract of February 90. 1898. states
that an obligation is imposed upon the
contractors to satisfy the inspector that
Il Lat
cordance with the terms of the con-
tract. 1t has been conclusively shown
that the inspectors had been satisfied
and the armor plates passed by most
notorious frauds. The efforts Of the
company and all its superintendsnts,
Cline, CORY and Sch wab, have been TO
satisfy our committee that the armor is
up the requirements of the contract,
Notwithstanding false reports to the
inspectors doctoring of specimens,
plugging OF plates, fraudulent retreat
ing Of test plates and .jockeying' OF the
testing machine. The unblushin g
character of the frauds to which these
men have been parties, and the disre-
gard of truth and honesty which they
have shown IN testifying before your
committee, render them unworthy of
credence, and everything bears against
their contention.
Done Purely for Gain.
at Is not 10 be supposed that such
manifold frauds continued for so long
q time without an important object to
he gained. AS individual plates and
groups of plates were passed in many
cases by fraud, fair conclusion is that
without frauds they would not have
passed. Two questions remain, Low
ever. First, whether Notwithstanding
the frauds and failure to attain the
high standard required by the con-
tracts. the armor is not good steel and
fair armor; second, the extent to which
the government has been damaged by
the frauds and Irregularities practiced
on it.
1.-THE terms OF the resolution under
which your committee is acting re.
uuires them to ascertain the amount OF
damages. 1t is impossible for them &c
do this with their present powers. The
only way to ascertain the actual
strength and condition of the armor is
to subject certain plates of the groups
passed by ballastic tests. Your com
mittee has no more work to do. Fol
the information of the house, in rela'
tlon to further continuing this inves-
tigation by making such ballastic tests,
your committee have ascertained the
whereabouts OF the SO representative
plates, alleged to have Ueen falsely
treated. The plates recommended foi
testing are four on the Monterey, eight
on the Monadnock, four on the New
York, four pn the Amphrite, three OF
the Terror, three on the Oregon, three
on the Olympia aud seven on the III
diana. four OH the Massachusetts, ant
some on the Oregon. OF the five Incl
sponsons, there are three on the Nes
York. two on the Columbia, three OF
the Minneapolis. three on the Oiyni
pla, two OIL the Cincinnati and two Of
the Raleigh"
Must Test These Plates.
The report concludes: "The con
mIttee can go no further into this in
vestigation without knowing the actui
ballastic resistance of the groups {
plates passed by the test of plates tlt
did not really represent these groups
The committee has admitted tn
charge. If the government Is pr
cluded from making these tests at The
expense by the settlement on May ]