The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-08-24
THE NEGLIGENCE OF INSPECTORS
Plates on Seven of the Modern
War Vessels to Be
Tested.

the Carnegie Steel Company. The COM
mittee finds the charges of fraud sustained,
scores the company severely, and recon-
meuds ffty-nine suspected plates ia use be
tested as the only method of proving their
fitness or unfitness. 1t finds that Govern
ment inspection was negligent, but no
charge of dishonesty rests upon the in
spectors.
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 Gov
eminent inspectors; that specimens for
testing were Tetreated before being sub
mitted; that the testing machine was
fraudulently manipulated; that substitu-
tion was made in the case of plate de-
signed for a ballstic test and that the
Government stamp was either duplicated
or stolen and used without knowledge of
the Government inspectors.
The report states that the number of
furnaces used was totally Inadequate to
fulfill the specifications of the contract on
the amount of armor plate turned out.
After the first investigation of the frauds
the number of furnaces was increased
from four to ten. In regard TO the lock
that the company made private tests of
material and if it was below standard
manipulated the machine at the official
test so that it would show the required
tensile strength. The charges of retreat
ing and substituting plates designed for
balistic tests the committee is satisfied are
true. The charge of using a duplicate or
stolen Government stamp is not sustained.
o.,
ton was negligent and defective. but this
is attributed to the fact that there were
not enough inspectors to do the work. 1t
is asserted that the fraud has been traced
home to the general superintendent, who
is stakeholder in the Carnegie Company.
OF the feature of cIiminality involved
Chairman Cummings says:
THE frauds which the committee have
found are worthy to be called crimes.
The servants of the Carnegie Company
(whether with or without the knowledge
of the company, to increase their gain. de-
liberately continued for months to commit
acts whose natural probable consequences
would be terrific loss of men in times of
war, and perhaps the dearest TO the ma
ton. To fine or make mere money CON-
pensation is an inadequate atOnemenJ for
such wrongs.
Your committee does not consider it
within their province to draft a criminal
statute. but they do feel under obliga-
tons TO call the attention of the public to
the importance Of protecting the lives of
our seamen and the safety of the nation
by appropriate legislation, denouncng as
crimes all such acts as the frauds pTac-
tced upon the Government in connection
with armor- plate and other material of
war, and making such acts punishable in
all persons who commit them or aid their
commission"
With the report on the armor-plate
frauds. Mr.. Cummings presented a joint
resolution to authorize and direct the Sec
rotary Of the Navy to remove. from the
Monadnock. Terror, Oregon, Indiana.
Massachusetts, and Monterey the specified
armOr plates and subject them to bal
listic test at the Indian Head proving
grounds. The resolution provides for a
speedy report on these tests.
In recommending a test of plate the
committee says: Notwithstanding all the
admissions made by the superintendent
employed by the Carnegie company they
claim that all the plates paid for by the
Government are up to the specifications of
the contracts.
"The contract of February 2S, 1898,
states the obligation is imposed upon the
contractors TO satisfy the inspector that
everything has been done in strict accord
ance with the terms of the contract. 1t
has been cOncluslvely shown that the in
spectors have been satisfied and the armor
plates passed by the most notorious frauds.
The efforts of the company and all its
superintendent, Cline, Cory and Schwab,
have been to satisfy our committee that
the armOr is no to the requirements of the
contracts, notwithstanding false reports to
ms pectors, doctoring of specimens, plug
ging of plates, fraudulent re-treating
of test plates and jockeying of
the testing machine. The unblushing
character of the frauds to which these
men have been parties. and the disregard
Of truth and honesty which they have
shown 10 testifying before your committee
render them unworthy of credence, and
everything bears against their contention.
1t is not to be supposed that such manifold
frauds were continued for so long a time
without an important object to be gained.
AS the individual plates and the groups of
plates were passed in many cases by
TUG ldI Is lHdL WITHOUT
the frauds they would not have passed.
The questions remain, however, first,
whether, Notwithstanding the frauds and
the failure to attain the high standard re-
CURED by the contracts, the armor is not
good steel and fair arm0r, and second, the
extent to which the Government has been
damaged by the frauds and Irregularities
practiced upon it.
1.-THE terms of the resolution under
which your committee is acting require
them to ascertain the amount of damages.
Ii is impossible for them to do this with
the 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 ballistic tests.
Your committee has no more work to
do. for the Information of the House, in
relation TO further continuing this investi-
CATION. By making such balIistic tests
your committee has ascertained the where
abouts of fifty-nine representative plates.
alleged to have been falsely treated"
The plates recommended for testing are
four on the Monterey. eight on the Monad-
mock. four on the New York, four on the
Amplitude, three on the Terror, three on
the Oregon, three on the Olympic (4-iDch
casements). seven on the Indiana, four on
the Massachusetts and one on the Oregon.
OF the 4-inch sponsors there are three on