The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-05
EMPLOYEES GETTING EVEN
Alleged Cause of the Defective Armor

Alleged aus OF the Defective ArmOr
Plates Made by Carnegie.
WASHINGTON, June 4-The armor plate
investigation was resumed to-day. with
Lieut.. w. c. Cowles, of the Marblehead,
as the first witness. In May, 1891, when
the Carnegie plant was being built, the
Lieutenant was appointed inspector at the
Homestead works. The first plates had
been furnished in January, 1892, for use.
While 1t would have been possible to re-
treat the plates, the Lieutenant did not
think ii had been done. The first plates
furnished were fourteen six-inch plates for
the Monterey. One of these was subjected
to the ballistic test. About a week had
elapsed between the notification to the COM
pany that a particular plate was selected
for test and it's shipment. He probably
would not have known if a plate had been
reannealed or retreated during that period.
THE company had every opportunity to
retreat the plate at night?" asked Chair
man Cummings.
ut certainly had that chance" the wit
mes replied. The whole process Of retreat
ing would require thirty-six hours. he con-
tinued. and it could not have been done at
night, but might nave been done in stages.
The first group of plates was accepted and
all ven on the Monterey, as did the second
group. 13-inch plates. The Lieutenant. as
Inspector, had not been in the works at
night or on Sundays. although the work
continued all the time. The medium plate
of each group had been selected for test.
tie had nc reason to think plates had been
retreated. Group 3 consisted of thirty
plates of four-iuch armor for the New
York. He had read the figures himself
from the testing machine. with no proba-
bility of deception, as he had watched the
workmen. Lieutenant Gill had don most
of the testing. In his opinion the first two
In the fourth group, casemate plates for
the Oregon, the company had thrown out
several. The witness said he never knew
Of test plates being retreated. In his opin-
lon, every plate OF the armor now on the
war ships would come up to the minimum
tests. Ihe witness said he had inspected
all the plates on the Monterey. None of il
was defective SO as to endanger the ship
in time of war. One plate had a large blow
hole, about ten inches in diameter.
Chairman Cummings remarked that the
hole was big enough to receive a babes
head.
Lieut.. J. H. d. Holcombe. of the navy.
works, said that his obse, yation led him
to the conclusion that the Carnegie COM
pany and the government were at the
mercy of the employees. The latter could
secure fraudulent dies and stamps, and
with these commit Irregularities in spite
of the company or Inc government. Off
GERS of the company had told the witness
that workmen were using false stamps and
bad material in order to "get even with
the company for the results OF the strike
of 1891. Lieutenant Holcombe said five gov
eminent inspectors could trace every plate
from the time 1t was an ingot until Ii was
finished armor. Witness said no underhand
work was being practiced now at the Car
negie works. He had observed that there
was a bitter feeling among the workmen
against the Carnegie company. Further
testimony will be taken on Wednesday.