Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-05-19

The ARMOR PLATE FRAUDS
A Carnegie Workman Makes Som,
Disclosures.
Bolts That Secure the Plates to the Wan
ships Not Honestly Made--Armor
In Danger OF Failing or
i'm Battle.

WASHINGTON, May Entirely new
and highly important information re-
garding frauds practiced in the mann
facture of armor plate and appurten'
ences at the Carnegie mills has reached
the navy department in the form OF
sworn statement by William +. Brown
of Homestead, Pa, workman EN-
ployed until recently in the armoi
plate department of the steel works.
The affidavit WAS received by Acting
Secretary McAdoo. 1t covers class OF
frauds only limited ut heretofore, the
Importance of which cannot be overes
timated. The new charges are that a
large quantity of the bolts, nuts sleeves,
washers, etc, that have been used in
attaching armor plates to the
ships frames are SO inferior as to re
duce the efficiency of tho new war ves'
sells far below the danger point, no
matter what the quality of the plates
themselves.
The full text OF Browns affidavit
shows that while Brown himself was
an agent In practising many of the de-
ceptions by which the government has
been defraud ID, his official superiors
instructed him i'm the ways of wrong
doing, and showed him favor in pro
portion to his success in foisting upon
the government inspectors work which
would have been rejected had its true
character been known.
The allegations made by Brown are
specific as TO the part borne in these
transactions by Messrs. Corey and
Montgomery, who were the superin'
tendents of the armor plate depart
ments while he was employed in the
works. Corey is understood to be still
In the mills.
The government inspectors, accord
Ing TO Browns statement, appear to
have had n great deal of work to do,
which made it necessary for them to
have the assistance of men employed
by the Carnegie company, thus
making them easy dupes in the
conspiracy 10 work off low grade
materials on the government.
One result of the investigation now
being made by Captain SIMPSONS
board of experts will undou btedly be to
greatly increase the present detail OF
officers for inspection purposes
wherever government materials are
being manufactured.
The story told by Brown in his afii-
davit indicates that every class of bolt
made by the Carnegie company with
which to fasten on armor plates has
been the subject of fraudulent manipu-
lation. Under the present system the
bureau of construction of the navy de-
partment furnishes templates or pat
terms of all armor plates, and the con-
20 fnll ha
specifications as TO dimensions, etc, 4,
with the greatest accuracy.
After finishing the plates the con-
tractors are required to drill holes in
them at certain points and TO provide
bolts to ft them. Unusual
care is exercised in design
ing these bolts and preparing
the specifications for their manu-
facture. The bolt holes do not 90 en-
tirely through the armor, and on that
account it is essential tina. they should
be of great strength and of the full
length required by the specifications, in
order that they may resist the tremend'
GUS force of the projectiles fred from
the big guns Of modern warships.
Tho Carnegies do not manufacture
the heaviest armor required by tho
navy. This is made at the bethlehem
Iron works, but even greater care is re
quIred in the manufacture of bolts n
hold In place the ligher grades of armoi
plate, in view of the fact that as the
bolts do not pierce the plates the bolt
holes cannot DO drilled to any great
depth to afford firm hold.
The method of attaching plates is
simple enough, but in order that ship
should be capable of resisted the impact
of projectiles it is especially importan,
that none but the best materials be
used. Holes are bored through tho
ships frame and through the wood
backing, and through these the bolts
are put and screwed into the holes IN
the plates.
A wrought iron sleeve or tube Ia
slipped over the bolt, with washer al
each end containing ring OF rubber
A big nut Is then screwed on the inside
end of the bolt, and the wrought iron
sleeve is forced against the rubber
rings. The object of the sleeve ano
rubber rings is TO prevent water which
might get In between the plates from
coming in contact with the bolt an6
also to give the fastening u little lati
tude In which to recoil should a sho,
strike the plate over one of the bolt
holes.
In certain of the ships steel screws
are used In places where bolts cannot
be utilized.
From this brief description it Is easy
to see that short bolt or weak bolt.
a short sleeve or defective nut, might
be the cause OF serious damage to a
ship engaging modern war vessel. A
plate fastened on by lot of poor bolts
would be easily knocked off by shell
from big gun. In such a case the
strength of the armor plate would be
of no consequence whatever.
That large numbers of short boltA.
weak bolts. short sleeves and defective
nuts have been turned out by the Car
negie company and passed by the gov
crnment inspectors, by reason Of the
trickery Of Carnegie employees, acting
under the instruction Of their foremen,
is what Brown charges in his affidavit.