New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-29
THE GOVERNIMENTI IN A HURRY
TT ACCEPTED POOR ARMOR PLATES ON
ACCOUNT OF THE GILLIAN TROUBLE.
TESTIMONY OF THE CHIEF OF ORDNANCE
BEFORE THE HOUSE INVESTIGATING COM
mrrTEE-EvIDENcE TO BE TAKEN
HOMESTEAD.
rnY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUSE.l


Washington May 2S.-One statement made %
Captain Sampson Chief of the Bureau OF Naval
Ordnance before the House Subcommittee on
Naval Affairs to-day was such as fully 10 Jusuiy
the committees decision TO go to Homestead anu
prosecute an inquiry there. When Mr. Frick issued
his order in September 1898, against irregular or
f-oudulent practices he either knew. or did not
know that such practices were in vogue, ana MS
testimony on this point would seem 10 be necessary
inasmuch as the Chief OF Ordnance was unaoie 10
throw any light upon 1t. According 10 MS .esu-
,nonv to-day there is also some evidence that tne
fraudulent practices were not wholly dlscoh'hueo
rr,or IN January Il and while he did say that the
second investigation. far as prosecuted had no.
developed many facts that were new re was sun
uncertain as TO whether the e'oence ohereu W
the second batch OF informers was Oh sui'S'e"'
value 70 Justify the payment OF a reward 70 thefn-
4, rood deal OF attention was bestowed To-Day
upon the prices paid for armor plate by the uoS-
eminent That the subcommittee Is lhcl'neu " 70
exceedingly thorough In Its lhVesusa''o'
sbou,n bv the fact that cognizance was taken oi
tho absurd comparison made by Mr stone Oh h>ei-
tucI<y in the House OF representatives oe'"ee"
tba cost Of steel rails and steel armor plate ior
shins OF war. The Kuttawa statesman III ms
eneech seemed TO desire TO convey 'he in'Pie'''0A'
hat Il was swinde for the Government 10 pay
so,eral hundred dollars ton for armor plate "hen
stoel rails could be had at less than s5o .on.
-, oourse Captsin Sampson clearly explained that
,bare was no basis for such a comparison anu
ono member Of the subcommittee remalheu w..
n nroyiso that It should not 80 INTO '"e 0 ~
ocordn that MIR. Stone did not profess 10 Know
arvtb,ne about the rnatter'-a statement "hich
was probably as true as any whlch VIII NC i'
IN the course OF the investigation
Mr. Coombs of Brooklyn, is another statesman
who has been disturbed on account OF the pi'o'
paid for armor plate. He asserted III 'ne iiouso go
that under the first contract the price "au
hIgh enough TO indemnify the contractors for the
ortract which was made by Secretary Tracy 'he
Government was paying for the plant over asa'N',
This statement denied point oS oap'
Samson and facts were given 10 suppolt '"e ~
r,al While this matter was irrelevant so ia' do ,o
o,r object of the investigation was concerned, "
- -. son,e interest, because II led 10 the ois-
leisure of the fact that armor plate equal IL i,o'
sunerior in all respects 10 that Hla"e ~ 'ne 80
hrated Creuzot works in France is thahuiao'u.eN
g., Tho rnited states and furnished TO the Govern
ment under existing contracts at Pr'ce, 90 '
as or fraction lower '"d'i ~ -
Creuzot Company.
cpr.T IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURE
A., Interesting feature OF Captain SIMPSONS testi-
-, ,o-dav was his admission that some OF the
orrnor plates accepted and placed upon 'he 'ioi.e
roy were such as would not now pass music, -
,his bc gave two reasons The first was tha' IL "as
not tben known that better plates could De mahu-
factured In this country; and the secohu' 'a' U" q"
o,,,t of the Chian trouble every effort was made
70 complete the Monterey for service az 'he earnest
practicable date Within the last TWO years, '"e'
fore the Improvement in the manufacture Oh ariio'
mate IN the United states must have peeh great
Another interesting feature OF the testimony d5 was
~ s,e tenent that no evidence had been produceu
- support the allegation that there naI pesn ,s
S.o,d IN the manufacture or arnlor pots os eho
Mr. Cummings said that inquiry into tne hrss sh1nt nm
yestiSaon "a. FAR as Captain Sampson concerned
and requested him to give all particulars co"ee'"'s
"A
''Tantain Sampson replied that the second i~ndumy ~
was the nstg2,on S r OF the Carnegie Com,
pany and the cnarges Were IN ene shs ana re-
made by the GT or tes The secretary directed
professor Alger. Lieutenant Ackerman ana miSt t,er
10 Sosnd in general way that the information
they had to submit had already been ootainea ~
We're tested and how was alleged
that these specimens were stretcneu sa,en, % of the
tne With the Government False information
was given the inspectors coTcerans as s.aid up to
ansary nas Other workmen testified they had been
by or FTSS ne evidence OF fraud been
tained since the first investigation Inc rspdr' hun ~
IN the cola SsSShs saw now that it would contain little new
matter c,u,nrs called the witnesss attention to
,bs nr statement of workman named vankirk given
by Mr. DunPh to the effect , ha, IN p,Ssgns s an 9ns
INTO the hole. and asked II he had examined this
man. - u,,os .,ot yank,rk had been
hsfare them but had said nothing OF this: He had
referred bowholes in plate on the Mom,efey: i,n
these plates II known when the plates were
accepted. These plates were made In great hurry.
and some OF them would not be accepted now.
There were several reasons for this. IL was tne
first plate made and about the time or the trouble
with Chill. The Department was anxious . to sss M
the Monterey finished and armor for her was 40
cepted then tha; would not be taken now
NO INTIMIDATION OF WITNESSES.
Replying TO a question by Mr.. Cummings. Captain
Sampson said that those examined did not hesitate
to answer questions. The witnesses were N no vy