Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-08-30
THE ARMOR-PLATE FRAUDS.
Report of the Congressional Investigating
Committee on the Alleged ArmOr Plate
Frauds-VariOus Ways in Which the Work
Failed to Come Up to the Requirements
of the COntract-Reprehensi Tricks Re-

of the COntract-Reprehensib Tricks Re-
sorted To.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 24.-After several
months of careful inquiry into the
charges affecting the integrity of the
armor-plate, bolts and other appurte-
nances furnished to the government by
the Carnegie Steel Co. of Pittsburgh,
Pa, the special committee to whom the
work was delegated have finished their
report. and it was laid before the
house yesterday. This special COM
mittee consisted of Mr.. Cummings. of
New York, chairman; Mr.. Talbot, of
Maryland: Mr.. Money, of Mississippi:
Mr.. Dolliver, of Iowa, and Mr.. Wads-
worth, of New York
The resolution authorizing the inves-
tigation was offered in the house by
Mr.. Dunphy, of New York. and passed
May % last. Two days later the spe-
cial committee was called together.
The work of the committee was per-
formed with intelligence and with a
conscientious desire to reach the bot
tom facts connected with the charges
made. An immense mass of testimony
was taken. which was submitted yes
terday with the report. Their sittings
were wholly confined to Washington.
with the exception of few days when
visit was made to the works of the
carnegie company at Homestead, Pa.
TIE report shows that the contract
with the Carnegies covered period of
two years and three months-from
November 30, 1890, to February IS.
1898. The amount of armor plate con-
tracted for was s,91s tons, costing in
the aggregate S5,441, 92O.
In opening his report Mr.. Cummings
cites the charges against the company,
eleven in number. These, summarized,
show that plates did not receive the
uniform treatment required by the
specifications of the contract: that
false reports of the treatment of plates
were Systematically made to govern
ment inspectors: that bolts did not re-
ceive the double treatment required:
that specimens taken from the plates.
both before and after treatment. to
ascertain the tensile strength of each
plate were stretched without the
knowledge of the government inspec-
tors so as to increase their apparent
strength. Specimens taken from other
plates were substituted for specimens
selected by government Inspectors
that the testing machine was manipu-
lated by the order of the superintend
ent of the armor-platc mill so as to in
crease the apparent strength of the
specimens; specimens selected by the
inspectors We're reiterated before being
submitted to test: plates selected by
the inspectors for ba llistic test were
reiterated with the intention of improv-
ing their ballistic resistance. without
the knowledge of the government in
spectors: that in violation of the con-
tract pipes or shrinking cavities. err
rOneously called blow holes, in plates.
were plugged by the contractors and
the defects concealed from the govern
ment inspector: that the government
inspectors stamp was either duplicated
or stolen and used without the knovl-
edge of the inspector; and that the
government inspector, in inspecting
bolts, was deceived by means of false
templets or gauges.
Following the charges, the repor.
gives what is admitted"
Under the first charge, Supt. Schwab,
a stakeholder of the company, admits
that plates did not receive uniform
treatment, explaining this by saying
that uniform results alone were re-
guired.
The specifications under the con-
tract required that ''all members of a
group shall receive practically uni
form treatment"
The second charge is proved by the
rough records of the company itself,
which originally gave the actual treat
ment of the plates. That the original
figures We're correct is proved by their
comparison with the time books of the
heaters, in which every operation of
heating was given by them in detail
ing their work each day. Over So per
cent. of the records examined show
that Supt. Cline changed the reports
to be made to the government inspec-
tors. the changes evidently being made
for the purpose of deceiving the gov
eminent inspector in making it appear
that the plates had received the uni
form and efficient treatment required
by the contract.
In endeavOring to account for these
false reports, superintendent Schwab
and Corey explained that Supt. Cline
had added to the original report the
treatment the plates had received at
previous times. In other words, where
a plate had bean heated for bending or
for Strengthening. say days, weeks or
even months before. this treatment was
credited and added to the treatment
which it had last received. 1t is in evil
dence that Cline kept such record, but
he destroyed it after the investigation
began.
The treatment of the bolts. however,
Thoroughly exposes the falsity of the ex-
PLANTATION. All the superintendent ac-
knowledge that they never received
but one treatment, whereas, in every
case two treatments were reported to
the government inspectors 1t was of
the utmost Importance that bolts
should receive two treatments. The
peculiar shock to which they would be
subjected in battle from projectiles and
from ramming required it Experiments
made show that unless this treatment
was given bolts they would break I'M
der heavy blow. rendering the armor,
in measure, useless.
Both company and inspectors. the re-
port states, We're ulpable. The manu-
facture of armOr was going on night
and day, Sundays included. The in
spectors We're on duty eight hours a
day. Their inspection covered only
forty-eight out of los hours a week.
The frauds are characterized by the
committee as crimes for which no fine
or money compensation can adequately
atone The cpnmittae do not feel the