The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1894-09-01
ARM0R PLATE MATTER AIRED
II Has Been COnclusively shown That the
Inspectors Have Been Satisfied by
Most Notorious Frauds.

billets furnished hy the Carnegie Steel
Company. The committee finds the
charges of fraud sustained, scores the
company severely, and recommends
that the 50 suspected plates in use be
tested as the only method of proving
their fitness or untitness. 1t finds that
the government inspection was negli-
gent, but no charge of dishonesty rests
upon the inspectors.
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 tile government inspectors; speci-
mems for testing were re-treated before
being submitted; that the testing
machine was traudulently manipu-
lated; that substitution was made in
the case of plate designed for bal
lastic test, and that the government
stamp was either duplicated or stolen
and used without the knowledge of the
government inspectors.
The report states that the number of
furnaces used was totally inadequate
to fulfill the specifications of the con-
tract on the amount of armor plate
turned out. After the first investiga-
sioA of the frauds the number of fur.
naces was increased from four to 10.
"Jockeying" of Test Machines.
Ia regard to the 'jockeyino" of test
machines, 1t is asserted that the compa.
ny made private tests Of the material,
and if it was below standard lnanipu-
lated the machine at the official test so
il would show the required testile
strength. The charges Of re-treating
and substituting plates designed for
ballstc tests, committee is satisfied
Is true.
Not Frauds, but Crimes.
OF the feature Of climinality in
volved, Chairman Cummings says:
"rhe frauds which the committee
found are worthy 10 be called crimes.
The servants of the. Carneale company
(Vhether with or Withodt The knowl-
edge Of The company, 10 increase ihe
gatr, deliberately continued Tor many
months to commit acts whose natural
probable con sequences would be ter
rife loss Of men in times Of war and
perhaps the dearest to q nation.
In recommending u test Of the plate
The committee says: Notwithstanding
all the admissions by uperntenCents
of the company, they claim that all the
plates paid for by the government are
up To the specifications of the contracts.
The contract of February %, 1898, states
that an obligation is imposed upon the
contractors TO satisfy the inspector that
everything has been done in strict ac-
cordance with the terms of the con-
tract. 1t has been conclusively shown
that the inspectors had been satisfied
AMI the armor plates passed GY most
notorious frauds. The efforts of the
company aud all its supprintendents,
Cline, CORY and Sch wab, have been to
satisfy our committee that the armor is
up the requirements of the contract,
Notwithstanding false reports TO the
inspectors, doctoring 0t specimens,
plugging of plates, fraudulent retreat
ing of test plates aad j ,ckeying' of the
testing machine. 1he unblushiug
character OF the frauds 10 which these
men have been parties, ana the disre-
gard OF truth aud honesty which ttey
have shown III testfylng htfnre your
committee, render them unworthy OF
credence. and everything bears against
their contention.
Done Purely for 3ain.
~ Is not to be supposed that such
maaifold frauds continued for so long
a time without an important object to
he gained. AS Individual plates and
groups Of plates were passed in many
cases Dy fraud, fair conclusion is that
without frauds they would not have
passed. Two questions remain, Low
ever First, whether Notwithstanding
the frauds aud failure to attain the
high standard required by the con-
tracts. the armor is not good steel and
fair armor; second, the extent To which
the government has been damaged by
the frauds and Irregularities practiced
on it.
"Hhe terms OF the resolution under
which your committee is acung re-
quires them 10 ascertain the amount of
damages. 1t is impossible for them to
do this with their 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 ballastic tests. Your COM
mittee has 10 more work TO do. For
the information of the house, in rela-
ton TO further continuing this inves-
tigation by making such ballastic tests,
your committee have ascertaincd the
whereabouts OF the 50 representative
plates, alleged to have been falsely
treated. The plates recommended fo=
testing are -four ON the Monterey, eight
on the MOnadnock, four on the New
York, Tour on the Amphrite, three on
the Terror rec on the OFapon fhree
on the Olympia and seven on the In