New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-24
charges against the company. eleven in number,
riz follows:

that specimens taken from the plates both before
to ascertain the tensile ems s,rseS
Of the Government inspectors 30 as 20 ,sted
that false specimens taken from other Plates We're
substituted for specimens selected by nn,i
lated by the order OF the superintendent OF s sne
armor plate mill as to increase inc aye ,p1 ~,
ST, sfensan CT ne we're being sub
mitted to test plates seee'eu ny ,n pt ention OF
;mnrovins their balistic resistance. without 'h ne
knowledge of Government inspsciu0,rS, caw T
violation OF the contract pipes or shrifkils Succeed
erroneousiy called blowho in plates We're rom
by the contractor sna sns that the
inspectors stamp was either dupicatseo U
ana si me Government Inspector: in inspecting
bolts. was deceived by means Oh ia''e 'e'''
gauges.
FACTS THAT WERE ADMITTED.
Following the charges the report gives wha'
sdmitted." Under the first charge superh'e'ue".
cohuah a stakeholder OF the company admits 'ha'
,.,.. d,d not receive uniform treatment eHp'a'""e
,h,. nv saving that uniform results alone "e'e
required. .,,-ad that
"ou members OF a group shall receive prac''cai'y
uniform treatment" 1t specifies treatment ~ "
given under the Harvey process. ana aous: Ill.,.
~ h.m,,,c test Is the chief one. and the object
a, ali the other tests of plates is TO insure az ia
as P sssas Of 5aa Standing that to
which the test plate has been suDJe aa %; group
viii be only such as may be necessary LOT '"'' pu'
pose. u,,,h TO-
In the first contract the requirements WIN re-
gard to similar tests taken before the treatment
-. ,,a, the variations In the ingot from the mean
must not be large intmating that uniformity IN
quality was required before treatment ra'her thah
after which, of course. would follow u''ioi III
treatment. The extracts from the spechca'o''S
certainly show that they mean the UNIFORM yuan!
before treatment and practically uniform treatment
llv
follow II uniform results alone were meant 'here
would have been no necessity for requirements as
10 process.
The second charge is proved by the rough rec
ords OF the company Itself OF over IW plates anu
lots Of bolts which came into the hands OF the
Navy Department. These records originally gave
the actual treatment of the plates. They were
carefully examined by the COMMITTED Inc hsues
were taken from the states OF the heaters emPo!eu
at the furnaces each morning, and reported 10 the
superintendent by his clerk. That the orisinai hs-
mos were correct Is proved by their comparison
with the time books of the heaters in which every
operation OF heating was given by them In OBTAINING
their work each day These books were also In
evidence before the committee The ngures were
taken by the clerk Of the superintendent W. a.
Cline who had charge Of the heating OF the plates
The records show that the superintendent almost
invariably changed the figures In some cases ne
returned to his clerk an entirely new report IN MS
own handwriting. There were fake reports OF
treatment Of plates that had received no treatment
whatever
THE REPORTS WERE DOCTORED.
Over IS pet cent Of the records examined show
tina. Superintendent Cline changed the reports 10
be made to the Government inspectors, the changes
evidently being made for the purpose OF deceivins
the Government inspectors, making 1t appear that
tho mates had received the uniform and efficient
treatment required by the contract. In endeavor-
ing to account for these false reports Superinten-
dents Schwab and Corey explained that Superin-
tendent Cline had added to the original report
taken from the slate. the treatment the plates
had received at previous times In other words
where a plate had been heated for bending or for
straiehtening say weeks, even months before.
this treatment credited and added 10 the
treatment which 1t 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 explanation All the superintendent
acknowledge that the armor never received Dut one
treatment, whereas in every case two treatments
were reported to the Government inspectors. IL
was Of the utmost Importance that boits shouiu
receive two treatments. The peculiar shock 10
which they would be subjected In battle from
| projecties and from rammng required 1t. Ex-
j periments made show that unless this treatment
was given bolts. they would break under heavy
blow, rendering the armor In measure. useless.
The investigation shows that there were only
bolts I'D to September. 1892. After this third
furnace was added. and the three were used until
August, 1885, when a fourth was added. After In
formation of frauds practised in the works was
given and a penalty exacted by decision Of the
President, other furnaces were added, until to-day
ten are in use.
1t is clearly evident to the committee that there
were not enough furnaces turn out the work
reported II plates were treated according to the
specifications Of the contract and In accordance
with the direction of the Government inspectors.
PLATES STRETCHED ON THE SLY.
The charge that specimens taken from the
plates both before and after treatment. to ascer-
tain the tensile strength of each plate were
stretched without the knowledge OF the Government
tnspectors SO as to increase their apparent tensile
strength" Is admitted by Superintendent Corey.
When questioned concerning the stretching OF these
specmens Superintendent Schwab said that he
knew 1t before the investigation but that 1t was
done without his knowledge or sanction He added.
however, that he would not have objected TO IL X
he had had any knowledge OF It,
The allegation that false specimens taken from
other plates were substituted for the specimens
selected by the Government inspectors, Is also
practically admitted by Superintendent Corey. He
said that he knew Indirectly that such was the case
that he believed 1t to be true: that he had heard IL
mentioned In the works before 1t came out In the
testimony and ha! he had made no attempt d not 10 n
vestisated it, he replied: WELL 1t was matter OF
small Importance" .
The further allegation that the testing machine
was repeatedly manipulated by order OF the super
intendent Of the armor plate mill so as to increase
the apparent tensile strength Of the specimens is
admitted by Superintendent Corey and practically
admitted by Superintendent Schwab. Mr.. Corey
acknowledCes that the man at the machine Increased
the apparent strength Of specimens by ''tockeyins
with the levers" In addition to his acknowedg-
ment Mr. Schwab admits that whenever 1t was
necessary to bring the tensile strength Of spec
men no 10 the minimum the machine could be run
very fast and that by its speed the specimen would
acquire from 1900 to 1000 pounds increased tensile
IL clotp fhaf
legitimate and that the increased tensile strength
obtained was the real tensile strength OF the ma
teriai The specifications say that q principal OBJ
ject OF the tests was ascertain whether each plate
was up to the minimum requirements OF the con-
tract, without which II could not honestly De de-
nvered to the Government at all.
SPECIMENS WERE REITERATED.