The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-05
yard o rdnance officer in good condition.
The Secretary says:

yaru rQnance OInCer IN gOOu COilulIioH'
The Secretary says:
The department cannot approve decision
which seems to hold that in a case like this an
ordnance officer is not responsible simply be-
cause the regulations do not declare in so many
words. Responsibility and authority go to,
gether. An officer exercises control over and
Superintendent of all who are beneath him.
If duties are required 10 be performed IN MS
department of the ship 1t is his duty TO perform
them, or to see that it is done.
An officer placed in charge OF any depart
Enent Of vessel is supposed to be equal 10 all
exigencies that may arise. Within his limits
he must have liberty OF action. and duties like
that which were neglected in this case may
often be obliged TO devolve by order upon one
or another, but it is no excuse 10 say that ne
was very busy that he had many duties to
perform
Lieutenant Dorm does not even show that he
directed any person to examine and fill this
recoil cylinder before the firing. He had notice
of the proposed target practice. He rested
confidently in the belief that this cylinder had
been filled twenty-three days before by work
men. The drill book forebade him to rest on
any such belief 1t declares that an examina-
ton should be made Immediately preceding
target practice. II is abundantly proven that
the accused was faithful and jealous officer,
but fidelity and zeal in other directions cannot
excuse such negligence as has been exhibited
in his case.
Lieutenant Dorm when seen aboard the
Olympia soon after returning from the pa
rade yesterday refused to speak of the case.
"Of course would like to speak in my
own defense" said he, courteously, land l
am not unmindful of the fact that it is
seemIy that l should do so in this inter
view, but the naval regulations positively
forbid it, and l am mum. | have been
obeying orders for over twenty years and
can't quite bring myself to disobey one
now. You must excuse my silence on this
subject. Upon any other l am at your
service"
However, the other officers of the ship
are not so silent, and hold that the lieu
tenant has been unfairly dealt with.
'Dorn received that gun in good faith,
with the rest of the Olympia's battery
from the navy-yard," said an officer, ''as
before being placed on board; after which
the recoil cylinder was again examined
and found to be full of glycerine. No
leakage was noticed under the gun stand
ing as it did in plain view for twenty
three days prior to the accident.
1.-The ordnance officer, with his other
duties to attend to, cannot personally in
spect the intricate mechanism of every gun
in the ship before it is fired. He must de-
pend somewhat upon the gunner and gun
ner's mates who are supposed to be thor
oughly proficient in their duties. Ii subo-
dinate officers cannot be depended upon the
service is going to wreck. AS well say that
the commanding officer is personally re-
sponsible for errors and accidents that
occur on board his vessel. II has to depend
upon his officers just as they must depend
upon the petty officers under them. There
is not one bit of evidence tending to prove
Dorm guilty of culpable negligence. On
the contrary it was shown, and his twenty
years of life in the service runs parallel
with the testimony, that he is one of the
most jealous men in the navy. 1t was upon
his admiral BILE record that the cOurt-martlal
acquitted him."
"Why does the Secretary of the Navy
go out of his way to try Dorm over again in
the public press after a competent board
OF officers has acquitted the accused?' said
another officer. Ellis duty was to return the
findings to the board with or without APP
prevail, and not run into the public print.
He triced Meade up for the same offense.
l suppose Dorm, who was tried, acquitted
and restored to duty, will now be retired
by Secretary Herbert and the press cor
respondents. OF course, | am committing
the same crime in reviewing the reviewer,
but my superior officer in Washington is
my august example.
''The recoil cylinder of tve-inch rapid
fire rifle rests Immediately under the
piece and holds about three gallons of
liquid so per cent glycerine and 20 per cent
water. 1t is filled through small aper-
ture in the cylinder, and there is no way to
ascertain If it is full except by opening a
little valve and letting the thick fluid
slowly run ont. The entire machinery of
each gun is examined daily by the gunner
and reported to the ordnance officer. The
utmost care is taken always on board of a
war vessel to provide against accidents,
which, if they do occur, are as unforeseen
as they are deplorable."