New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-17
CARNEGIE PLATES NOT TO BE TESTED.
SENATE COMMITTEE on NAVAL AFFAIRS DECIDES
NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THOSE NOW
on BATTIESIiIPS

Washington. Jan. l6 'Speciah.-There Will be no
test OF the armor manufactured by the Carnegie
Company. and now certain naval vessels which
the House resolution recommended firing at TO de-
termine whether not the plates were defective
This conclusion was reached to-day by the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs when II was decided
To plgeonhole the quay resolution. providing that
II the plates wthstood the test there should be re-
mitted TO the Carnegie Company the fine OF Sio-
900 imposed by the President about the time The
Tribune published the first account of armor frauds
4 few days ago Secretary Herbert. accompanied
nv c,ptaln SAMPSON appeared before the Senate
Committee and made statement that in his
opinion IL would not be wise TO remove the plates
and subject them to bastic attack Subsequently
Messrs Carnegie and Prick and their counsel called
at the Navy Department and expressed willing
ness to discuss the subject OF the armor fraud
Members OF the Senate Committee having subse-
auently read in the newspapers an account of this
visit to the Department. and the report that
representatives OF the company had submitted
proposition to the Secretary as TO what should be
done In the matter the committee called upon the
NAVY Department for further information Secre-
tary Herber, now replies to the Inquiry. After
reading and discussing the communication. the
commute. decided 10 postpone Indefinitely the Quay
resolution.
Whether the plates on the ships In question are
strong or weak will never be known until attacked
by an enemy's shells. After the Recommendations
OF Secretary Herbert were made. members vi '"e
committee agreed that II would be inadvisaoie 10
urge that the trials be had. In his communicative"
OF to-day Secretary Herbert says IN part
On the 9th Of December. 1891. Mr.. Carnegie came
to my Office accompanied by Chairman rrick anu
Mr. Knox the attorney for the company, ana nau
an interview with me. | said that IN my OPINION
this money should not In any event De Ie.u'n ,s
that the fine not imposed upon tne iuea ' ak
the plates or any of them. would nor pass tne
baliistc test: that the contract required una. onus
plates should be the very best the company coulu
Manufacture, and that the $4,000 was penalty for
nor making them up TO the highest standard ana
that therefore. his company would not be entitled
tn recover this money. no matter wntt the paiIistc
fest OF these particular plates might snow.
I also told Mr. Carnegie that had said Detore
the committee that II impossible To say whether
the plates named. any others. would certainly
Withstand given tests. There can be no absolute
and conclusive test OF any individual pate except
io fire al H. To subject every plate TO this crucial
test would be absolutely impossible. as thus
p,ate would survive for use on A ship. The House
resolution did provide what. In OF failure
OF any particular plate. should be done with the
group II represented. Logically. IL would that
n this experiment entered upon all the whole
group or groups OF any failing plate ought to be
taken off and replaced. and yet no provision was
made to cover such contingency.
I told Mr.. Carnegie that had also stated to
the Senate committee that knew of naval
power that had pursued the policy OF tearing OF
plates once put upon ships and replacing them